Attendance & Cancellation Policy
This policy outlines your responsibilities for attending appointments and the process for cancellations, including any applicable fees.
Quick Reference Guide
Individual Appointments
| Situation | What You Need to Know |
|---|---|
| Regular Attendance | Minimum 80% attendance; no more than 3 consecutive cancellations |
| Cancel Without Fee | Cancel before 8 AM the day before your appointment |
| Late Cancellation | Cancel after 8 AM the day before – 50% fee applies. Your clinician will use the time for therapy-related work. Alternative: convert to telehealth, parent meeting, or professional liaison (session costs apply) |
| No Show | No attendance and no notice – 100% fee applies |
Different appointment types have different cancellation rules. This table reflects general rules for individual appointments – please refer to the detailed sections below for assessments, groups, intensives, and termly progress services.
Special rules apply for:
- Assessments/Initial Appointment
- Intake & Assessment Service Planning Fee is non-refundable and non-transferable
- You may reschedule your assessment/initial appointment once with no additional fee, beyond this, an additional Intake and Assessment Planning Fee will apply
- Groups – Service Planning Fee is non-refundable; standard cancellation rules apply
- Intensives – Service Planning Fee is non-refundable; standard cancellation rules apply per session
- Termly Progress Services – compulsory for school clients; please refer to school therapy for services provided.
Scheduling Appointments
Appointments are held in clinic, via telehealth, or at your child’s school or preschool, based on mutual availability. Times and duration are confirmed with your speech pathologist before services begin.
- Clinic appointments occur throughout the year
- School appointments occur during school terms, with a Termly Progress Service during school holidays
- Preschool appointments occur throughout the year, or during school terms if your preschool closes for holidays
If you need to make any changes to your schedule, please speak with your speech pathologist. All changes are subject to operating hours and availability.
Attending Appointments
Regular attendance is essential for successful therapy. We define this as a minimum of 80% attendance across your reserved appointments, with no more than 3 consecutive cancellations.
Certain appointment times – particularly before and after school – are in high demand. When you reserve a time slot, you are committing to that time. We are unable to accommodate drop-in or unscheduled appointments, but if you need to change your regular time, please speak with your speech pathologist.
Reminders – we send a courtesy text message two days before your appointment. Please note that you are ultimately responsible for your appointment schedule. If a reminder is not received, our cancellation policy still applies.
Arriving on time – please arrive on time to make the most of your therapy session. Your speech pathologist is unable to extend beyond your allocated time, and the full appointment fee applies regardless of late arrival.
At the clinic – you are welcome to attend sessions with your child, wait in our waiting room, or return at pick-up time. Siblings must be always supervised and cannot be left unattended in the waiting room. You are responsible for your child’s safety when travelling to and from the clinic and their behaviour while in the waiting room.
Extended clinician leave – if your regular speech pathologist takes extended leave, we will arrange continuity of care with another clinician, subject to availability and suitability.
Attendance monitoring – we monitor attendance patterns and will reach out if we have concerns. We understand that emergencies arise, however a consistent pattern of missed appointments may result in your appointment slot being offered to another family. Please also note that appointments may be cancelled due to outstanding invoices – refer to our Payment Policy for details.
How to Cancel
You can cancel your appointment by:
- Replying ‘N’ to your appointment reminder text
- Calling (02) 9482 8099 to speak with us or leave a message on our 24-hour answering machine
- Emailing admin@allcommunication.com.au
Cancellation Rules
Assessments/Initial Appointments
When you book an assessment/initial appointment, both you and we commit to that time and the preparation for that appointment. Please note:
- The Intake and Assessment Service Planning Fee is non-refundable and non-transferable
- You may reschedule your assessment/initial appointment once only, beyond this, an additional Intake and Assessment Planning Fee will apply.
Individual Appointments
| Cancellation Timing | Fee | What Happens |
|---|---|---|
| Before 8 AM the day before | No fee | We will offer to reschedule or switch to an alternate service |
| After 8 AM the day before | 50% fee | Your clinician will use 50% of the appointment time for therapy or service-related work (see below). Alternative: convert to telehealth, parent meeting, or professional liaison (session costs apply) |
| No show, no notice | 100% fee | Time is not used for additional work as the clinician is pending time waiting and following up on your arrival and preparing/cleaning up tasks for the missed appointment. |
When a late cancellation fee applies, your clinician will use your appointment time to complete meaningful therapy-related work on your behalf, which may include:
- Creating resources or home programs tailored to your child
- Writing progress notes or completing long-term goal reviews
- Liaising with other professionals on your child’s team (where consent has been provided)
If you need to cancel multiple appointments (e.g. for a holiday), please speak with your clinician in advance. We are unable to hold your appointment time for more than 3 consecutive cancelled sessions.
Group Appointments
Group programs are offered as a Program of Supports – an NDIS-funded model where participants work toward shared goals in a group setting. The Service Planning Fee is non-refundable and non-transferable once paid. Standard cancellation rules apply (as per individual appointments above). Homework and resources will be provided for any cancelled session.
Intensive Appointments
The Service Planning Fee is non-refundable and non-transferable once paid. Standard cancellation rules apply per session. Where possible, we will offer to reschedule within the holiday period or provide resources, telehealth, or a parent meeting in lieu.
Termly Progress Services
This is a compulsory end-of-term service for all school and preschool clients, delivered as a holiday session, parent meeting, progress report, or other clinician-recommended service. You will be charged for this service in whatever format it is delivered.
Regular progress reviews are essential to ensure your child’s therapy remains on track and continues to meet their evolving needs. These structured check-ins allow us to celebrate progress, adjust goals, maintain open communication, and prepare for any upcoming planning meetings. Because this is a core component of our school and preschool program, a Termly Progress Service will be provided – and charged – in some format at the end of each term.
Your clinician will contact you during the term to discuss your preferred format. If we do not hear from you, a termly progress report will be provided by default.
| Cancellation Timing | What Happens |
|---|---|
| Before 8 AM the day before | No fee – we will reschedule or switch to an alternate format. If neither is possible, a progress report will be provided and billed accordingly |
| After 8 AM the day before | No additional cancellation fee – we will offer a parent meeting or progress report. If you prefer to reschedule, a 50% late cancellation fee applies for the cancelled session (your clinician will use 50% of the appointment time to complete a therapy or service related task during this time), plus the full fee for the rescheduled appointment |
| No show, no notice | A full session fee (100%) applies for missed appointments. If the Termly Progress session is missed, the clinician will provide a brief progress update during the scheduled time after waiting and following up on the absence. |
Provider Cancellations
If we need to cancel an appointment, we will reschedule where mutually possible or cancel with no penalty to you. We are not liable for any expenses incurred because of our cancellation.