Our team of enthusiastic and experienced therapists ensure the implementation of evidence based and family centred practices.
Home, school and clinic-based services are offered to cater for the needs of the clients and their families.
Speech Academy Services strives to support children to achieve their full potential through tailored therapy programs that are developed in collaboration with families and their wider teams of support. We set achievable goals, implement practical strategies and evaluate progress.
Souha Karim | Director and Senior Speech Pathologist
Souha is the Director and a Senior Speech Pathologist at Speech Academy Services. She graduated from Macquarie University with a Master of Speech Language Pathology and a Bachelor of Speech and Hearing Sciences.
Souha has experience working in the non-for-profit and private practice sectors. She has serviced regions including South Western Sydney and Nepean Blue Mountains.
Souha is skilled in working with children on the Autism Spectrum who present with complex communication needs, children who present with speech sound disorders, and children with literacy difficulties.
She has an interest in supporting families from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, implementing communication systems to replace or accompany spoken language, and supporting social communication competence.
Souha seeks to build the capacity of parents, caregivers, and wider teams of support to implement strategies at home, school, and within the community. Souha is formally trained in Hanen More Than Words, The SOS Approach to Feeding, Lidcombe Program, Language Acquisition through Motor Planning (LAMP), Orofacial Face Myology, Visualising and Verbalising, Learn to Play Therapy, and Sounds-Write.
In Souha's spare time, you will find her reading, spending time outdoors with family and travelling.
Seham Elbaff | Senior Speech Pathologist
Seham is a Senior Speech Pathologist. She studied a Bachelor of Applied Science (Speech Pathology) at the University of Sydney.
Seham has experience working as a community-based therapist delivering individualised therapy supports, teletherapy, group therapy programs, parent training and online webinars in the non-for profit sector since 2016. She continues to service many areas around South Western Sydney.
Seham is skilled in working autistic children. She has an interest in working with children within the early intervention years (0-7) in the areas of language, speech, play, social skills, fluency and transition to school.
Seham enjoys providing capacity building supports to parents, carers and educators within everyday settings such as the home, school and community. Seham has completed a number of professional development courses. She is formally trained in Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS), Language Acquisition through Motor Planning (LAMP), Lego Training, Read 3 and Hanen More Than Words (MTW). Seham continues to undertake formal training to further expand on her knowledge and clinical skills.
Seham is a certified practising speech pathologist and a member of Speech Pathology Australia. In Seham’s spare time, she enjoys gardening, cooking, reading and most of all spending time with her little one.
Mariam Ahmed | Senior Speech Pathologist
Mariam is a Certified Practising Speech Pathologist at Speech Academy Services. She graduated from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Health Sciences and Master of Speech Language Pathology.
Mariam has experience working in private practice and the non-for-profit sector. She enjoys providing individualised and group therapy services, as well as capacity building support to parents, caregivers, and educators across a range of settings and via Telehealth. She is passionate about providing evidence based interventions that is meaningful and enjoyable to her clients, as well as empowering families to implement therapeutic supports to reach their full potential.
Mariam is formally trained in Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS), Hanen More Than Words (MTW), Read 3, Gestalt Language Processing (GLP), Sounds-Write, PEERS Social Skills Program for Teens and Adults and We Thinkers (Volume 1 and 2) Social Thinking Program.
Mariam is passionate about supporting children and adolescents to find a way to interact with the world, empower families to implement therapeutic supports, as well as advocate for their children.
In Mariam's spare time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, staying active and being outdoors.
Mariam is formally trained in Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS), Hanen More Than Words (MTW), Read 3, Gestalt Language Processing (GLP), Sounds-Write, PEERS Social Skills Program for Teens and Adults and We Thinkers (Volume 1 and 2) Social Thinking Program.
Mariam is passionate about supporting children and adolescents to find a way to interact with the world, empower families to implement therapeutic supports, as well as advocate for their children.
In Mariam's spare time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, staying active and being outdoors.
Heba Al-Safadi | Speech Pathologist
Heba completed a bachelor degree in Speech Pathology at The University of Sydney. Heba is currently completing a Master in Clinical Audiology at Macquarie University.
Heba is passionate about children reaching their full potential and helping them communicate by providing them with the tools to do so. She has experience supporting and advocating for clients and their families. She has an interest in treating speech sound difficulties, stuttering, and language disorders by implementing a holistic and functional approach to therapy. Heba has a passion for life long learning and is proactive in implementing evidence based practice.
Heba is formally trained in the Sounds Write program. She is a lifelong learner who enjoys reading academic research and sharing her acquired knowe
In Heba’s spare time, you will find her reading, cooking, travelling, and spending time with family and friends.
Sussan Makki | Senior Speech Pathologist
Sussan is a Senior Speech Pathologist at Speech Academy Services. She graduated from Sydney University with a Master of Speech Language Pathology and from Macquarie University with a Bachelor of Speech, Hearing and Language Sciences.
Sussan has experience in delivering services across a range of settings and via telehealth within both the non-for-profit sector and private practice. She has experience in delivering individualized and group therapy supports. Sussan is passionate about capacity building with families, educators, and key stake holders within the client’s life. She is also passionate about using evidence-based practice, understanding the need of the client and their families, establishing functional goals and empowering families to implement strategies and supports within their day-to-day settings.
Sussan is skilled in working with children and adolescents on the Autism Spectrum. She has a particular interest in working in the area of early language stimulation.
Sussan is formally trained in, Language Aquisition Through Motor Planning (LAMP), Hanen More than words, Authentic AAC, Visualising and Verbalising, Spalding and PEERS Social Skills Program for Teens and adults.
In Sussan’s spare time, she enjoys being outdoors, spending time with friends and family and travelling.
Kristy Ellis | Senior Speech Pathologist
Kristy is a Senior Speech Pathologist at Speech Academy Services. She graduated from Macquarie University with a Bachelor of Speech, Hearing and Language Sciences followed by a Masters of Speech and Language Pathology at the University of Sydney.
Kristy has experience working in the private practice and non-for-profit sectors, supporting children and their families to improve their speech, language and literacy development. Kristy has a passion for working with young children with autism and providing them with individualised supports that are person-centered and family-focused. Kristy enjoys focusing on the strengths and interests of her participants to help them make the most out of their therapy sessions.
focused. Kristy enjoys focusing on the strengths and interests of her participants to help them make the most out of their therapy sessions.
Kristy is also formally trained in Language Acquisition through Motor Planning (LAMP), Hanen More than Words (MTW), The Spalding Method, Visualising and Verbalising, PEERS Social Skills Program for Teens and Adults, and Evidence-Based management of speech sound disorders in children.
In Kristy’s spare time, she enjoys cooking, cake decorating, and spending time with her little one.
Barine Zahid | Psychologist
Barine is a registered psychologist at Speech Academy Services. She holds her Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Western Sydney University and completed her registration through the 4+2 internship program.
Barine has experience in practicing across the lifespan with a dedication to working with young children with presentations such as Intellectual Disability, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Her dedication extends to providing support for clients and their families from diverse backgrounds and presentations. She provides evidence-based practice including, Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy, Behaviour Therapy, Parent Training and Skills-based Therapy. Barine's commitment lies in maximising the effectiveness of psychological intervention for her clients by fostering a supportive environment.
In Barine's spare time, she enjoys spending quality time with family and friends, exploring new destinations through travel and embracing the outdoors.
Eman Karim | Occupational Therapist
Eman graduated from Western Sydney University with a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy.
Eman has experience working with children who have complex medical backgrounds. She is passionate about building the capacities of families and/or caregivers by providing practical strategies and continuous review of progress. Eman has a particular interest in teaching life skills to adolescents and assisting children with their handwriting.
She has experience working in government, non-for-profit, and private sectors. Eman has completed training in Promoting Positive Sleep Practices with Children.
In Eman’s spare time, you will find her at the beach, reading a book, or out in nature with family and friends.
Lina Kabaha | Occupational Therapist
Lina graduated from Western Sydney University with a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy.
Lina has experience supporting children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds using a client and family centred approach. She has interests in assisting children improve their fine motor abilities and increasing their emotional awareness by providing them with the right tools to achieve self-regulation.
Lina is motivated to bring her skills and expertise to sessions so that the children and families she works with feel valued and empowered every single day.
In Lina’s spare time, she enjoys spending time with loved ones and staying active.
Safiya Alameddine | Speech Pathology Allied Health Assistant
Safiya is an Allied Health Assistant at Speech Academy Services. She is currently in her 3rd year studying a Bachelor of Applied Science (Speech Pathology) at the University of Sydney.
Safiya has a particular interest in early intervention, helping to support families of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds with their speech and language needs.
In her spare time, you’ll find Safiya spending time with family, reading books, or watching a good show.
Layelle Hamouda | Speech Pathology Allied Health Assistant
Layelle is an Allied Health Assistant at Speech Academy Services. She is currently in her 3rd year studying a Bachelor of Applied Science (Speech Pathology) at the University of Sydney.
Layelle has a particular interest in early intervention, supporting children who are bilingual speakers, and children who present with fluency disorders.
In Layelle’s spare time, you will find her reading a good book, spending time with friends, or watching a movie.
Ahmad Karim | Office Administator
Ahmad graduated from Western Sydney University with a Bachelor of Policing and is currently studying a Bachelor of Construction Management. Ahmad is passionate about constructing facilities that cater to the needs of individuals with disabilities.
As an Office Administrator, Ahmad is responsible for handling all administrative tasks. His dedication to supporting the smooth operation of Speech Academy Services has been an essential contribution to the effective delivery of allied health supports. The combination of Ahmad's educational background and passion for building facilities makes him an invaluable asset to the team.
In Ahmad’s spare time, he enjoys outdoor activities, and spending quality time with his family and friends.
Speech Academy Services provides assessment and intervention programs targeting one or more of the following areas:
Speech Academy Services provides parent education across a variety of settings (e.g. community centres and education settings) and formal professional development sessions for external agencies. Please contact Speech Academy Services for more information.
Speech Academy Services provides therapeutic support through:
Please contact Speech Academy Services for information regarding service fees.
Speech Pathology Australia
www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au/
National Disability insurance Scheme
www.ndis.gov.au/
46 Kitchener Parade, Bankstown, NSW, 2200
PO Box 260, Condell Park, New South Wales 2200
© Speech Academy Services 2020 | Graphic Design by Simon Creedy
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