My experience and focus

I qualified as a speech-language therapist and audiologist in 1999 at the University of Cape Town (UCT). I then worked in special needs education at two schools for the Deaf.

This exposed me to Deaf culture and communicating with children and adults in sign language. It was an amazing learning experience where the importance of multi-disciplinary teamwork was a highlight in helping children holistically.

I was so invested in children’s education that I did my Masters in Education at UCT and graduated in 2012. The focus of my thesis was to explore the teaching (pedagogic methods) of teachers of the Deaf when teaching in sign language. The topic of my thesis was: A Case Study of the Constitution of School Mathematics for the Deaf in Three Primary School Classrooms.

After working in special needs for eight years, I started a private practice where my focus shifted to helping children in mainstream schools. My practice is quite mobile as I travel between three Cape Town primary and nursery schools on weekday mornings.

I have now been working as a speech-language therapist in private practice for more than thirteen years. I am passionate about working with children and helping them to achieve their communication potential. I believe that early intervention is important in order to provide children with the support that they need to develop fully.

My main focus is on children aged 4 to 13 years, but I have worked with children as young as two years old. My goal is always to build children’s ability to communicate, which, I firmly believe, is essential to the development of their confidence and self-actualisation as young adults.

I am registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) and I am also a member of the South African Speech-Language-Hearing Association (SASLHA).