I am an experienced Speech and Language Therapist, based in Cape Town, in practice for 19 years.   

 

I provide hospital based care in ICU, medical, surgical and care of the elderly wards; home based intervention for adults and children as well as sessions at my home office (Sea Point) or sessional rooms on Kloof Street in the CBD.

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After completing Community Service year (2005) at the East London Hospital Complex and gaining experience in the South African private sector as a locum in private practice and at Pro-Ed House School, I moved to the United Kingdom.  I streamlined my practice to work in the field of adult communication and dysphagia management within the National Health Service (NHS), including a role as stroke Speech and Language Therapy lead of a hyper acute stroke unit.  Since returning to South Africa to establish a private practice, I have maintained my interest in adult neurology.

My exposure to the outpatient, acute hospital, online and specialist stroke unit settings has strengthened my skills in the assessment and management of: 

• Acquired communication impairments (dysarthria, dysphasia, verbal apraxia and cognitive-communication impairment), including:

  • Formal and informal assessment for the purpose of differential diagnosis 

  • Dynamic therapeutic intervention 

  • Targeted and functional therapy & goal setting

  • Provision of advice to the patient, family and multidisciplinary team regarding the nature and impact of the communication impairment,

  • Establishment of strategies that promote participation  

• Dysphagia secondary to acquired or progressive neurological impairment (stroke, TBI, Brain tumours, parkinson’s disease, MND, etc) acute or chronic medical decompensation (e.g. respiratory compromise), structural changes (e.g. head & neck cancer related) and cognitive-behavioural decline associated with dementia.  This includes the management of inherently complex dysphagia associated with the potential co-morbidities of the ageing population.

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Working within the field of paediatrics, my area of interest focuses on early years intervention (preschool).  This includes strengthening listening and language skills, articulation and early literacy skills (phonological awareness).  I have a developing interest in working with children who present with different, pervasive social-communication difficulties, such as children on the autism spectrum.