Context & problem
Speech therapy in Australia can be difficult to access, with high costs, long waiting lists (sometimes up to a year), and a demanding process that often leaves parents feeling overwhelmed and unsupported. Achieving meaningful progress requires parents to practice with their children daily and attend weekly sessions with therapists. The exercises provided by therapists are often paper-based, repetitive, and not engaging for children, making consistent practice challenging.
Therapy sessions are also long. During these sessions, therapists ask parents how often they practiced, when they practiced, and how the child responded throughout the week. This process isn’t easy for therapists either, requiring them to manage detailed reports, assess each child, and tailor exercises — making it both demanding and time-intensive.
How we are helping
We are designing a digital platform for kids, parents, and therapists, delivered through dedicated apps. It transforms traditional paper-based exercises into interactive, engaging games within a digital environment.
The system uses AI to assess each child’s needs, recommend personalized exercises, and adapt them based on their progress. This allows families to start therapy even if they cannot immediately access or afford traditional speech therapy services.
For children who already have a therapist, the platform also acts as a collaboration tool — connecting therapists, parents, and children in one place.
My role – UX designer
As the UX designer on this project, I focused on designing the Parents Portal as the first phase of the platform.
I collaborated closely with the co-founders and analysed insights from interviews with parents and speech therapists to understand their needs, challenges, and expectations around speech therapy.
Based on these insights, I designed mid-fidelity prototypes to make the therapy experience simple, engaging, and easy to navigate for parents.
The design enables parents to access personalised exercises, track their child’s progress, and clearly understand how the system works.
Currently, I design interactive learning units that are fun, engaging, and adapted for different age groups.
To guide my work, I explore how educational apps keep children interested, especially through motivation, interaction, and age-appropriate content.
Designing the Kids Portal and Therapist Portal will be the next stage of the project.
Impact & Value
This platform aims to make speech therapy more accessible, engaging, and scalable for both families and therapists.
Curated learning pathway: The system creates a guided learning path for each child. It uses AI to assess their level, recommend the right exercises, and continuously adapt future activities based on their progress.
Improved accessibility: Families can start therapy without waiting for in-person sessions or immediate access to a therapist.
Increased consistency: Interactive, gamified exercises encourage children to practice more regularly.
Greater independence: Reduces the need for constant parental involvement, allowing children to practice more independently.
Reduced parental stress: Clear guidance and visibility into progress help parents feel more confident and supported.
Lower therapist workload: Automated tracking and AI-driven recommendations reduce manual reporting and preparation.
Better collaboration: Keeps parents, children, and therapists aligned through a single connected.