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Meet the Buderim team

The Early Start Australia Buderim team provide occupational therapy, and speech pathology services on the Sunshine Coast to support children and families.

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Mary Gornik

Practice Principal and Senior Speech Pathologist

Qualifications

  • Bachelor of Applied Sciences (Speech Pathology)
  • Graduate Diploma of Management
  • Certificate IV in Business & Personal Coaching

Mary is a highly experienced speech pathologist, manager and coach/trainer with over 25 years of clinical, leadership and management experience.

Her professional experience encompasses a variety of settings including government, private, NFP, education, early childhood, peak body (Speech Pathology Australia) and community.

Mary commenced as a clinician in the education and public hospital sectors and has grown her knowledge and philosophy regarding impactful therapy with every additional training and qualification she has completed.

Moving into leadership positions across a variety of sectors has allowed Mary the opportunity to inspire and mentor her teams to facilitate best practice.

Her coaching qualification was completed 3 years ago and has been an invaluable skill set to have in all facets of her work.

She has also provided allied health coaching and training (Hanen and Circle of Security) through School Readiness Funding (VIC) and Kindy Uplift funding (QLD) to early childhood teachers and educators.

A major component of her approach is to encourage reflection to facilitate and embed learning and best practice.

Registration

  • Registered as a Certified Practising Speech Pathologist with Speech Pathology Australia
  • Eligible for membership with the International Coaching Federation

Recent professional development

  • Hanen Learning Language & Loving It/Teacher Talk and ABC & Beyond trainer
  • Circle of Security Parenting and Classroom Trainer

Areas of interest

  • Leadership of allied health teams
  • Key Worker Model
  • Coaching/mentoring and supervision
  • Professional development for early childhood educators and teachers

Georgina Pearce

Senior Occupational Therapist

On maternity leave from December 2024

Georgina Pearce

Qualifications

  • Bachelor of Health Science (psychology)
  • Masters of Occupational Therapy

Skilled at creating a safe space for her clients to practice new skills without fear of making mistakes, Georgie embraces her positive and upbeat personality to quickly build rapport, motivate and create good connections with her clients and their support network.

Georgie completed a Master of Occupational Therapy at the University of Sydney and has experience working with children, adolescents and their families in a variety of sessions including private practice, not for profit and part of the NSW health system.

Georgie has a particular interest in providing individual therapy sessions across a variety of locations including the clinic gym, therapy rooms, at home, at school/kindy and within the natural environment.

Georgie has been trained in and successfully run the PEERs social skills for teenagers program and supported a number of our early intervention groups.

Georgie has also completed professional learning to school staff and local kindergarten educators with a focus on sensory and behavioural regulation including Kindy uplift work.

Georgie is an energetic and passionate OT who enjoys working with children with challenging engagement styles, conducting detailed assessments and working within a multidisciplinary team.

Georgie utilises a bottom up therapy approach, assessing and providing intervention to the foundational skills we require to complete all daily tasks.

Georgie enjoys working with children and young people of a variety of ages and goals.

Registration

  • Registered as an Occupational Therapist with Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA)
  • Medicare provider through Enhanced Primary Care
  • Working with Children Check

Recent professional development

  • Collaborative for Leadership in Ayres Sensory Integration Models 1 (Ayres Sensory Integration Theory) & 2 (Comprehensive Assessment in ASI) (2023)
  • DIR Floortime 101 and 201 (Promoting Basic Functional Emotional Developmental Capacities). (2022)
  • Interoception (2023)
  • Toileting 101 (2022)
  • The SpIRiT of Paediatric Therapy, clinical reasoning framework (2022)
  • Self-Regulation: It’s a state of mind (2023)
  • PEERS social group (2019)

Areas of interest

  • Sensory challenges
  • Attention and regulation goals
  • Motor and fine motor skills
  • Daily living skills and building independence

Vanessa Heaton

Team Leader and Speech Language Pathologist

Vanessa Heaton

Qualifications

  • Bachelor of Speech and Language Pathology
  • Certified Autism Spectrum Disorder Clinical Specialist
  • First aid and CPR

Meet Vanessa, a vibrant and dedicated speech pathologist with a passion for unlocking the power of communication. Known for her fun-loving personality, Vanessa seamlessly combines professionalism with a playful touch, creating an engaging environment for clients.

Vanessa holds a bachelor’s degree in Speech and Language Pathology from Manchester Metropolitan university in the UK.

Her professional background encompasses working with children, adolescents, and their families across various settings, including private practice and the NHS.

She has provided intervention and assessment in school, home, clinic, and natural environments.

Beyond individual sessions, Vanessa has led engaging group social skill sessions, contributed to Kindy uplift projects, and provided valuable parent training.

She has a keen interest in working with tweens and teenagers, recognising the unique challenges and opportunities this age group presents.

She uses strength-based and evidence-based approaches to ensure that every child, from the littlest ones to teenagers, reaches their full communication potential.

Registration

  • Registered as a Speech and Language Pathologist with Speech Pathology Australia (SPA)
  • Medicare provider through Enhanced Primary Care
  • Working with Children Check

Recent professional development

  • Lidcombe program for treatment of stuttering
  • Selective mutism treatment approaches
  • ADOS administration and scoring training

Areas of interest

  • Social communication skills
  • Phonology skills (speech sound clarity)
  • Language skills
  • Selective mutism
  • Stuttering

Sally Platt

Senior Occupational Therapist

Sally Platt

Qualifications

  • Bachelor of Occupational Therapy

Sally is a passionate and experienced OT who loves meeting, building relationships and working with children and their families to help them overcome any difficulties or obstacles that they may be facing.

Sally completed her Bachelor of Occupational Therapy at the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal in Westville, South Africa.

She has experience working with children, adolescents and their families in school, home, and clinic settings.

Sally’s passion and interest lie in early intervention, and she believes the earlier a child receives therapy, the more positive their future outcomes.

She has completed her sensory integration training through the sensory integration Institute of South Africa as well as her DIR Floortime level 1 certificate course through Profectum.

Sally has completed professional training to school staff and local Kindergarten educators.

Sally is a caring, curious, and dynamic OT who has a love of learning from other professionals as well as from the children and the families that she treats.

She enjoys working collaboratively with children and their families as well as within a multi-disciplinary team.

She adopts a relationship-based approach in therapy and focuses on intervention of foundational skills which underlie functional difficulties.

Sally enjoys working with children and young people of a variety of ages and goals.

Registration

  • Registered as an Occupational Therapist with Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA)
  • Medicare provider through Enhanced Primary Care
  • Working with Children Check

Recent professional development

  • The SOS approach to feeding (2022)
  • Regulation matters (2023)
  • Toileting 101 (2022)
  • The SpIRiT of paediatric therapy, clinical reasoning framework (2022)
  • DIR Floortime Level 1 Certificate Course (2021)

Areas of interest

  • Sensory processing
  • Early intervention
  • Motor skills
  • Functional independence

Louise Skuthorpe

Senior Occupational Therapist

Qualifications

  • Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Honours)

Louise is a dedicated and fun occupational therapist, with a passion for helping children and adolescents achieve their fullest potential through hands-on, engaging therapy.

A graduate of the University of the Sunshine Coast, Louise brings extensive experience in working with children of all ages and a wide range of diagnoses.

She has a particular interest in supporting children through play-based therapy and assistive technology, using tailored, meaningful sessions that align with each child’s unique goals and strengths.

Known for her ability to connect with families, Louise creates a warm, friendly, and fun environment where children feel safe to grow and explore.

Her sessions are filled with warmth, laughter, and just the right amount of adventure—perfect for young ones who thrive in a playful atmosphere.

With teens, Louise balances her friendly approach with goal-focused support, helping them develop the confidence and skills they need as they work toward independence.

Louise’s approach combines evidence-based techniques with creativity, making therapy an enjoyable journey.

Outside of work, Louise loves spending time outdoors camping, making memories with her family, and dancing whenever she gets the chance!

Registration

  • Registered as an Occupational Therapist with Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA)
  • Medicare provider through Enhanced Primary Care
  • Working with Children Check

Recent professional development

  • Insights Training (2024)
  • Self-Regulation: It’s a state of the mind (2023)
  • Sense-Up: Meaningful Sensory Diets (2023)
  • NDIS functional Capacity Writing (2023)
  • Occupational Performance Coaching (2022)
  • NDIS Assistive Technology Applications – OTA (2021)
  • Learn to Play Introduction – Karen Stagnetti (2021)
  • The Art of Therapy and Connection (2020)
  • Introduction to Early Start Denver Model (2019)
  • Traffic Jam in My Brain (2019)

Areas of interest

  • Assistive technology
  • Sensory integration
  • Gross motor and fine motor skills
  • Daily living skills and building independence

Kahla Biffanti

Occupational Therapist

On maternity leave in 2025

Kahla Biffanti

Qualifications

  • Bachelor of Occupational Therapy

Dedicated, passionate and committed to holistic care as a paediatric occupational therapist with experience in addressing a spectrum of conditions, including ASD, ADHD, DCD, global developmental delay, intellectual impairment, and specific learning disorders.

Kahla completed a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy at the James Cook University and has years of experience working with children, adolescents, young adults and their families in a variety of settings with diverse cultural backgrounds.

Kahla enjoys providing opportunity for play in all environments and strives to make ‘the just right challenge’ in each therapy session across a variety of locations including the clinic gym, therapy rooms, at home, at school/kindy and within the community.

You can find Kahla in individual sessions or small group programs that focus on prep readiness, social skills, regulation, and gross and fine motor skills.

Working closely with the client and their family, starting with the assessment process then evidence based early intervention approaches using a variety of frameworks including, pyramid of learning, DIR Floortime approach, sensory integration to meet their goals.

Kahla strives to advocate for our more vulnerable population and understanding the ‘why’ behind behaviour.

Registration

  • Registered as an Occupational Therapist with Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA)
  • Medicare provider through Enhanced Primary Care
  • Working with Children Check

Recent professional development

  • Interoception (2023)
  • Sensamart Study Group with the Masters (2021-2022)
  • Cognitive orientation to daily occupational performance (CO-OP) approach (2019-2020)

Areas of interest

  • Sensory integration
  • Learning difficulties and disorders such as dysgraphia, dyslexia and dyscalculia
  • Gross and fine motor skills
  • Neurodevelopmental and reflexes
  • Motor and fine motor skills
  • Attention and regulation goals
  • Daily living skills and building independence

Zoe Lyttle

Occupational Therapist

Zoe Lyttle

Qualifications

  • Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Honours)

Zoe Lyttle completed a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy Honours at the University of the Sunshine Coast in 2021 and has experience working with children and families in the clinic, community and home environment.

Zoe has experience working with children with a range of different diagnosis and developmental delays.

Zoe has experience providing targeted assessment, ongoing therapy in the clinic, school, community and home environment, and with implementing group therapy programs such as prep readiness, Lego social/play skills, and feeding therapy groups, and executive functioning/social ‘cook and chat’ groups for teens

Zoe has also taken part in projects such as the Kindy uplift program which provides assessment and intervention programs to kindergartens in regional and rural communities.

Zoe is skilled at fostering a fun, warm and safe space for her children and families to be themselves and practice/learn new skills.

Zoe is a passionate OT who values making her clients feel heard, working as part of a multidisciplinary team and enjoys collaborating with stakeholders involved in her clients’ day-to-day lives and/or care to provide a holistic approach to therapy.

Zoe values the child, their unique strengths/interests and a family centred approach.

Registration

  • Registered Occupational Therapist with Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA)
  • Medicare provider through Enhanced Primary Care
  • Working with Children Check

Professional development

  • The Sensory Foundations to Learning – Sense Up (2022)
  • Three steps to Improving Interoception: An Evidence-Based Approach – Kelly Mahler (2022)
  • An Introduction to DIR and DIRFLOORTIME – The International Council on Development and Learning (2022)
  • Treating Movement Challenges in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: NDT for ASD – Kim Barthel (2023)

Areas of interest

  • Early intervention
  • Sensory challenges
  • Challenging engagement styles
  • Difficulties with cognitive/play skills
  • Fine and gross motor skills
  • Executive functioning difficulties
  • Individual therapy

Eloise Hopgood

Speech Language Pathologist

Qualifications

  • Bachelor of Speech Pathology (Honours)

Ellie completed a bachelor’s degree in Speech Pathology at the University of Queensland in 2020.

She has previously worked within both private practice and a hospital rehabilitation program. With experience delivering services across the clinic, school, and the home.

Her approach focuses on evidence based collaborative practice, tailored to suit the client’s needs.

With involvement of family and the multidisciplinary team to support client centred care and a comprehensive treatment approach.

She is passionate about helping her clients build skills and achieve those goals most important to their daily lives.

Building her clients communication, develop their confidence, and their ability to advocate for what they need.

Within therapy she brings a play-based approach and values the role of joy and fun as pre-requisites for learning.

Outside of work she enjoys swimming and spending time at the ocean or in the forest.

Registration

  • Certified Practicing Speech Pathology Australia Membership
  • Medicare Provider
  • Working with Children Check and NDIS Workers Check

Professional development

  • Hanen More Than Words (2021)
  • Hanen Talkability (2022)
  • Sequential Oral Sensory (SOS) Approach to Feeding (2022)
  • Assessment and Treatment of Selective Mutism (2021)
  • Introduction to AUSLAN level 1 (2021)

Areas of interest

  • Articulation and phonology
  • Early intervention (speech and language development)
  • Selective mutism
  • Social communication skills
  • Feeding (picky eating and PFD)

Annalee Dwyer

Annalee Dwyer

Qualifications

  • Bachelor of Speech Pathology

Annalee completed a bachelor’s degree of Speech Pathology at James Cook University, Townsville in 2019.

She has experience working with individuals through the lifespan, delivering both individual and group therapy.

Annalee has worked for a non-for-profit organisation and a private clinic.

Annalee has experience servicing rural communities and is currently delivering outreach services to the Gympie area.

She has also completed assessments and delivered programs in Kindergartens for uplift projects.

Annalee enjoys working with children in the clinic, school and home environments and collaborating closely with families and a multidisciplinary team.

Annalee has had experience supporting children’s communication skills with a range of developmental delays, disorders and diagnoses.

She’s passionate about fun and family centred therapy, particularly working in the paediatric space with specific interest in early language development and late talkers.

Registration

  • Certified Practising Speech Pathology Australia membership
  • Medicare provider
  • Working with Children Check and NDIS workers check

Professional development

  • Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)
  • Prompts for Restructuring Oral Muscular Phonetic Targets (PROMPT)
  • Key Word Sign Introductory and Words in Daily Life
  • Sounds-Write Literacy Program
  • Hanen It Takes Two to Talk
  • Sequential Oral Sensory (SOS) Approach to Feeding
  • Learn to Play
  • An introduction to DIR and DIR Floortime

Areas of interest

  • Early Intervention and late talkers
  • Expressive language development
  • Feeding and mealtimes
  • Alternative and augmentative communication (AAC)

Sara Van Hooydonk

Speech Language Pathologist

Sara is a dedicated and enthusiastic speech pathologist.

A recent graduate of Charles Sturt University in Melbourne, Sara is passionate about creating a supportive, engaging, and empowering environment for children to develop their communication skills.

She believes in the power of building trust and rapport with each child to foster a positive therapeutic relationship, ensuring that therapy feels both fun and meaningful.

With a strong belief in the value of naturalistic intervention, Sara enjoys working in kindergartens and schools, where she can support children in their everyday environments.

Additionally, Sara is passionate about engaging all family members and professionals involved in a child’s therapy journey, helping to expand their knowledge and equipping them with practical skills they can apply in their daily routines.

Sara’s key areas of interest include early language facilitation, Gestalt Language Processing (GLP), Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), speech sound disorders and literacy.

She is particularly focused on supporting autistic children who process language in a different way, helping them make sense of and express their thoughts through individualised therapy techniques, including the integration of AAC strategies.

Outside of her professional life, Sara enjoys yoga and spending time at the beach, where she finds peace and inspiration.

Lisa Montgomery

Lisa Montgomery

Qualifications

  • Bachelor Education.
  • Graduate Diploma Special Education
  • DIR/Floortime 101
  • First Aid/CPR

Lisa joined Early Start Australia as an Allied Health Assistant after a background in teaching, specialising in special education and early childhood all over Queensland.

She has vast experience in supporting students in a variety of settings with developing their emotional regulation and social skills, speech and language difficulties, and school readiness.

Lisa uses her calm and nurturing personality to build rapport and create safe environments for her clients to develop their skills whether that be in the sensory gym in clinic, the community, at kindy/school, or at home.

Lisa loves her work in the role of Allied Health Assistant, supporting children of all ages and abilities as they work toward achieving the goals that the multidisciplinary team have developed.

Her key interest area is working with neurodiverse children and their families using a combination of play-based and evidence-based interventions to create meaningful goal progression and optimal health and well-being outcomes.

Lisa is passionate about creating a compassionate, respectful, and fun therapeutic environment that provides individualised ‘just right’ supports and opportunities to unlock each child’s potential.

She also enjoys creating resources such as visual aids, PODD books and aided language displays, games, and social stories.

Registration

  • Queensland College of Teachers
  • Working with Children Check

Mikaylee Boss

Mikaylee Boss

Qualifications

  • Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (honours)

Mikaylee completed her Bachelor of Occupational Therapy with honours in 2023 at the University of Sunshine Coast.

Mikaylee has been apart of the Buderim ESA team since 2022 previously working in a therapy assistant and admin role.

Mikaylee is a creative person who loves to spend her weekend painting.

When she is not painting or at work, Mikaylee enjoys getting out into nature, seeing the coast’s best waterfalls and beaches.

Professionally, her diverse interests contribute to a well-rounded and adaptable approach to my work.

She believes that a creative and nature-inspired mindset can bring fresh perspectives to any task.

Registration

  • Registered with Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA)
  • National Police Clearance
  • Working with Children Check

Areas of interest

  • Neuro-affirming practice
  • Play skills
  • School skills
  • Social skills
  • Sensory processing

Mel

Qualifications

  • Diploma in children’s services
  • First aid/CPR

Mel joined Early Start Australia as an Allied Health Assistant after a background in early childhood and teacher aide throughout schools in regional and south east Queensland.

She completed a diploma of children services in the Central Coast NSW, finding her passion specialising in special education, supporting students with their learning goals, language, social skills and emotional regulation.

Mel’s calm, nurturing approach sees her strive on building positive relationships with children and their families to ensure they feel safe, secure and supported.

Registration

  • Early childhood educator
  • Working with children check
  • National Police Clearance

Areas of interest

  • Sensory processing
  • Play skills
  • Language skills