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About Me

After years working as an early intervention speech therapist, families often shared that they felt largely unsupported and uncertain of their child's future once they aged-out of the service. As a proud Central Coast local for 27 years and mother to two neurodivergent young adults with autism and ADHD, I realised that I had more to offer these families. My lived experience shapes my practice deeply and fuels my commitment to providing neurodivergent‑affirming, respectful, and empowering support.

As a certified practicing member of Speech Pathology Australia, I remain dedicated to staying at the forefront of best-practices in our field through continued learning and training. With experience working in the non-profit and private sectors, I have supported a diverse range of populations, including those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, English as Second Language, developmental delay, intellectual disability, genetic disorders and syndromes.

I have a particular interest in strengthening language and literacy skills of neurodivergent children from early childhood through to adulthood, for life. My focus is always on supporting individuals to communicate their needs, wants, and interests—beyond speech alone—through whatever communication methods are most meaningful to them.

About Grow and Connect Speech Therapy

I provide personalised mobile speech pathology services designed to deliver focused care and meaningful outcomes for every client. As a boutique practice, Grow and Connect Speech Therapy is intentionally small, allowing me to offer high‑quality, individualised support. By keeping caseloads limited, I ensure that each person—and their family, caregiver, or guardian—receives the time, attention, and tailored intervention they deserve.

I welcome all referrals, including self‑referrals, and pride myself on being accessible, compassionate, and client‑centred in everything I do.

My Values

My work is grounded in:

Inclusion
Understanding and kindness
Development at the client’s pace
Supporting communication in all environments
Collaboration with families and allied health professionals

Communication happens everywhere, which is why I work across a variety of settings including homes, preschools, schools, OOSH services, and community environments. This ensures that therapy extends naturally into the young person’s everyday world.

My Approach

Family-centred care:

To educate and support families to help them confidently assist their child’s progress at home.

Collaboration with support systems:

To coordinate with teachers, childcare providers, and health professionals to ensure consistent strategies.

Interventions and coaching:

Communication goals are embedded into daily routines for practical, lasting results.

Neurodivergent Affirming Practice:

To support each child’s individuality and strengths, respecting unique perspectives and experiences.

My Supports

Expressive and Receptive Language:

Helping children understand and use language to express their thoughts, ideas, and feelings effectively.

Oral Motor Function and Skills:

Strengthening your child's awareness of accuracy, speed, and range of tongue, lip, and jaw movements needed for feeding and producing speech sounds, with referrals for tongue-tie or velarpharyngeal insufficiency (e.g., structural differences, nasal air emissions).

Articulation:

Working on the clarity of speech sounds, enabling children to be understood by others.

Fluency:

Supporting children who experience stuttering or other fluency issues, helping them to speak with greater ease and confidence.

Voice:

Helping your child develop independence to self-monitor and use strategies to reduce strain, tension, and minimise chronic harm of the vocal folds, for improved quality of voice sound.

Pragmatics & Social Skills:

Guiding children and young adults in developing the social communication skills needed to interact appropriately with others, including understanding nonverbal cues, taking turns in conversation, assertive communication, and maintaining friendships.

Literacy:

Supporting reading, creative writing, and spelling development, ensuring children and young adults have the foundational skills they need for academic achievement.

Vocabulary:

Expanding your child’s vocabulary, helping them to express themselves more precisely and understand others more fully.

My Services

Use the section below to book the following services:

Initial Consultation (Face-to-Face) - Required prior to Mobile Speech Therapy bookings

Initial Consultation (Online Call) - Required prior to Mobile Speech Therapy bookings

Mobile Speech Therapy (Up to 60 minutes) - Initial Consultation (either face-to-face or online) required prior to Mobile Speech Therapy bookings.

Typically, assessments guiding therapy goals will be discussed and booked by therapist following the initial consultation with the client and their family member or caregiver.

Qualified

Our highly trained speech-language pathologist has years of experience helping individuals improve their communication skills.

Tailored Sessions

We understand that every individual’s needs are unique, which is why we offer personalized sessions to meet their specific goals.

Client-Focused Care

Your satisfaction and progress are our top priorities. We strive to provide a comfortable and supportive environment for our clients.

We are pleased to support families through different medical funding schemes, including the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). Specifically, we accept the following NDIS funding types:

1.NDIS Self-Managed Participants
2.NDIS Plan-Managed Participants

For any general queries, please use the 'Contact Me' form below

Contact: Karen Genders Speech-Language Pathologist

BSpPath (Hons) MSPA CPSP

Phone: +61 435 148 210 Email: karen@gncst.com.au

Grow and Connect Speech Therapy

ABN 40 915 434 152

Contact Me