Our Team
The Speech-Language Pathologists from Southern Sydney Speech, Language and Learning Clinic have over 20 years experience working with children, their families and educators, in helping them reach their communication potential.
The practice has been established for 21 years at Mortdale and specialises in assessing and treating communication and feeding difficulties in children aged 0- 18 years.
All Speech-Language Pathologists at SSSLALC are Certified Practising Members of Speech Pathology Australia, regularly undertaking Professional Development to keep up to date with current and evidence-based practice.
Natalie Binns (B.App.Sc. (Sp. Path)) (Principal Speech-Language Pathologist)
Natalie graduated in 1989, initially working in community health settings and in a specialist position on a Schools Therapy Team in the North- Western Suburbs of Sydney collaborating with teachers, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and psychologists to meet the needs of students with moderate to profound physical and intellectual disabilities. She has operated Southern Sydney Speech Language and Learning Clinic for over 20 years and works in all areas of speech and language development, with special interests in Autism Spectrum Disorders and Learning Difficulties.
She has completed additional training including:
Ø PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System)
Ø Makaton Key Word Signing
Ø Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing (LiPS) for reading and spelling instruction
Ø THRASS Teaching Handwriting, Reading and Spelling Skills
Ø Visualising and Verbalising for Language Comprehension and Thinking
Ø Spalding for reading and spelling instruction
Ø Social Skills for Adolescents with Asperger’s Syndrome
Lisa McLeod (B.A (Psych/Ling)., B.Applied Science (Speech Path))
Lisa has been working as a Speech Pathologist for the past 24 years and has specialist skills in the area of Paediatric Feeding and Disorders of Feeding.
She has worked in The Neonatal Intensive Care setting and Karitane Clinics, as well as being part of a multidisciplinary Feeding Clinic in a hospital setting. She has worked, as part of a team, to develop and implement, a ‘Post Graduate Feeding Programme’ for Speech Pathologists wanting to develop more specialised skills.
In addition, Lisa has specialist interests in the areas of Early Intervention, including specific disorders such as Down’s Syndrome, and school–aged language difficulties (including both oral and written language). Her school-age experience includes working in both preschool and school settings, and collaborating with teachers on goal setting for students.
Karina Boston (B.Sc., MLSP)
Karina joined the clinic in 2009. She brings up to date knowledge across all areas of paediatric Speech Pathology Practice from the completion of her Masters Degree in Speech-Language Pathology in 2008 at The University of Sydney in which she was the Dean‘s Scholar.
Karina has particular interest in preschool articulation and stuttering therapy having completed additional training in these areas in addition to Key Word Signing (Makaton). Karina has undertaken training in Connect Therapy for working with the Autism Spectrum Disorder population. Karina is also skilled in working with school-aged language learning difficulties and is a school based therapist for the practice at two school locations in the Catholic Education Department and Department of Education and Training seeing students for individual therapy, and in small groups within a classroom setting.
Karina has experience working across home, preschool and primary school settings and enjoys running both individual and group programmes. Her specialised areas of interest include stuttering (Lidcombe Program), articulation and school-aged language impairment.
Hayley Burgess (B.Health.Sc.(Speech and Hearing),B.Sp.Path.)
Hayley joined the team at Southern Sydney Speech Language and Learning in January 2012 and has since developed a caseload within the early and school-aged populations.
Hayley enjoys working in a multidisciplinary team environment, frequently liaising with school/ preschool teachers and other health professionals. Hayley currently works in a school based setting one day per week – allowing her to be continually in touch with the current educational trends and expectations of children within each educational stage. Working within this clinical setting has developed her strong multidisciplinary approach to therapy in combination with all classroom teachers for school-aged clients.
Hayley also works at SSSLALC’s additional premises in combination with Psychologist Azza Brown and her team of behavioural therapists, aiming to streamline the therapy services for those clients with multiple needs.