GP Referrals for Paediatric Allied Health in Brendale
Supporting Early Identification, Development and Connected Care
Lifespan Therapies provides paediatric physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech pathology in Brendale for babies, children and young people across the Moreton Bay region.
GPs, paediatricians and other health professionals can refer children for developmental assessment, therapy or early developmental support when concerns emerge. Families can also access our services directly without a diagnosis, NDIS plan or referral.
When to Refer a Child to Paediatric Allied Health Professional
When Something Doesn't Quite Look Right
The most important thing to remember is; You don't need to wait for a diagnosis to give a family direction.
A child may be meeting some milestones but not others. A parent may be concerned but unsure whether it's significant. Or you may simply want another set of eyes on development.
Referral or allied health review may be helpful when there are concerns regarding:
Gross or fine motor development
Head shape, positioning or early movement
Speech, language or communication
Feeding or oral motor development
Sensory regulation
Self-care and everyday participation
Coordination, balance or physical confidence
School readiness
Developmental progress that is slower or different than expected.
Why Early Allied Health Referral Can Help
When a child’s development is uncertain, families don’t always need to simply “wait and see.” An early allied health check-in can help determine whether a child would benefit from reassurance and monitoring, practical strategies to support development, or further assessment and therapy.
Early referral doesn’t mean a child will need ongoing therapy. Sometimes, clarity and the right advice at the right time are all that’s needed. Addressing emerging concerns early can also help prevent smaller difficulties from becoming more established or beginning to affect other areas of a child’s development, confidence and participation.
For children who do need support, identifying concerns early provides an opportunity to intervene while skills are still developing and give families practical strategies they can use in everyday life.
With expanded Medicare pathways now providing greater access to allied health assessment and therapy for eligible children, it can also be a valuable time to explore support — helping reduce some of the financial barriers for families.
Baby & Child Developmental Check-Ins Brendale
Not every developmental concern needs ongoing therapy — sometimes families just need some reassurance.
When a parent raises a concern, or something about a baby’s early development doesn’t quite look as expected, a Developmental Check-In provides a simple next step without committing the family to ongoing therapy.
Our Baby Development Check-In is a 30-minute individual consultation, particularly valuable in the early months of life. A paediatric therapist can review the baby’s development, identify emerging concerns and provide families with practical advice about what to do next.
Depending on the baby and the concerns raised, we may look at:
head shape, positioning and neck movement
movement quality and early motor development
tummy time and positioning
feeding and early oral-motor development
early communication and interaction
developmental readiness for emerging skills.
A useful option when you're thinking, “Let's keep an eye on it.”
Following the check-in, families may be reassured that development is progressing as expected, given practical strategies to support development at home, recommended a period of monitoring, or guided towards further assessment or therapy where appropriate.
The aim is not to turn every developmental concern into therapy. It is to give families clarity early — and identify the children who would benefit from support before smaller concerns become more established.
Medicare & GP Referral Pathways for Children
No Referral Required
Families can access Lifespan directly because the therapists are first-contact practitioners.
GP referral where the child meets the relevant Medicare requirements, with allied health sessions shared across eligible disciplines.
Chronic Conditions - Allied Health Medicare - EPC Plan
Medicare M10 Allied Health Referral Pathway
Step 1 - Assessment Referral
Up to 8 assessment sessions may be available, with up to 4 sessions per referral.
Speech Pathology — 82005
Occupational Therapy — 82010
Physiotherapy — 82030
Psychology — 82000
Assessment sessions must be used before progressing to the GP review and therapy pathway.
Step 2 - GP Review
Once assessment is complete, the child returns to their GP for a review under MBS Item 139.
The GP reviews the assessment findings and, where appropriate, can then refer the child for therapy.
Item 139 can only be claimed once in the child's lifetime.
Step 3 - Therapy
Following the GP review, eligible children can access up to 10 therapy sessions per referral:
Speech Pathology — 82020
Occupational Therapy — 82025
Physiotherapy — 82035
Psychology — 82015
A maximum of 20 therapy sessions across all eligible disciplines is available over the child's lifetime.
Step 4 - Further Referral
If further therapy is clinically appropriate after the first 10 sessions, the child returns to their GP for an additional referral.
This allows access to the remaining eligible therapy sessions, up to the lifetime maximum.
Important Medicare Sequencing
Assessment → GP Review (Item 139) → Therapy
Assessment sessions should be completed before Item 139 is claimed or therapy sessions commence.
Learn More about Medicare M10 Referrals - Click Here
Paediatric Allied Health Services GPs Can Refer To
Paediatric Physiotherapy
Early motor development, head shape/positioning, gross motor development, coordination, mobility, physical disability and sports-related concerns.
Paediatric Occupational Therapy
Fine motor development, self-care, sensory regulation, participation, school readiness and everyday functional skills.
Paediatric Speech Pathology
Speech sounds, language, communication, social communication, feeding and oral motor skills.
Refer A Patient
You don't need to know the exact discipline before referring.
Let us know the developmental concern you've identified and our team can help guide the family towards the most appropriate assessment or support.
Email referrals: enquiries@lifespantherapies.com.au
Phone: 07 3495 0230
FAQs
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Yes. A diagnosis is not required to access our services. Children may be referred for assessment, developmental concerns, functional difficulties or when further allied health input would help clarify whether support is needed.
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Yes. Allied health assessment and support can often begin while a child is awaiting specialist review. Where appropriate, our clinicians can provide assessment findings and information to contribute to the child's broader care.
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You don't need to determine the therapy pathway before referring.
Let us know the developmental concern you've identified and our team can help guide the family towards the most appropriate assessment or support.
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Please include the reason for referral, relevant developmental or medical history, current concerns and any diagnoses, investigations or other services involved where relevant. This helps our clinicians understand the referral context and coordinate care.
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Where appropriate and with family consent, our clinicians can communicate relevant assessment findings, recommendations and progress with the child's GP and other professionals involved in their care.
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No. Lifespan Therapies supports children and families through a range of access pathways, including private services and eligible Medicare pathways. An NDIS plan is not required to access our services.
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We support children and young people across development, from babies requiring early developmental support through to school-aged children and young people.
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No. Families can access our physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech pathology services directly without a referral. A GP referral may be required where a family wishes to access eligible Medicare-funded services