Andrea Ferguson

Speech Pathologist / Director
Andrea has worked as a speech pathologist since 1989, specialising in the needs of preschool and school-aged children. Her career commenced with the South Australian Education Department providing services to metropolitan primary schools and building a solid base of experience with young children. In 1996 Andrea and Rachel Althorp established a private speech pathology practice eventually evolving into TALK Speech Pathology with the four directors working together.

Andrea works from the Lockleys and Broadview clinics and is also very involved in providing regional services (including visits to Kangaroo Island and the South East). Andrea oversees TALK’s clinical services with a direction and enthusiasm that brings a smile to the faces of clients and staff alike.

When not at work Andrea devotes herself to family life with her three teenagers. She is also passionate about sport, following AFL, cycling and basketball and regularly attends a gym.

Marney Yeates

Speech Pathologist / Director

Marney graduated from Flinders University in 1991 and commenced working with children immediately. During the fifteen years spent working as a speech pathologist for the Department of Education and Children’s Services in Adelaide, she developed a wealth of experience in working in preschool and primary school settings.

Joining TALK in 1997, Marney combines clinic hours with managing TALK’s learning resources. She loves to create fun and motivating therapy games for children to enjoy and particularly enjoys literacy work with those who struggle to take off in the junior primary years. Marney now combines working in private schools and clinic locations and appreciates the importance of parent and teacher liaison when setting goals for children.

Marney visits private sector school sites. When not practising speech pathology she is kept on her toes by her two gorgeous boys.

Sarah Kennedy

Speech Pathologist / Director
Sarah has been practising paediatric speech pathology since graduating in 1998. She has worked in all areas of speech, language and literacy and has undertaken research into dyspraxia while employed with South Australian Department of Education and Children’s Services.

Sarah conducts private school visits in Adelaide’s south-western suburbs, together with overseeing TALK’s accounting portfolio. Her enthusiasm for research and discovery is matched by a passion for helping children and their families.

Rachel Althorp

Speech Pathologist / Director
Rachel graduated in 1990 and has been working as a speech pathologist with children and their families ever since. She currently works for TALK Speech Pathology, based on the Fleurieu Peninsula, and for the Department for Education. Rachel is always exuberant and has a special way of getting the most out of the children with whom she works. Rachel has a special interest in working with children, from toddlers to teens, (and their families) who have:

autism spectrum disorder. Rachel has also trained as an approved ASD diagnostician.
reading, spelling, speech and language difficulties.
Rachel has gorgeous, almost adult, twin boys who keep her smiling and fit.

Lisa Mathers

Lisa has been a Speech Pathologist since 2004 and has experience in a range of areas including speech and language delays and disorders, literacy, stuttering and Autism. She was born in England but has been living in Adelaide since 2008. Lisa is Lidcombe trained and enjoys working with children of all ages. She has a caring and compassionate approach to therapy with children and their families and works from 16 Unley Road, Unley and from the O’Halloran Hill office. Lisa enjoys being part of the speech pathology team and when not seeing clients and being a busy mum she loves spending time with her husband, children and friends.

Vanessa Thompson

Commencing with TALK in 2005, Vanessa brings an exuberance and positive manner to her work with children. Clients and their families enjoy her capacity to create fun and engaging therapy. Vanessa has considerable experience in the areas of: Autism, Down syndrome, augmentative communication, PECS, play therapy, speech, language and literacy. She divides her time between TALK’s O’Halloran Hill office and school visits.

Nichole Govier

Nichole joined the TALK team to provide much needed in-school service. She has experience in the area of Auditory Processing Disorder, and her continued part-time work with David May, Audiologist, from Adelaide Hearing Consultants, gives her considerable expertise in working with hearing-impaired children.

Tahlea Pearce

Tahlea commenced with TALK in July 2015 and will be working at the Broadview and Lockleys clinics in addition to a school setting. Tahlea has previous experience working in rehabilitation services and kindergartens. She is excited to be joining the TALK team, to make a difference in children’s lives and help them to succeed in their classroom environment. She is particularly passionate about the areas of speech, language and literacy. Her outside interests include singing, travel, enjoying food from a variety of cuisines and regular visits to the gym.

Nicola Briggs

Nicola returned to the TALK team in 2014 after a number of years spent working as a paediatric speech pathologist in the Northern Territory and Queensland. She graduated from Flinders University in 1994 and has considerable experience working with preschool and school age clients in the areas of speech, language and literacy. She is currently based at TALK’s O’Halloran Hill Office.

Alison Peterson

Alison has almost 15 years experience working with preschoolers in community and hospital settings. She loves working with young children (0-4 years) who are experiencing feeding or communication difficulties and their families. She is also passionate about a working with children with multiple and complex needs, including those with disabilities, global developmental delay, Autism and Down syndrome. She enjoys helping children grown and learn through play and fun!
Outside of work, Alison is a busy mum to 3 young children. Coffee is her friend!
Alison works at the Unley office.

Dr Stephanie Mallen

Stephanie has a passion for assisting people with speech, language and literacy issues. She is able to able to provide support to both adults and school-aged children and their families for the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of speech, language and literacy difficulties, including dyslexia. Stephanie completed her PhD in 2010 on the topic of children who have reading and auditory processing difficulties.

Stephanie also has a special interest in accent modification for non-native English speakers, increasing their communication confidence in the Australian context.
Stephanie commenced her career as a speech pathologist with the Department of Education and Children’s Services in Port Pirie and Adelaide for 7 years, during which time she was the speech – language pathologist for the Language Support Class for 3 years. Stephanie developed the screening tool known as the Screen of Phonological Awareness (SPA) in 1996. The SPA is now widely used in schools around Australia to detect children at risk of literacy failure.
Having commenced in private practice in 1995, she has worked as a speech pathologist at Westminster School and was co-president of the SA Branch of Speech Pathology Australia in 2004. She then relocated to Brisbane for 4 years, working in Catholic schools, in private practice and serving on the management committee of SPELD(QLD) while studying for her PhD. She returned to Adelaide in January 2009 and has worked in private practice since that time, in addition to owning a bookshop for 4 years and serving on the management committee of SPELD(SA).
Stephanie describes herself as a ‘progress-junkie’ and finds nothing so satisfying as facilitating successful outcomes for her clients.