Jessica Van Der Leeden

Jessica is a Speech Pathologist who is committed to making a difference in the lives of children and adults by helping them access their right to communication. Jessica utilises a compassionate, hard-working and energetic approach. She is passionate about evidence based practice, as well as exploring intervention options to ensure the best approach is chosen for each individual child. Jessica is a member of the Professional Self Regulation program with Speech Pathology Australia.

Jessica is trained in:

SOS Approach to Feeding – a clinical program for helping problem feeders to develop a healthy and enjoyable relationship with food
Secret Agent Society (SAS) Small Group Program – an evidence-based, multimedia program to help children improve their social and emotional resilience
Key Word Sign – using manual sign and natural gesture to support communication
The Hanen Centre “More Than Words” – engaging parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder to facilitate their child’s social, communication and vocabulary development
Social Thinking – helping children build their social skills
ReST Rapid Syllable Transition – a treatment used for children with Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS)
Ultrasound Biofeedback – a treatment used for children with persisting Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS)
Mental health training
Cultural awareness training at the Greater Western Aboriginal Health Service
Sensory Processing Disorder workshop via Child Sense Occupational Therapy
Cultural Responsive Training: Facilitated by Speech Pathology Australia

Jessica has experience working with children with a range of developmental delays and disabilities. These include; Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), attention difficulties (ADHD, ADD), Cerebral Palsy, Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS), Global Developmental Delay (GDD), Intellectual Disability, Chromosomal Disorders, Brain Injury, Down Syndrome, and more.

Charlotte Raleigh

Charlotte is passionate about helping all clients build their confidence to communicate freely and authentically every day. Charlotte sees communication as such an important part of everyday life and that everyone deserves the right to express themselves and connect to others. Charlotte delivers all sessions in a fun and energetic manner. Charlotte loves collaborating with the client, their families, their schools and other health professionals to form a team-based approach to supporting each individual's journey. Charlotte completed her Master of Speech Pathology at the University of Technology Sydney and is a certified speech pathologist with Speech Pathology Australia. She is interested in early language intervention, literacy and speech!

Charlotte is trained in:

The Hanen Centre “More Than Words” – engaging parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder to facilitate their child’s social, communication and vocabulary development
SoundsWrite: A systematic literacy program that supports children with their early reading and writing skills
Social Thinking - helping children build their social skills
Developmental Language Disorder Learning modules - Speech Pathology Australia
Roots of Literacy: Play and Language webinar
Youth Mental Health - ORYGEN x SPA webinar - supporting adolescents with communication needs and mental health support
Key Word Sign – using manual sign and natural gesture to support communication.
Aspect Building Tots for Health Professionals - helping children with developmental concerns and/or early signs of autism excel in early childhood education settings
Cultural Responsive Training: Facilitated by Speech Pathology Australia

Charlotte is particularly interested in working with children with literacy disorders, and supporting pragmatic language (social communication) skills. She has experience working with children with a range of developmental disorders. These include; Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), attention difficulties (ADHD, ADD), Cerebral Palsy, Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS), Global Developmental Delay (GDD), Intellectual Disability, Chromosomal Disorders, Brain Injury, Down Syndrome, and more.

Monique Lorizio

Monique is a passionate speech pathologist who endeavours to build meaningful connections with her clients. She loves finding ways to make therapy fun and sustainable. Monique values using a client-centered approach and evidence-based practice. She also enjoys collaborating with clients, families, and schools to monitor progress and work towards holistic goals. Monique completed her Master of Speech Pathology at the University of Technology Sydney and is accredited as a certified practising speech pathologist (CPSP) with Speech Pathology Australia.

Monique is trained in:

The Hanen Centre “More Than Words” – engaging parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder to facilitate their child’s social, communication and vocabulary development
Key Word Sign — using manual sign and natural gesture to support communication
Sensory Regulation — internal professional development seminar
Liberator AAC Training Foundations — Modules 1 and 2

Additionally, Monique has engaged in research and developed resources, including:

Speech, language and literacy of First Nations children — internal research presentation
Figurative language — handout for navigating social language i.e. idioms and sarcasm
Sentence complexity in everyday environments (expression and comprehension) — visual template for parents and teachers
E-safety and online language tools — functional written handout for adolescents
Telehealth — clinician protocol guide for using Telehealth interface and tools in therapy

Monique is especially interested in areas of school-age literacy, social language, articulation and stuttering. She has student experience working with children with a range of difficulties. These include; autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention difficulties (ADHD, ADD), learning difficulties (dyslexia and developmental language disorder), global developmental delay (GDD), intellectual disability (ID), speech sound and articulation disorders, stuttering and more.

Grace Gruszka

Grace brings a compassionate and personalised approach to supporting clients from all backgrounds with identified speech and language difficulties. Grace is committed to continuous learning and development, and is passionate about providing evidence-based therapies tailored to each child's unique needs. Grace believes in a collaborative approach, working closely with families, caregivers, and schools to achieve optimal communication outcomes for every child where they can thrive and reach their full potential. Grace completed her Bachelor of Applied Science (Speech Pathology) at the University of Sydney, and is accredited as a certified practising speech pathologist (CPSP) with Speech Pathology Australia.

Grace is trained in:

Key Word Sign — using manual sign and natural gesture to support communication
The Shape Coding system — a visual way to teach spoken and written grammar to school-aged children with language difficulties
Cultural Responsive training, facilitated by Indigenous Allied Health Australia
Developmental Language Disorder Learning modules. Facilitated by Speech Pathology Australia
Trauma Informed Practice — a strengths-based approach, which seeks to understand and respond to the impact of trauma on client’s lives. Facilitated by the ACT Education Directorate

Grace has experience working with children with a range of developmental delays and disabilities including, learning difficulties (dyslexia and developmental language disorder), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention difficulties (ADHD, ADD), Global Developmental Delay (GDD), Intellectual Disability, and more.

Dana Pickens

Dana is a dedicated and enthusiastic speech pathologist committed to helping her clients achieve their full potential across various aspects of their lives, including building peer relationships, maximising academic success, and receiving support at home. She values the insights that families provide about their children and collaborates closely with them to set impactful, personalised goals. Dana is passionate about making therapy sessions both fun and engaging, whilst tailoring her approach to meet each individual’s unique needs. She holds a Master of Speech and Language Pathology from the University of Sydney and is a certified practicing speech pathologist with Speech Pathology Australia.

Dana is trained in:

SOS Approach to Feeding: A clinical program for helping problem feeders to develop a healthy and enjoyable relationship with food
SoundsWrite: A systematic literacy program that supports children with their early reading and writing skills.
Cultural Responsive Training: Facilitated by Speech Pathology Australia
Evidence-Based Practice Training: Facilitated by Speech Pathology Australia
Key Word Sign: Using manual signs and natural gestures to support communication
Emotional Intelligence Introductory Webinar: Facilitated by the University of Sydney Centre for Continuing Education

Dana is particularly interested in literacy, speech, and feeding. She has experience working with children with a range of developmental delays and disabilities, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention difficulties (ADHD and ADD), learning difficulties (dyslexia and developmental language disorder), and speech sound and articulation disorders. Additionally, she has experience working with adults with acquired disabilities, including traumatic brain injury (TBI) and stroke.

Melissa

Melissa is our lovely admin assistant.

She is the friendly face who welcomes the children and families in our clinic. She can help with any questions regarding booking speech therapy services, managing appointments and processing payments.

Cara

Cara is a wonderful admin assistant and Allied Health Assistant (AHA).

Cara brings a positive energy to our clinic waiting room, and provides AHA therapy in one on one sessions.