Our Team
OUR TEAM
Eat Talk Play supports children and their families with a range of developmental delays and disabilities. Eat Talk Play therapists are enthusiastic, engaged, playful, and flexible. The team collaborate with each other, with families and with other care providers to ensure each child is able to grow and develop in meaningful ways.
Eat Talk Play therapists are dedicated to ongoing professional development and receive discipline specific supervision, this ensures they are implementing recent evidence based practices.
Speech Pathology
Here at Eat Talk Play we are passionate about communication and feeding development. Our Speech Pathologists provide assessment and intervention for diverse range of speech, fluency (Stuttering), language, social communication and feeding conditions.
Meg Tidyman
Meg obtained her Masters in Speech and Language Pathology from Macquarie University and undergraduate degree at Sydney University. She has dedicated over 10 years to working with children with complex communication and feeding needs.
Meg is a passionate advocate for the right to communicate and is well versed in alternative communication methods (AAC) and assistive technology (AT). She believes clients have the right to be supported however bests suits their current capacity in order to communicate and participate holistically within their world.
Meg has experience working with children who live with:
Delayed speech, language and social communication
Complex communication disorders (including alternative communication options)
Sensory feeding disorders
Complex feeding management
Meg has been trained in and uses evidenced based interventions including:
SOS (Sequential Oral Sensory) feeding therapy
Paediatric dysphagia: International Dysphagia Diet Standards Initiative Framework
Pragmatic Organisation Dynamic Display (PODD)
Picture Exchange Communication (PECS)
Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, infant edition inclusive (ADOS)
Key word sign
Hanen “It take two to talk” communication therapy
PROMPT motor speech therapy
Georgia Smith
Georgia gained a Bachelor of Speech Pathology from the University of Newcastle. She has committed her career to working with children in the early intervention sector. Working to help children reach their developmental potential.
Georgia is enthusiastic about providing children and their families with the tools to communicate in all aspects of their daily life. She believes in meeting the child where they are at in this moment. Georgia values providing holistic care through the multidisciplinary approach.
Georgia has experience in working with children who live with:
Additional Needs such as, Autism Spectrum Disorder and Trisomy 21 (Down Syndrome)
Social Communication Disorders
Early Language delays/disorders
Infant feeding
Georgia has been trained in and uses evidence based interventions including:
Hanen "More Than Words" social communication therapy
Infants Feeding Foundations (provided by Babble & Munch)
Picture Exchange Communication System (PECs)
Traffic Jam in My Brain, a sensory approach to challenges associated with Autism, ADHD, Learning and Behavioural Disorders
Amy Hallewell
Amy is a Certified Practicing Speech Pathologist with over 20 years clinical experience in feeding and swallowing difficulties. In 2003 she began the journey to specialisation in the field of infant and childhood feeding and swallowing challenges with a particular focus on premature and medically fragile infants. Since this time Amy has provided specialist Speech Pathology swallowing and feeding services in hospital and community settings across London, Sydney and now the Central Coast.
Amy is passionate and dedicated to supporting infants, children and their parents/carers on their journey with feeding and swallowing difficulties, empowering families with the knowledge and tools to support their child and improve their feeding outcomes.
Amy has experience working with children who live with:
Ex premature infant feeding support following NICU / Special Care stay
Fussy feeders & selective eaters
Anxious eaters
Difficulty transitioning to solids
Breast or bottle feeding challenges
Support with tube weaning (in liaison with dietitian support)
Delayed / disordered oro-motor skills
Feeding swallowing difficulties associated with complex neurological /medical conditions
Dysphagia
“I believe every journey with feeding challenges is as unique as the child / family unit traveling that path, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to successfully working with feeding difficulties. In my practice, I draw on my experience and knowledge in a wide variety of approaches to formulate a treatment plan in collaboration with the family. I never cease to be humbled by the trust placed in me by families at a most vulnerable time.”
Emma MacKillop
Emma obtained her Bachelors of Speech Pathology (honours) at the University of Newcastle. She has dedicated her career and ongoing study to working with children with complex communication and feeding needs.
Emma works closely with families who are impacted by feeding delays and disorders to help their child develop the necessary skills for optimal oral intake. Emma also skilled at working with children with motor speech disorders.
Emma has experience working with children who live with:
Delayed speech, language and social communication
Complex communication disorders (including alternative communication options)
Sensory feeding disorders
Neurodevelopmental disorders and genetic differences.
Emma has been trained in and uses evidenced based interventions including:
SOS (Sequential Oral Sensory) feeding therapy
Feed the Paeds- foundations of paediatric feeding and swallowing.
Oral Placement Therapy (Talk Tools)
Hanen "More than Words" social communication therapy
Learn To Play (provided by Karen Stagnitti)
Key Word Sign
Speech PathologyAustralia Paediatric Dysphagia Conference
Occupational Therapy
Eat Talk Play aims to assist families to optimise their child's holistic development. Our occupational therapists can assist with general motor development, sensory integration and processing and general adaptive behaviours required for successful social and emotional development. Our team is also dedicated to supporting children with a range of feeding difficulties and disorders.
Working from relationship based intervention approaches, we support families through education and empowerment to help their children engage in their activities of daily living. Therapists are playful, empathetic and dedicated to helping your family thrive.
Karina West
Karina obtained a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (1st class honours) from the University of Newcastle. Since graduating Karina has worked in private paediatric settings with a focus on sensory integrative approaches and feeding difficulties.
Karina is passionate about helping families understand their child's experience of the world, and how to either adapt or overcome atypical processing. She utilises sensory integration approaches to help children expand their adaptive responses and engage meaningfully with others and their environment.
Karina has experience working with children who live with:
Neurodevelopmental diagnosis (ASD, ADHD, GDD)
Sensory feeding disorders
Atypical Sensory Processing
Genetic differences affecting functional engagement
Karina has been trained in and uses evidenced based interventions including:
SOS (Sequential Oral Sensory) feeding therapy
Therapeutic Listening program
DIR floortime approach
Exploring and applying Psycho-sensory interventions and trauma-informed practice (provided by Kim Barthel)
"Learn to Play" intervention & education (provided by Karen Stagnetti)
Traffic Jam in My Brain, a sensory approach to challenges associated with Autism, ADHD, Learning and Behavioural Disorder
Allied Health Assistant
Allied Health Assistants (AHA) deliver a tailored therapeutic intervention program to their clients whilst being supervised by the treating clinician. The therapist and AHA work closely along side families to ensure programs are delivered in a meaningful way to ensure the best outcomes possible.
Sophie Mackillop
Sophie is currently undertaking tertiary education to become a speech pathologist. She has worked with neurodiverse populations here at Eat Talk Play under guidance from qualified clinicians. She is a bubbly, playful and kind person who is able to establish meaningful connections with her clients.
Brooke Hewitt
Brooke has completed her certificate IV in Allied Health Assistance (Occupational therapy) and worked many years in the role as a pediatric allied health assistant. She comes with clinical and personal experience supporting children with additional needs. Her kind and fun personality brings a calm confidence when working with her clients.
Interested in joining the team?
We would love to hear from you! Please email contactus@eattalkplay.com.au or call 02 80914839.