​The Friendly team of First Words & Beyond

Lauren Davis
Managing Director, Speech Pathologist​

Lauren is a passionate and dedicated speech pathologist with a wealth of experience working with children, adolescents, young adults and their families. Lauren has worked across public, not-for-profit and private sectors, including mainstream and disability support services. Lauren identified the need for tailored, individualised and supportive therapy services for individuals with communication difficulties and their families early in her career, which led her to establish her own private practice to offer this level of care. She believes that each person should be viewed as an individual with unique communication strengths and needs, which can be utilised in therapy to promote progress and outcomes that are functional and meaningful to individuals and their families. Lauren is particularly passionate about supporting neurodiverse individuals, which inspired her to complete a Master of Education and Professional Research Studies through Griffith University to explore the language development of autistic young children who were nonspeaking. She has completed a range of additional training and professional development courses in this field to better understand and provide neuroaffirming supports to autistic individuals. In addition to her managing director role, Lauren has also worked for Griffith University and Queensland and the Australian Catholic University in Sydney. She is committed to nurturing quality education and learning for future professionals.  

Qualifications:

• Bachelor of Applied Science (Speech Pathology), 2012
• Graduate Certificate in Autism Studies, 2019
• Masters of Education and Professional Research Studies, 2021

Industry Accreditations:

• Hanen – It Takes Two To Talk
• Nuffield Program for Dyspraxia
• Multilit Interventions including PreLit, MinitLit, Reading Tutor Program, Word Attack Skills Extension
• Sounds-Write First Rate Phonics – a direct, systematic and phonics-based approach to literacy intervention
• Autism Diagnostic Observation Scale (ADOS) 
• Colourful Semantics workshop – a method of teaching children how to understand and build sentences.

​

Rachel Horton
Senior Speech Pathologist​

Rachel is an enthusiastic Speech Pathologist who enjoys working with preschool and school aged children, young adolescents and adults with a range of developmental and acquired communication disorders. Rachel completed a Masters of Speech Pathology at the University of Sydney in 2018 and has experience working in the private sector with both adults and children to achieve functional communication and social goals. She has experience working as a team leader, mentoring new graduate Speech Pathologist's, and has supervised students completing their Masters Degree at the University of Technology Sydney. Rachel has experience working with children in the preschool, school, clinic and home settings and believes that intervention across these environments is crucial for therapeutic success. Rachel has a special interest in dysfluency (stuttering) and early language development. She additionally has significant experience supporting neurodiverse children and their families and is passionate about developing functional and meaningful goals for her clients.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor of Speech, Hearing and Language Sciences, 2016
• Masters of Speech Language Pathology, 2018

Professional Development:

• Sounds-Write First Rate Phonics – a direct, systematic and phonics-based approach to literacy intervention
• Understanding Dementia MOOC Course
• Syllable Timed Speech approach to stuttering treatment
• Social Thinking – helping children build their social skills
• The Hanen Centre “More Than Words” – engaging parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder to facilitate their child’s social, communication and vocabulary development.
• Enriching Language in Early Childhood Webinar
• Taking Proloquo2go to the Next Level – AssistiveWare Training module
• Colourful Semantics workshop – a method of teaching children how to understand and build sentences.
• Low Preparation Therapy workshop - ideas and support for therapy activities
• Literacy workshop - areas of literacy requiring intervention, how to assess areas of literacy, and therapy ideas
• Addressing the vocabulary needs of late-talking toddlers, an introduction to the VAULT approach

Jennifer Ballantine
Senior Speech Pathologist​

Jen is an experienced and passionate clinician with over 30 years' experience as a Speech Pathologist. She completed a Bachelor of Science in Speech Pathology and Therapeutics in Glasgow and began working for the National Health Service (NHS) in Scotland after graduating. Jen spent 14 years working for the NHS, working her way up from a new graduate position to a senior role. Jen, her husband, and 2 sons emigrated to Australia in 2007 and she has worked in the private practice sector since, supporting adults and children with their communication goals.  Jen has spent the last 7 years following her passion of working with children and their families to ensure they receive the best support and care, using the most effective evidence-based therapy and incorporating her flexibility to meet family’s needs. Jen prides herself on working collaboratively and successfully in team settings with families and other allied health professionals to ensure her clients receive the best care. Prior to joining ​First Words & Beyond, Jen held a clinical team leader position, managing a team of clinicians at different stages of their careers. She provided clinical supervision to new graduate and early career Speech Pathologists as they completed a structured new graduate program.  Jen is a neurodiverse affirming therapist who has experience in all areas of paediatric speech pathology. She has a special interest in speech sound disorders including CAS, developmental language disorders and developmental disorders. Jen has done further independent study focusing on developing leadership skills. 
 
​
Professional Development:

• Derbyshire Language Scheme  
• Cued Articulation 
• Key Word Sign
• Lidcombe Stuttering program 
• Sounds Write-  4 day training program  
• Sounds-Write - additional year 3-6 course  
• Spontaneous Language Sampling with children and Adolescents from research to practice 
• Treating Childhood Apraxia of Speech- preschool & more severe children 
• Treating Childhood Apraxia of Speech - Older Children & residual errors 
• Accidental Counsellor training 
• Cultural Responsiveness Training