Meet The Team
The Feeding Clinic and The Adult Dysphagia Clinic is comprised of:
Adult and Paediatric Speech Pathologists
Paediatric Dietitian & IBCLE
Paediatric Occupational Therapists
Irene Orkopoulos
Senior Speech Pathologist and
Director of The Feeding Clinic
Irene is a Certified Practising Speech Pathologist. Irene started her career working with assessment and treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Irene has over 15 years experience with feeding and swallowing disorders of infants and children in the hospital setting and the community, with a special interest in tongue tie and complex feeding difficulties in infants and children of all ages. She is SOS trained, Beckman Oral Motor trained, Myofunctional Therapy trained and PROMPT trained.
Alice Robinson
Senior Speech Pathologist and
Coordinator of The Adult Dysphagia Clinic
Alice is a Certified Practising Speech Pathologist. Alice started her career working in acute hospital settings for adult clients. Alice has over seven years of direct experience working with adults across mental health, surgical, medical, rehabilitative and neurology domains across acute and community-based settings.
Alice is also a mother of a child with dysphagia who was tube-fed, and suffered with laryngomalacia, reflux and growth faltering. This has further enriched Alice's passion to assist children and their families with complex feeding difficulties during a challenging time. Alice offers her expertise, personal experience and comprehensive approach to all your feeding-related, dysphagia and chronic cough concerns.
Melissa-Sue Wat
Senior Speech Pathologist
Melissa-Sue a senior Speech Pathologists who works with clients and their families across the lifespan to help them reach their mealtime goals! Melissa-Sue is highly passionate about incorporating two-way communication and client-focused goals to result in an enjoyable mealtimes that best matches her clients needs. Having over 19 years of experience and a wealth of knowledge in community-based services focusing on children and young adults who have complex medical, developmental and acquired disabilities, we are very lucky to have her. She is an absolute guru and works effortlessly to create a positive experience for all her families.
Nicole Steele
Senior Dietitian and Lactation Consultant
Nicole is a highly experienced paediatric Dietitian and Lactation Consultant who works across both The Feeding Clinic and Perth Children's Hospital. Nicole enjoys working part of a multi-disciplinary team to achieve the best client-centred goals possible and for families to achieve positive outcomes for their children. Nicole's passion for helping babies with feeding difficulties grew with her own personal experience. With her daughter having feeding difficulties and having to navigate the frustration associated, she is able to empathise with parents who are having similar struggles.
Kelly Walker
Speech Pathologist
Kelly is a Certified Practising Speech Pathologist trained in myofunctional therapy, Beckman Oral Motor Assessment and Treatment, and PROMPT therapy.
Kelly studied speech pathology with a goal to specialise in paediatric feeding therapy as her youngest son has a complex medical history that included feeding difficulties. Kelly has a keen interest in infants, tongue tie and upper airway assessment.
“I want to help families that are experiencing feeding difficulties, because I have lived experience and know the incredible amount of stress that comes with not being able to feed a child”
Bella Sandilands
Speech Pathologist
Bella is a Certified Practising Speech Pathologist trained in Orofacial Myology.
Bella has worked across community-based settings assisting both adults and children with dysphagia. Bella has a special interest working with infants and children who have difficulty with breast and bottle feeding, transitioning to solids and creating supportive mealtimes.
Bella works at our Currambine clinic.