Welcome to LadderstoLearning

---

At LadderstoLearning Speech Pathology, we believe in a collaborative approach to assessment and therapy for clients across their lifespan.  We work closely with our clients and their families/carers to create individualised assessment and treatment plans that address their individual needs and goals.

We currently deliver services via telehealth sessions (Australia wide - across metropolitan and rural/remote areas) and mobile visits to homes, preschools, schools, workplaces (where appropriate), community settings and aged care within our local areas (Sutherland Shire, St George, Liverpool LGAs). 

Kate Nicholls

Director & Senior Speech Language Pathologist

Kate is a speech pathologist, clinical lead and the founder of LadderstoLearning, a service built on connection, compassion and the belief that everyone deserves to feel understood. With over 17 years of experience supporting children, teens and adults across home, school, community and telehealth settings, Kate brings a warm, strengths‑based approach to every session. 

Kate established LadderstoLearning to create a space where individuals can 'climb their own ladder' towards communication, confidence and lifelong learning. Her vision was to build a service that celebrates diversity, empowers clients, supports caregivers and provides high‑quality, evidence‑based support that feels personal, accessible and genuinely collaborative.

We offer a range of services for children with speech, language and communication difficulties with or without a diagnosis, including feeding, articulation and phonology, language, stuttering and social communication (pragmatics) as well as literacy (difficulties with spelling, reading & writing). We also provide early intervention services for infants and toddlers from 12 months old.

We provide speech, language and communication assessment and therapy services for adults with difficulties related to ASD diagnosis, ADHD, intellectual disability, stroke, traumatic brain injury, Parkinson's disease and other neurological conditions. We also offer accent modification and voice therapy services.

Families, educators and support teams are key to helping communication skills thrive for our clients. 

We offer a range of support for parents and carers, including early‑journey information sessions and ongoing parent coaching. These services help families understand developmental milestones, what to expect from assessment and therapy and how to support communication at home, at school and in the community.

 We offer workshops, consultations and tailored training sessions that equip teachers and learning support staff with practical tools they can use in the classroom, playground and small‑group settings. Our sessions are strengths‑based, collaborative and designed to make communication support accessible, achievable and meaningful for every learner.  

Further, we support and aim to equip workplace teams and aged‑care staff with practical tools to support clients with their daily living skills and communication in everyday environments.  

By supporting and working together as a holistic approach to client care, we create consistent, meaningful support that celebrates each client’s strengths and promotes growth in every environment.

We also work in partnership with universities, allied health students, new grads and experienced clinicians by offering individualised, strengths‑based mentoring sessions and programs that reflect our core values: connection, clarity, creativity and evidence‑based practice. Sessions are practical, collaborative and tailored to your caseload, workplace needs and professional goals. 

At LadderstoLearning, we are proud to offer neurodiversity-affirming speech pathology services and supports that respect and celebrate the diversity of us all. Our approach is grounded in the belief that there is no one “right” way to communicate, play, or process and live in the world and that everyone deserves access and support that honours their identity, strengths and needs.

At LadderstoLearning, we aim to support, explore and grow communication in whatever form that looks right for you. We will climb every step alongside you to help reach your goals.

We have compiled a list of frequently asked questions to help you understand our services and what to expect during the assessment and therapy journey.

If you have any questions or would like to schedule an appointment, please contact us. We look forward to hearing from you.