About Us
Hi, I’m Alice!
I am a New Zealand trained Speech Language Therapist (SLT) with a Bachelor of Speech and Language Therapy from the University of Canterbury. As well as being an SLT I am also the proud mum to 5 year old twins Millie and George.
I started my career at the Ministry of Education in South Auckland and over the past 14 years I have worked in roles across both health and education in New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom. This has involved working in a variety of settings including early childhood centres, schools, clinics and families' homes. I have experience supporting children from birth to 8 years of age with a range of speech, language, communication and feeding needs. I have a particular interest in children’s feeding difficulties (dysphagia) as well as phonology/ articulation. My experience includes working with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Down Syndrome and Cerebral Palsy. I most recently worked as a Senior Speech Language Therapist within Child Development from 2016 to 2024.
I am trained in the Sequential Oral Sensory (SOS) Approach to feeding difficulties. I have also attended training on Mealtime Management, Tracheostomy, Tackling Challenging Behaviour, The Lidcombe Programme, Caroline Bowen's Speech Sound Disorders and Sue Larkey's Creating Success for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. I hold my Communication and Assistive Technology (CAT-1) accreditation.
Hi, I’m Wei-Yuen
I discovered Speech Language Therapy by chance and what a ride it’s been! I already had my Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and was working in another country when life brought me back to NZ. It was here I completed the Master of Speech Language Therapy Practice degree at The University of Auckland in 2015 and have been working with a paediatric population since.
My career began at the Ministry of Education in South Auckland where I had the opportunity to work in early childhood centres, schools and in homes alongside adults to support the child’s needs. Here, my love for a naturalistic and functional approach to therapy and intervention blossomed (under a slide can be a great place for therapy). I enjoy working with a diverse population and gaining insight into alternative perspectives which shape my therapy approaches in keeping intervention child and family centred. I’ve always had a strong interest in health and disability. Alongside of my work with Little Leaps, I am currently employed part-time with Kidz First Child Development, Counties Manukau and also work for an ACC provider with the paediatric brain injury population.
Over the last few years, my cumulative work has involved supporting children with speech and language difficulties, social communication skills, fluency, Autism, FASD, vision impairment, use of Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC), Global Developmental Delays, rare genetic disorders, Down Syndrome, oro-motor delays, children with restrictive diets (increasing acceptance of tastes and textures), ‘fussy and picky eaters’ etc. Some of my recent training include supporting Gestalt Language Processors, TalkTools workshop, Way to Play, ADOS- 2 (Introductory and Toddler), Sequential Oral Sensory Approach to feeding (SOS)- including advance workshops for reflux and working with children with severe developmental impairment, breastfeeding essentials, cleft lip and palate (VPI update seminar 2018, 2019), Evidence-Based Intervention for Children with Speech Sound Disorders (by Dr Caroline Bowen), RBI (Routines based Early Intervention), Supporting Oral Feeding in Fragile Infants (SOFFI), Makaton workshops and I hold my Communication and Assistive Technology (CAT-1) accreditation.
My particular interests include paediatric feeding, building communication skills (using sign, speech/ language, visuals) and children with neurological diversity. I am also always on the look out for professional development to continue adding to my kete. I believe that community is at the heart of everything and I feel privileged to be able to help children, their whānau and carers develop the skills to be part of it.
