MEET THE TEAM
Speech Pathologist
DIRECTOR & CLINICAL EDUCATOR
Elisa
What do you love most about working with kids?
I love their innocence and lack of filter! They always make me laugh. I also love seeing those light bulb moments when they achieve a goal that they were finding challenging.
What motivates you?
Creating a workplace that I am proud of with a team that feels safe, valued and inspired whilst providing the best quality care to families.
What is your favourite childhood game/book/memory?
There are a few that come to mind! I loved playing games like ‘mums and dads’ and ‘shops’ with my brother, cousins and friends! I also loved reading books such as ‘Alexander’s outing’ with my Mum. I always enjoyed summer holidays away with family and going on the train into the city with my mum during school holidays!
If you could be any cartoon or superhero what would it be and why?
Lisa Simpson for sure!
What is your passion area of practice?
I love working with a mixed caseload from kiddies as young as 1 years old helping them say their first words to kids starting school and working on their reading and writing. I love making a difference in kids and their families lives!
Occupational Therapist
DIRECTOR & CLINICAL EDUCATOR
Sarah
What do you love most about working with kids?
I am a big kid at heart and love how I finally have a place where I don't have to pretend to be an adult! I love when my clients tell me how silly and goofy I am and seeing the smile on their face when they enter the door.
What motivates you?
The families I work with fill me with so much joy and purpose! Being told by a child that you are one of their "bestest friends ever" is the most rewarding and motivating thing in the world!
What is your favourite childhood game/book/memory?
Corners... I am known for trying to play corners on an airplane during turbulence! You can make anything fun if you see through the eyes of a child.
If you could be any cartoon or superhero what would it be and why?
I always wanted to be a powerpuff girl! As a child I thought they were so strong and I loved how they all had different personalities!
What is your passion area of practice?
Sensory processing and sensory-related behaviours have a special place in my heart. I love working in school environments and supporting students to learn regulation skills so they can connect with others and achieve their full potential.
Speech Pathologist
Marie
What do you love most about working with kids?
I love that every day working with kids is different. Even though a child may be working on the same goal for several weeks, I am challenged to make each session different to keep them engaged. I also love how curious children are. I am always learning from them as much as I am teaching them. Some days the children will ask me questions I don’t know the answer to, it helps me keep on top of my own learning while we look up the answers together. I love that I can show we don’t always have the answers, but we can keep learning.
What motivates you?
Being able to learn new skills in all areas of life is motivating to me. I am always interested to know more, whether that means learning a new skill for myself or learning new therapy approaches to help my clients and their families. Working with children, families and other professionals allows me to constantly develop my skills and grow as a person and in my profession.
What is your favourite childhood game/book/memory?
When I was a child, I had a huge love for reading. My favourite books were Roald Dahl’s books. I remember my parents would catch me hiding under my blankets at bedtime trying to finish the book I was reading.
If you could be any cartoon or superhero what would it be and why?
If I could be any superhero, it would be Captain Marvel. She has many admirable qualities such as the ability to think on her feet and make decisions quickly, intelligence and strength. My favourite thing about her is her quick-witted humour.
What is your passion area of practice?
Currently, my passion area of practice is early language. I love being able to share a child’s ‘firsts’ with their family and carers. I also love being able to educate families and help them feel empowered to support their children outside of therapy. Watching children grow and develop is the most rewarding job!
Speech Pathologist
Chantelle
What do you love most about working with kids?
I love how children are so imaginative, playful, joyful, resilient, funny and true to themselves! I love being surprised and led by a child’s curiosity to learn about themselves and the world around them.
What motivates you?
When working with children, every day is so much fun and no day is ever the same! This motivates me to work creatively to make therapy as engaging as possible - and problem-solve when things don’t quite go to plan! However, of course, it is very much my mission to keep up with the latest evidence-based practice and research to provide the best care to our children and families. There is no better feeling than empowering families, teachers and the child’s support team, with new knowledge and skills to help them achieve their meaningful communication and/or feeding goals.
What is your favourite childhood game/book/memory?
I have fond childhood memories playing hopscotch, handball and jump rope on the school playground. Then, Tamagotchis entered the scene and became the new novelty! Admittedly, I’ve been a real bookworm from a young age. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis was one of my primary school favourites! After reading the book as a class, our teacher invited us to try (real) Turkish Delight while watching the movie at the end of term!
If you could be any cartoon or superhero what would it be and why?
When I grow up, I want to be Emma Watkins - who you or your kids might know as the previous Yellow Wiggle, and more recently, as the character, ‘Emma Memma’. Why? Emma’s commitment, creativity and passion for connecting with children through dance, song, storytelling and sign language is nothing short of inspiring. Emma is paving the way for more inclusive children’s entertainment in Australia, and around the world - and as a speech pathologist, I am ABSOLUTELY here for it!
What is your passion area of practice?
I highly value the importance of helping kids and families develop a positive relationship with food. With a background in nutrition and health promotion, it has always been my dream to work as a paediatric feeding therapist as a pathway to achieving this.
Apart from feeding, I also thoroughly enjoy working in the areas of speech sound disorders, early and school-age language development, social skills, stuttering and voice - so essentially, I love working across ALL areas of practice across all age groups - all while championing for neuro-affirming ways of practising.
Speech Pathologist
Elise
What do you love most about working with kids?
I love how kids are so positive, honest and open to learning new things. They remind me to continue looking for opportunities to learn and grow, and to always see the glass half full! Being able to see a child's progress and support their unique needs and personalities is also very rewarding!
What motivates you?
Knowing that I can make a difference in the lives of children and their families motivates me greatly as a speech pathologist. I love seeing the joy on a child's face when something finally 'clicks'! It's a privilege to be able to see a child grow as they are working on their goals.
What is your favourite childhood game/book/memory?
Growing up I spent a lot of time with my sister. Even if there was nothing to do we would always find a way to make a game out of anything! One of our favourite activities was playing with dolls and making up little backstories about them!
If you could be any cartoon or superhero what would it be and why?
When I was growing up I used to want to be Dora the Explorer because she got to travel to exciting new places everyday! Her curiosity, willingness to have a go and ability to make new friends with anyone also inspires me as an adult!
What is your passion area of practice?
Currently, my passion area of practice is speech sound disorders. It's so rewarding to help children communicate and have their unique thoughts and ideas understood by others! Working on a child's articulation and awareness of different sounds also helps a child to develop literacy skills, setting them up for success at school!
Speech Pathologist
Zoe
What do you love most about working with kids?
I love that every day is different when working with children. Their cheeky personalities and lack of filter are probably my favourite things. I’m also a big kid at heart so I think I enjoy the fun activities just as much as the little ones!
What motivates you?
Supporting children to achieve their goals and be able to express themselves is so rewarding. I am also motivated by all the other Bambini clinicians to want to learn new skills and therapy approaches to help my clients and their families.
What is your favourite childhood game/book/memory?
My favourite childhood memory would probably be going on scenic weekend drives with my family. I remember going to different beaches and lookouts and exploring new places – it was what I looked forward to the most! And of course, my dad played his great tunes in the car. I’d also say I loved making up fun dances with my sister and cousins and recording them on my iPod.
If you could be any cartoon or superhero what would it be and why?
Rapunzel from Tangled – She is caring, courageous and independent. Plus, she has nice hair!
What is your passion area of practice?
Currently, my passion area of practice is early language intervention. I love supporting children to learn new words and start using language to communicate their wants and needs. It is super rewarding to see when a child feels confident enough to communicate because the other person understands what they are saying.
Speech Pathology Assistant
Claudette
What do you love most about working with kids?
I love how children are so pure in heart, positive and curious to learn about the world. The possibility of being able to contribute to and watch a child achieve their goals and milestones is so encouraging and being able to watch them grow is very rewarding as well.
What motivates you?
I’m motivated by wanting to make a difference in a child’s life to help them become the best possible version of themselves. I’m also motivated by the amazing clinicians and clients here at Bambini.
What is your favourite childhood game/book/memory?
I have fond memories of playing the Wii with my sister, we loved playing games such as Mario Kart and Wii Sport – and even though we got quite competitive we always had lots of fun.
If you could be any cartoon or superhero what would it be and why?
My favourite cartoon character growing up was Belle from Beauty and the Beast, as I felt she was curious, intelligent, compassionate, open minded and always stayed true to who she was.
What do you love most about working at Bambini Health?
Currently, I’m finding everything super interesting and am finding it difficult to choose my favourite area of practice. However, I know I absolutely love working with kids and I’m particularly interested in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), early intervention and speech sound disorders.
Occupational Therapist
Josie
What do you love most about working with kids?
I love how every child is unique and being able to get to know each child and their personalities. I also love the fun that working with kids brings and being able to move around and be silly. Playing for a job is the absolute best!
What motivates you?
Helping a child learn a new skill that sets them up for life is so rewarding! I'm motivated by supporting families and seeing children do the things that are important to them.
What is your favourite childhood game/book/memory?
I have a lot of great childhood memories. I loved playing dress ups with my sister and making up games with her. I also spent a lot of time outdoors - tree climbing, going camping, and snorkelling at the Great Barrier Reef.
If you could be any cartoon or superhero what would it be and why?
As a kid I loved the incredibles, I even had the PlayStation game. I wanted to be Elastigirl, I thought it was so cool how she can flip around everywhere. Now that I think about it, being flexible (mentally) and protecting the people around you is a pretty great superpower!
What is your passion area of practice?
My passion area is self-regulation. I believe that by having tools to regulate emotions, attention and sensory systems, a child (or anyone) can achieve their best! I am also passionate about ongoing professional development and building my skills and abilities so I can best support our families.
Occupational Therapist
Sarah
What do you love most about working with kids?
I love working with children and having the opportunity to be with them on their journeys to progress and develop their skills. Their excitement to attend our sessions makes my job as an occupational therapist even more fulfilling!
What motivates you?
Knowing that I can make a positive impact on my client's life, become a positive part of their day and witness their progress motivates me! Also, being able to build connections with families whilst their children are on their journey to success is so rewarding and motivating!
What is your favourite childhood game/book/memory?
My favourite childhood memory would have to be when I would sit with my family on the couch to watch scooby doo and have a laugh! We would have Scooby-Doo marathons almost every weekend!
If you could be any cartoon or superhero what would it be and why?
Of Course it would be Scooby Doo! Because you can always find him in the pantry and he’s always up for a laugh!
What is your passion area of practice?
I still haven’t narrowed down my passion area but I love working on gross motor skills, emotional regulation and play based therapy! I love exploring fun and exciting new games for therapy!
Occupational Therapy Assistant
Jessica
What do you love most about working with kids?
I love watching the different ways children play and learn, being silly and just having fun with them! The energy, honesty and curiosity are another great aspect of working with little ones!
What motivates you?
Providing the best care and environment for my clients where they can thrive and be comfortable in. Also, being around other awesome allied health professionals at the clinic who deeply care and are passionate about what they do and who they provide support to.
What is your favourite childhood game/book/memory?
I loved playing all sorts of made-up games with my cousins and brothers outside in our backyards for hours!
If you could be any cartoon or superhero what would it be and why?
Kim Possible - I thought she was super cool, and I wanted to save the world from the bad guys like her!
What do you love most about working at Bambini Health?
I am still learning day by day what areas I am passionate about, but I am interested in mental health, emotional and sensory regulation and how I as a future Occupational therapist can help a child learn how to best respond and manage different emotional and/or sensory experiences.
Occupational Therapy Assistant
Stephanie
What do you love most about working with kids?
I love the energy kids bring into a spare and how they can radiate contagious joy! Kids remind adults to find the silliness and excitement in life that can change the way we perceive the world around us. I love sharing in their successes and joys throughout therapy and seeing how amazing their minds can be.
What motivates you?
I am motivated by the opportunity I have to help kids reach their full potential. I love the relationships I'm able to build with the kids and their families, and watching the progress that the child makes both physically and emotionally, as they work through their therapy goals. It is incredibly rewarding to know that I have played a role in helping them achieve their goals and improve their quality of life.
What is your favourite childhood game/book/memory?
Definitely Spider-Man! Who doesn’t want to swing from buildings, and shoot webs from there hands. He is the humblest hero who always does what he can to help his friends and family, his also very funny.
Occupational Therapy Assistant
Mel
What do you love most about working with kids?
I love the positivity they bring and their honesty! You always know where you stand with kids and there isn’t a session that goes by where they don’t say something that makes you laugh! Kids get so excited about their achievements no matter how big or small and it is very special to be able to celebrate that with them!
What motivates you?
The team at Bambini! Everyone is so devoted to always improving their skills and continuously learning and growing. It really motivates you to want to be the best therapist you can be. Also, when a child achieves a goal in therapy or learns a new skill and their face lights up, that is the ultimate motivator!
What is your favourite childhood game/book/memory?
My favourite childhood memory would have to be playing tea parties with my nan in the cubby house. I would set up all my teddies and barbies and my nan was always happy to play. She was the best!
Clinic Coordinator
Mariah
What do you love most about working with kids?
Being able to create memories with the kids that will last forever. Trying something new and watching them give it their best shot and most importantly having fun with them! I love seeing how excited they get when you can have as much fun as they do!
What motivates you?
Helping people and making a positive impact on their lives is something I am truly passionate about. Being able to use my skills and experiences to support others in a positive way is incredibly rewarding.
What is your favourite childhood game/book/memory?
Definitely would have to be continuously trying to choreograph extravagant dance routines with my dance friends, although this was a lot funnier trying to pull off with my two cousins, who were much more interested in playing basketball. Also, watching my older brother play video games and admiring how he would beat the levels that I thought were impossible!
If you could be any cartoon or superhero what would it be and why?
Ironman... I mean he did save the world!
What do you love most about working at Bambini Health?
Building relationships with the families here at Bambini and watching their children work through all their therapy goals. Being able to support the families and be a friendly welcoming face every time they come into the clinic. Also working with such an incredible team of strong, driven women who inspire me everyday. And of course Foodie Friday's are a great perk!
Administration Support
Natasha
What do you love most about working with kids?
I love meeting all the little different personalities! Supporting families and young children to meet their goals is the most rewarding. I always look forward to having a chat with them and always learning something new!
What motivates you?
Being able to make a positive impact on peoples lives! Watching others achieve their goals reminds me every day that nothing is impossible.
What is your favourite childhood game/book/memory?
My most fond memory as a child was going away on holidays to the beach with my whole family. We would play games all day with my cousins and we all made the best memories together!
If I could be any cartoon or superhero who would it be ?
If I could be any superhero I would be Wonder Woman. She’s unstoppable!
What i love most about working at Bambini Health
I love the amazing team, and their fun, positive energy they have every day! They always inspire me to learn something new.
Wellness Officer
Billie
What motivates you?
I am the goodest girl when I get my regular treats, walks, and pats.
What is your favourite childhood game/book/memory?
Playing with mamma, pappa, and the bambini team - They love to smother me in cuddles. I get very excited!
What do you love most about working at Bambini Health?
My team always tells me that I am the goodest girl and give me the best belly rubs. They are patient with me when I get zoomies and sometimes even play chase and catch in the corridor!
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