KEY STRENGTHS

• Specialty knowledge with over 30 years of teaching experience working with children who are deaf/hard-of-hearing (DHH) in Queensland and New Zealand
• International mentor to teachers of children who are DHH and speech pathologists
• Co-Author of book chapter
• Speaker/presenter at AG Bell International Symposiums/Conferences

CAREER PROFILE 

I am a qualified and experienced professional who has dedicated my career to making a difference in the lives of infants, children, and teenagers who are deaf/hard of hearing (DHH) and their families.

I currently have two roles at Hear and Say. The listening and spoken language specialist role involves coaching and guiding the parents of children and young people who are DHH to teach them how to listen and speak.

My other role is Program Leader, in which I co-ordinate and present professional development and parent education. In this role I source speakers locally, nationally, and internationally to provide parent education on topics including fussy eaters, child development, and behavior management, and provide training for professionals in the fields of education of children who are DHH, speech therapy, and audiology. Throughout the past two years, this training has moved to an online format which makes is accessible to parents and professionals worldwide. Our Sunset Series aimed at audiologists in particular has included presentations on the topics of Cytomegalovirus, Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder, and Auditory Processing. Topics and presenters are sourced after negotiation with consumers.

Additionally, I provide mentoring to Hear and Say staff, as well as professionals who are enrolled in our Foundations or Advanced courses in Listening and Spoken Language Theory and Practice and Theory.

In my spare time, I work privately as a mentor to professionals in Denmark and New Zealand. These professionals are working towards certification as listening and spoken language specialists on planning individualized learning and teaching programs, application of teaching strategies to meet individual needs, and delivery of differentiated programs that link individual needs with curriculum goals. I have also mentored professionals in Cyprus and Hong Kong.

I am a member of the AG Bell Academy Board of Directors and am the co-chair of the AG Bell Academy Board Certification Committee.

EDUCATION

Master of Education, The University of Melbourne, 2000

LSLS Certification in Auditory-Verbal Therapy, Auditory-Verbal International, 2000

Bachelor of Education, BCAE (now Griffith University, Mt Gravatt Campus), 1989

Diploma of Teaching (Primary and Special Schools),

BCAE (now Queensland University of Technology, Carseldine Campus), 1985