Samantha Carr, Director & Speech Pathologist

Sam graduated with an Honours Degree in Speech Pathology from The University of Newcastle. She was inspired to become a speech pathologist by her drive to help others and work with children.

Sam initially joined the Speak & Write team in 2014, in pursuit of working with children who have literacy difficulties. Sam understands the importance literacy plays in people’s everyday lives and feels strongly about developing this area, particularly in our youth.

After a period of honing her craft and becoming a mentor for new speech pathologists, Sam was inspired to own her own private practice. Sam purchased the business in 2018 with the desire to continue providing high quality, evidence based speech pathology services to Sydney’s Inner West. Since then, Sam has grown the business through team and location expansion. Sam cares deeply about the speech pathology profession and as such enjoys supporting both early career speech pathologists and experienced therapists to continue expanding their skills.

Clinically, Sam remains passionate about working with primary and high school students. She sees clients on Mondays-Wednesdays at schools and in the clinic.

Sam is trained in the Spalding Method, Speak & Write’s preferred literacy and language learning program. She is also trained in the Talk for Writing approach for writing intervention. Sam is registered with Speech Pathology Australia’s Professional Self Regulation program and regularly participates in Professional Development in both clinical and administrative areas.
In her spare time, Sam enjoys taking her dog, Frankie, for walks and having crafternoons (an afternoon of crafting).

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Kate Backhouse

Kate graduated with a Bachelor of Speech Pathology from the University of Queensland in 2013. She started working at Speak & Write in 2018 and did not want to leave the team, so when she moved back to Queensland she stayed on as a telehealth clinician.

Kate brings to the Speak & Write team her experience in working with children with early language delays, speech and language disorders, literacy difficulties and fluency disorders (i.e. stuttering).

She is passionate about helping people and has a strong interest in childhood apraxia of speech.

Kate is friendly and innovative, enabling her to adapt therapy to best suit the child and their family.

Kate is trained in the Spalding Program for literacy development, and Lidcombe Program and Camperdown Program for stuttering. She regularly participates in professional development. Kate is registered with Speech Pathology Australia’s Professional Self Regulation program.

She loves art, going to live music and cannot tan but enjoys the beach.

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Georgia Jaroszewicz

Georgia graduated with a Masters in Speech and Language Pathology from Macquarie University after completing a Bachelor degree is Speech and Hearing Sciences. Georgia’s love of children and drive to help others spurred her to become a speech pathologist and her particular interest in helping children with literacy difficulties led her to join Speak & Write in 2017. Georgia is an integral part of her local community and has experience running Youth Group through her church working with high school students from Year 7-12.

This experience helps her be approachable with teenagers and she is able to connect with them easily and gain the most from their sessions.

Georgia’s broad range of knowledge and groundedness is highly valued at Speak & Write. Georgia is well loved by clients for her balance of professionalism and playfulness. Georgia can motivate even the most reluctant writers and readers through her energy, commitment and kindness. Over the past few years, Georgia has developed her skills in administering therapy via telehealth and enjoys adapting resources and approaches to make therapy accessible and effective for clients when they cannot attend sessions in the clinic.

Georgia is trained in the Spalding Method and the Sounds~Write program for literacy development. Georgia is registered with Speech Pathology Australia’s Professional Self Regulation program.

Georgia will be on maternity leave from July 2022.

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Sarah Tilley

Sarah graduated with a Bachelor of Applied Science (Speech Pathology) from The University of Sydney. She commenced her career as a Speech Pathologist in a Private Practice in Sydney’s Northern Beaches where she gained experience working with children, adolescents and adults working in all areas of speech pathology, including speech, language, literacy, fluency, voice and social communication.

Sarah joined the Speak and Write team in 2019, due to her keen interest in literacy development and passion for working with children and adolescents with dyslexia. Sarah is passionate about the way access to speech pathology can build confidence and empower people towards a more successful future. She aims to make all of her therapy practical, motivating and fun! Sarah enjoys tailoring therapy to each client, to ensure they can engage and relate to it. For some children and adolescents, ensuring engagement and access to therapy involves completing sessions via Telehealth which Sarah is confident and competent at doing. Throughout the Covid pandemic, Sarah has enjoyed the challenge of being creative and flexible via Telehealth to ensure students can get the most out of therapy.

While literacy is a keen focus area, Sarah also enjoys working with children of all ages across the range of practice areas, including language, speech, fluency and pragmatics. Sarah is also passionate about ensuring that children with additional diagnoses (e.g. ADHD, Anxiety, ASD, Dyslexia, Dysgraphia etc) are able to access their respective learning environments and therefore loves to work closely with teachers, parents and support workers.

Sarah has been trained at Macquarie University’s Reading Clinic and completed the Spalding Method training, which she enjoys implementing into her therapy. Sarah is a member of Speech Pathology Australia and the Inner West Private Practice Group.

In her spare time, Sarah spends way too much time running around the bay, beating her friends and family at Wordle, reading fiction books and baking all kinds of delicious treats.

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Ashleigh Fattah

Ashleigh completed a Bachelor of Science Degree with a major in Psychology at the University of New South Wales, prior to completing her Master of Speech Language Pathology Degree at Macquarie University.

She has experience providing individual and group based speech therapy as well as Telehealth therapy in a range of clinical settings, including in private practice, inpatient and outpatient hospitals, aged care facilities, preschools, primary and high schools. Ashleigh joined the Speak & Write time in 2017.

Ashleigh’s main area of interest is working with individuals who have Pragmatic Disorders, High Level Language Difficulties and Childhood Apraxia of Speech.

She is formally trained and certified in:
The Spalding therapy method for literacy difficulties
The PROMPT Technique for CAS
Proloquo2Go alternative communication program
PFED paediatric feeding program
Hanen ‘It Takes Two to Talk’ Program for late talkers
Hanen ‘More than Words’ Program for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
LSVT Loud Program for voice and speech difficulties.
Shape Coding for language difficulties
PEERS Social Skills Training Program

Additionally she has attended seminars in the areas of Vocabulary and oral narrative intervention, accent modification, Ankyloglossia and Swallowing difficulties. She also has a keen interest in working with individuals who have fluency disorders and has attended the Australian Speak Easy convention to support her provision of up to date treatment for stuttering including the Lidcombe and Camperdown Programs.

Ashleigh provides mentoring to all Speak & Write speech pathologists to ensure the continuation of professional development and implementation of evidence based practice within the clinic. She also provides external mentoring to Speech Pathologists outside of the clinic. If this is something you would like to organise, please contact us through the Speak & Write enquiry page.

Alex Pevely

Alex graduated with a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Psychology at Macquarie University before completing a Masters in Speech Language Pathology at The University of Sydney.

She has experience working with children and adolescents in private practice, schools, preschools and via telehealth. Alex loves to work with clients and their families to achieve their communication goals in the areas of speech, language, literacy and fluency.

Alex has a particular interest in working with children with language and literacy difficulties and seeing how access to speech pathology treatment can help these children grow in their skills and confidence.
Alex is trained in the Lidcombe Program for stuttering and the Spalding Method, Speak & Write’s preferred literacy and language learning program. She is part of Speech Pathology Australia’s Professional Self Regulation Program.

In her free time, Alex enjoys bushwalking, reading and drinking coffee.

Back to our team

Montana M

Montana graduated from Macquarie University with a Master of Speech and Language Pathology. Prior to this, she graduated with a Bachelor of Speech, Hearing and Language Sciences.

Montana is a warm and engaging Speech Pathologist who is dedicated to providing high quality services for her clients and families. She is able to build rapport even with the most reluctant communicators due to her calm and supportive nature. Montana values collaboration between families, educators and health professionals, ensuring therapy is holistic and individualised. It brings her joy to see clients progress towards their communication goals.

Montana has experience working with children and adolescents in multiple settings including schools, a private clinic and a community health centre. She has experience assessing and treating a range of speech, language, social communication and fluency difficulties. Montana’s strong interest in treating literacy difficulties led her to pursue a career at Speak & Write. Beyond her passion for Speech Pathology, Montana has always enjoyed playing a variety of sports and coaching school-aged children in athletics and volleyball. She also loves to read, watch movies, play card games and travel.

Montana is trained in the Spalding Method – a comprehensive program for literacy development. She is also registered with Speech Pathology Australia’s Professional Self Regulation Program.

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Jessica Holland

Jessica graduated from the University of Technology Sydney with a Masters of Speech Pathology. Prior to this she completed a Bachelor of Speech, Hearing and Language Sciences at Macquarie University. She was inspired to become a Speech Pathologist by her passion for working with children and her love of singing and vocal training.

Jessica has experience working across the lifespan in private clinics, community health clinics, via telehealth, hospital settings and disability services. Her previous employment as a support worker has led to an interest in disability and how it intersects with language and literacy. She has experience treating the areas of speech, language, literacy, voice and fluency (stuttering).

Jessica is passionate about accessibility and client-focused practice. She enjoys building solid and long-lasting connections with clients and their families. She is all about empowerment, self-advocacy and building confidence.

Jessica is trained in the Spalding Method – a comprehensive program for literacy development. She is also registered with Speech Pathology Australia’s Professional Self Regulation Program.

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Sophie Walsh

Sophie graduated with a Bachelor of Speech Pathology from Curtin University in Western Australia. She is motivated and passionate about providing families and their children individualised and holistic intervention. This allows her to focus on advocating for and achieving the goals of individuals with early language delays, speech and language disorders, literacy difficulties, and fluency disorders. In previous roles, Sophie has worked with people of all ages and disabilities.

She has a particular interest in working with children with language and literacy difficulties. Sophie is friendly and flexible in her therapy, allowing her to adapt to meet the child’s and family’s needs.

As Sophie is new to Sydney she loves exploring all the amazing walking trails and restaurants the city has to offer, she loves going to the beach and petting every dog she lays her eyes on.

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Emma Hall

Emma graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree of Speech Pathology from the Australian Catholic
University. She is passionate about working with children with speech, language, literacy,
fluency (stuttering) and voice difficulties.

She has previous experience working across the lifespan, particularly with adults who have
experienced degenerative diseases, traumatic brain injuries and stroke. This experience has
given her a unique appreciation for the strength of individuals who experience difficulties and
their respective support networks. Due to this, Emma strongly believes in therapy which is
accessible and flexible to the individual and their families specific needs in order to provide the
best service possible.

She holds in high regard the positive effects a strong relationship between a clinician, a client,
their parents, teachers and other health professionals can have on therapy outcomes.
Emma is very open and friendly. She is all about building confidence and finds true joy in
watching clients grow and succeed in their personal goals.
In her own time, Emma enjoys spending her day at the park with her dog, eating at new places
and loves spending time with her friends and family.