Empowerment through communication

In celebration of Speech Pathology Week 2025, we are highlighting the incredible work of our speech pathologists who help people find their voice and connect with the world around them. Today, we spotlight Olivia, an Advanced Clinician Speech Pathologist whose passion for paediatrics and early language development has shaped a rewarding career.

With nearly nine years of experience in paediatric speech pathology, Olivia has spent the past five years at Rocky Bay, where she supports children and families through early intervention and literacy development. Her journey into the profession was driven by a lifelong desire to work with children and speech pathology offered the perfect opportunity to teach, support and empower young minds.

A typical day for Olivia begins with emails before heading out to see customers in their daycare, school or home environments. She usually sees three to four customers a day, then returns to the PKC hub to supervise early career therapists or complete documentation and reports. Her role is a blend of clinical care, mentorship and collaboration.

One of her most memorable moments came earlier this year when a five-year-old customer spoke for the first time using an AAC eye gaze device. The device tracks eye movements and translates them into spoken words, allowing the child to express her needs, wants and opinions with ease. “It was an incredible moment,” Olivia recalls, “and now she’s communicating confidently with her family and friends.”

She’s passionate about busting the myth that speech pathology is only about helping children learn to talk. “Our scope is so much broader,” she explains. “We support individuals across the lifespan with language comprehension, voice quality, social communication and feeding and swallowing difficulties.”

Olivia says speech pathologists are allied health professionals who assess, diagnose and treat communication and swallowing challenges. They help people understand and express themselves, improve literacy and use technology or alternative methods to communicate. This work enhances relationships, participation and overall wellbeing.

Early intervention is especially close to Olivia’s heart. She believes that supporting speech and language development in a child’s formative years lays the foundation for future success. “It can positively impact a child’s communication, cognitive, social and emotional development,” she says.

When it comes to communication tips, Olivia often reminds families of the power of wait time, pausing for 5–10 seconds after a child’s turn in a conversation to give them space to process and respond. “Waiting is a powerful tool when encouraging little ones to talk,” she says.

Her favourite therapy tool is the “Jumbo Mighty Mouth” a mouth model hand puppet that helps teach kids (and explain to parents) about mouth anatomy and speech sound placement. It is fun, engaging and educational.

If she had to describe her job in three words, she would choose: 

Communication, Rewarding, Collaboration

What inspires her every day is:

“Seeing my customers smash their goals, especially when my youngest customers say their first words. Watching families celebrate those milestones is the best part of being a speech pathologist.”

Thanks to Olivia for sharing her story and for the care, expertise, and energy she brings to her role. Her work is just another reminder of the impact speech pathologists have in helping people communicate, connect and thrive.

You can learn more about Speech Pathology at Rocky Bay here