About

Hi, my name is Valerie, I started my practice, Let’s Eat! Paediatric Speech Pathology at the beginning of 2013 to be able to offer a private specialised feeding service for babies, toddlers and children with feeding difficulties. I have extensive postgraduate training in paediatric feeding (including the basic and advanced SOS (Sequential Oral Sensory) feeding program as well as many other certified feeding programs including Ellyn Satter, Melanie Potock, Broccoli Camp, Gen Jereb, Oral facial training (Kristie Gatto), trust based model with eating Susanne Evans Morris, Get Permission Approach with Marsha Dunn Klein, Sensational Mealtimes with Gillian Griffiths and Denise Stapleton, Responsive Feeding Pro team and the Circle of Security. I absolutely love what I do!

Private practice gives me the flexibility with raising a family. My husband and I moved from Sydney to Newcastle 16 years ago and now have 2 Novacastrian boys. We love living in Newcastle and hope to be here for a long time.

I graduated 20 years ago with a Bachelor of Applied Science (Speech Pathology) at the University of Sydney in 2002.  Since then, I have worked in NSW Health (Sydney Children’s Hospital and John Hunter Children’s Hospital, including the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and outpatient feeding clinic) as well as in disability services (Sylvanvale Handicapped Children’s Centre, Cerebral Palsy Specialist team at SCH), in the United Kingdom and in private practice in Sydney.

Through the years, I have had both additional postgraduate training and clinical experience in:

• Extreme picky eating difficulties in children inclusive of ARFID and PFD
• Medical conditions such as gastro-esophageal reflux, brain injuries, cleft lip and palate conditions, cerebral palsy, chromosome deletions and syndromes as well as premature babies who have resulting feeding difficulties.
• Sensory Processing difficulties (including oral sensory defensiveness) that impact on feeding difficulties
• Paediatric videofluoroscopy (swallow study), Cervical Auscultation and FEES

Feeding is a complex interaction between behaviour, medical, environment, sensory and developmental skills. I strongly believe in working together with families, doctors and other therapists to ensure a multidisciplinary focus with both assessment and therapy for children with feeding difficulties. In commitment to this, I am also ‘Circle of Security’ (attachment based) trained (2018).

Over the years, I have lectured for the University of Newcastle and the University of Technology (UTS) in paediatric feeding, supported students at the Australia Catholic University, and been a tutor with the Autism Centre for Excellent at Griffith University. I have also worked in specialist multidisciplinary drooling/saliva management clinics.

In June 2021, I published a preschool kids book called “But I’m NOT Hungry for my Dinner” with illustrator Kirrili Lonergan which was shortlisted for the Speech Pathology Australia awards in 2022. The book and illustrations have been honored with their seal of approval from the Ellyn Satter Institute (ESI).

In 2023, I completed my Masters of Medical Research through Griffith University with a research study exploring feeding difficulties in autistic children and in 2024, I started my PhD at the University of Queensland on a scholarship exploring Responsive Feeding Therapy in children with Paediatric Feeding Disorder. You can find a list of my published work on Research Gate. As the practice owner, I don’t have a clinical caseload for now as all therapists working in my team receive weekly 2 hour supervision sessions so I am still involved with client planning and care.

Finally, I am a co-Director of Feeding Therapy Australia, a professional development company aimed at training allied health professionals in feeding therapy. We regularly run Postgraduate workshops and masterclasses for professionals in Australia and worldwide.

Ashleigh, originally from the Central Coast has just moved from the Northern Territory to Newcastle. In Katherine, she was working with children and adults in feeding and communication delays.

Ash’s passion as a Speech Pathologist has always been in babies and children. She is an experienced therapist in fussy eating, the transition to solids and oral motor development in a range of children both in urban and remote settings. Ash has a strong work background in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. She believes in working with clients and families to celebrate and build on their strengths.

Ashleigh is fun, enthusiastic, and a team player. Your child will adore her, and you will be impressed with her feeding skills and knowledge. Ash joined our Let’s Eat! team in 2021. She lives at home with her husband, 2 children, and 2 adorable cat babies. Here is a little bit about Ash in her words…

I graduated from The University of Newcastle with a Bachelor of Speech Pathology (Honours) with First Class Honours in 2014. At the end of my degree, I was awarded the 2014 Faculty Medal for outstanding academic achievement. I was also placed on the faculty commendation list at the University of Newcastle in both 2012 and 2013 in recognition of outstanding academic achievement.

After I finished University, I moved with my husband to Western Australia where I worked in the Autism Association of Western Australia for 19 months. In this position, I worked with autistic children aged between 2-7 years within a transdisciplinary team. In 2017, we moved to the Northern Territory where I started working as a Speech Pathologist across the lifespan with both children and adults. This was a busy caseload of up to 100 clients. My role included engaging culturally responsive speech pathology services for clients with developmental delays, disabilities and aged care needs across the life span, including travel to remote communities.

Alongside my Speech Pathology colleague, I established and developed the Katherine Region Diagnostic Clinic. This was the first of its kind for the region and focused on multidisciplinary developmental and diagnostic assessment for a range of children presenting with features of Global developmental delay, Autism, FASD, and genetic syndromes. I am ADOS-2 trained (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule) and passionate about helping autistic children.

As a feeding speech pathologist, I have completed post-graduate training in

• Infant Feeding Postgraduate 2 day Workshop, Feeding Therapy Australia 2023
• The Get Permission approach to anxious eaters and anxious mealtimes, Marsha Dunn Klein 2021
• Breastfeeding, practical strategies for clinical practice with Sherrian Price, Newcastle Baby Settling 2021
• Accidental Counsellor Training 2021
• ARFID (Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder), Melanie Potock 2020
• Feeding Therapy: Your Tools to success, Feeding Therapy Australia 2020
• “Feeding, it’s not just about swallowing”, Melanie Potock 2020
• Sequential Oral Sensory Program (SOS) 2017
• Paediatric Feeding and Swallowing Education (PFASE) 2017
• Mentored by Val in my previous job 2018-2019

I have also completed numerous training courses in Aboriginal Cultural Awareness Programs through the Department of Health as well as other courses focusing on FASD and trauma. As a certified practising Speech Pathologist, I am PECS trained, Key Word Sign (Makaton) trained and have completed further training in sensory processing through the Autism Association in Western Australia.

After 6 years of working and traveling overseas with her family, Melissa is coming home to Newcastle. And we are more than thrilled to have her join our Let’s Eat! Team. She brings a wealth of experience in children aged 0-18 with complex needs across health, not-for-profit organisations, and private practice.

Melissa worked in the rehab team with Val at NSW Health in complex disability care teams many years ago. So complex cases, multidisciplinary teams, and communicating to support children is something Melissa does naturally.

Melissa graduated 20 years ago and has done multiple postgraduate training courses in paediatric feeding including the Postgraduate Feeding Program, Sequential Oral Sensory (SOS) program, Melanie Potock ARFID and Feeding workshops, Ellyn Satter Feeding webinars as well as lots of online feeding workshops and webinars in the UK and USA.

Mel is passionate about building attachments with kids and families. She strongly believes that therapy should be woven into everyday routines. Feeding should be fun and not a chore!

Mel has trained under Val in the Let’s Eat! Feeding certification training program. She has also completed post-graduate feeding training in:

• Infant Feeding Postgraduate 2 day Workshop, Feeding Therapy Australia 2023
• Paediatric Feeding Learning Framework, QLD Health 2022
• Postgraduate Feeding Program, Feeding Therapy Australia, 4 day workshop 2022
• Paediatric Feeding Masterclasses, Feeding Therapy Australia 2022
• Sequential oral sensory protocol (SOS) program, Dr Kay Toomey 2021
• Melanie Potock ARFID workshop, 2021
• Dr Ross Greene, Collaborative and Proactive Solutions

Mel joined our Let’s Eat! Clinic in 2022 and works Monday-Wednesday as a mobile-based therapist. When she is not working, she is running around being a busy mum of 3 kids. She has traveled for so long that it’s nice to finally slow down in beautiful Newcastle.

Ell (short for Eleanor) is a Speech Pathologist with a point of difference, she has personal experience with neurodiversity and understands the importance of family-centred practices at a much deeper level than most clinicians. Ell completed her studies at the University of Newcastle, where she graduated with Honours, and began her career working in a not-for-profit organisation in the NDIS space. 

Ell has been on our Let’s Eat! Team since 2022, and has a passion for supporting families in understanding their child’s feeding needs. She prides herself on ensuring that therapy is individualised for each family and approaches each session with an energetic smile. In 2025, Ell also started mentoring external speech pathologists in paediatric feeding to assist them in broadening their skills and feeling more confident to implement responsive feeding therapy across Australia. 

In her spare time, you can find Ell reading a good book, or trying out a new craft, with her current favourite being crotchet! 

Ell has trained under Val in the Let’s Eat! Feeding certification training program. She has also completed post-graduate feeding training in: 

• Flexible Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES) 1 day course 2025
• Introduction to Infant Feeding Telesimulation, Dr Jeanne Marshall 2024
• Infant Feeding Postgraduate 2 day workshop, Feeding Therapy Australia 2023
• Supporting Safe and Enjoyable Meals, NDIS 2023 
• Cervical Auscultation, Dr Thuy Frakking and Dr Kelly Weir 2022
• Traffic Jam in my Brain, Genevieve Jereb, Sensory Tools Australia 2022
• Postgraduate Feeding Program, Feeding Therapy Australia, 4 day workshop 2022
• Paediatric Feeding Masterclass, Feeding Therapy Australia 2022