Our Team

Providing Speech pathology services in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie

Early Start Speech Pathology clinics are located in Lambton and Warners Bay, providing high quality speech pathology assessment and intervention in the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie regions.

Early Start Speech Pathology therapists are highly trained Speech Pathologists, with each therapist participating in and attending numerous professional development training and courses throughout the year.

Michelle Batey leads the team at Early Start Speech Pathology and provides the clinic and therapists with a wealth of experience, support and expertise.

Early Start Speech Pathology was established in 2008 and are a team of familiar faces that have worked together for a number of years. We are a close knit group of professionals who always support, encourage and guide each other.

Early Start Speech Pathology aims to provide the best possible intervention service to your child in a family-focused, friendly environment. Click on the therapist’s name to read about their clinical interests, experience and additional training programs.

Michelle Batey

Director/Speech Pathologist

Tabitha Chaseling

Speech Pathologist

Lara Humphries

Speech Pathologist

Ella Bennett

Speech Pathologist

Jane Bottyan

Speech Pathologist

Leigh Sainsbury

Speech Pathologist

Hannah Parker

Speech Pathologist

Esther Duffy

Speech Pathologist

Libby Boyd

Speech Pathologist

Caroline Watson

Speech Pathologist

Michelle Batey

DIRECTOR/ SENIOR SPEECH PATHOLOGIST

Michelle Batey (nee Santarelli) is the director of Early Start Speech Pathology.

Michelle first commenced her career in 2004 working for Hunter New England Community Health service in Forster, Taree and later at East Maitland. She has worked at Early Intervention Centres, an adult Rehabilitation Hospital, community preschools and other private practices in Queensland where she discovered her passion for working long term with clients, to achieve the best speech pathology outcomes.

Michelle moved back to Newcastle in 2009, and worked for a large multidisciplinary private practice, then decided it was time to work independently. This was the start of Early Start Speech Pathology. Early Start has grown from a single team member to now a team of 11.

Michelle’s working days are; Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays and works from both Lambton and Warners Bay offices.

Michelle has a special interest in Autism Spectrum Disorders and has a real attachment to working with her adolescents, supporting them navigating their school system and social world, working holistically with the child’s team of therapists and school as well as using the child’s special interests in therapy approaches, always.

Michelle has extensive training in: HANEN, Floortime DIR training, Early Start Denver Model (EDSM), Intensive Interaction, Making up Lost time in Literacy (MULTILIT), Thrass and extensive emergent literacy and literacy training through Macquarie University Reading Clinic. She has attended a number of Social Thinking workshops and uses Social Thinking vocabulary and techniques in her treatment approach as part of the therapy plan. Michelle is UCLA Peers trained. She regularly attended the Spectronics Inclusive Learning Technologies Conferences as well as the Asia Pacific Autism Conferences. Michelle is PROMPT trained and has attended Key Word Signing workshops as well as extensive phonological, articulation and Childhood Apraxia of Speech training workshops. Michelle is PODD trained and has extensive understanding and approaches to Alternate and Augmentative Communication (AAC) Systems, knowing that one system does not fit all.

Michelle works closely with some of Newcastle's highly regarded and respected Clinical Psychologists and Paediatricians, being part of the process and the diagnostic path of Autism Spectrum Disorder and other Learning Disorders.

Michelle is a Pearson Clinical Examiner and assists Pearson Clinical with undertaking Australian wide research in the area of speech pathology assessments and procedures.

Tabitha Chaseling

SPEECH PATHOLOGIST

Tabitha joined Early Start in 2017 and hasn’t looked back. Tabitha graduated from the University of Newcastle with Honours in 2016. Tabitha began her career in a paediatric private practice, working with children with literacy and speech sound disorders. She then relocated and worked at Maitland Hospital in the rehabilitation setting. Tabitha developed her skills in the rehabilitation setting assessing and treating adult clients that had suffered a stroke or a traumatic brain injury. As a result, Tabitha is experienced and skilled at seeing working with both children and adults.

Tabitha has developed a special interest in speech sound disorders including Childhood Apraxia of Speech and is PROMPT trained, as well as working with literacy, social communication and Autism Spectrum Disorders. She has undertaken additional training in the Sounds-Write Literacy Program and is a HANEN trained speech pathologist. With regards to the adult population, Tabitha is highly skilled in the assessment and treatment in the areas of voice disorders, swallowing problems (dysphagia) and post-stroke rehabilitation of language.

Tabitha works full time at both our Warners Bay and Lambton clinics.

Lara Humphries

SPEECH PATHOLOGIST

Lara Humphries (nee Dicicco) has been with the Early Start Speech Pathology team since early 2016. She graduated from the University of Newcastle in 2012 and commenced her career working for the Upper Hunter Community Health service across multiple locations including Muswellbrook, Scone, Denman, and Merriwa. Lara has worked with paediatric and adult client caseloads in both acute and rehabilitation settings, however has since narrowed her passion to working purely with children, adolescents and their families. She has experience working across rural and regional areas, in both the public sector and private practice.

Lara is a HANEN trained speech pathologist and is also extensively trained across multiple areas of Speech Pathology including phonology, literacy, social communication, alternate and augmentative communication (AAC) systems, early language and play. Lara is PROMPT trained and is experienced in the assessment and treatment of children with Selective Mutism.

Lara is a valued and enthusiastic member of the Early Start team and has a passion for early intervention, speech sound disorders, and preschool language.

She currently works full time at both our Lambton and Warners Bay offices.

Ella Bennett

SPEECH PATHOLOGIST

Ella joined the Early Start team in October 2020. Ella completed her training at Macquarie University and holds a Masters of Speech Pathology degree. Ella relocated to Lake Macquarie, from the Upper Hunter with her family and is enjoying all that the Lake Macquarie surrounds has to offer. Ella’s last position was in Early Intervention in a rural setting. She was the sole speech pathologist in a multidisciplinary team supporting families with new diagnoses and the importance of Early Intervention supports for their children. Some families travelled hundreds of kilometres to see her. Ella works part-time at our beautiful Warners Bay clinic. Prior to becoming a speech pathologist, Ella was working in the Human Resources and Recruitment field.

Ella’s special interests are of course in Early Intervention and how to support families with children who are late talkers or who have started their journey with Early Intervention.

Ella has undertaken additional training in the areas of Speech Sound Disorders and Autism Spectrum Disorders. Ella is a Hanen certified speech pathologist.

Ella is kind, creative and fun and believes that practice makes progress.

Jane Bottyan

SPEECH PATHOLOGIST

Jane is one of our newest therapists at Early Start having joined the team in January of 2021. Jane is a University of Newcastle graduate. Prior to becoming a speech pathologist Jane’s other life was in the area of finance and banking.
Jane has worked in other paediatric private practices before joining the Early Start team. She is now working part-time at both the Lambton and Warners Bay clinics.
While Jane enjoys working within all areas of Speech Pathology, she has a keen interest in school-age language and speech disorders. Jane has also attended workshops and training on language programs for children. Jane is a HANEN trained speech pathologist.
Jane has a passion for working with children and their families. Jane enjoys seeing the impact that working on children’s communication skills can have on their life.

Leigh Sainsbury

SPEECH PATHOLOGIST

Leigh joined the Early Start team in late 2021. Leigh graduated with Honors from the University of Newcastle in 2009, and worked in the Newcastle area in the areas of Early Intervention and in Clinical Supervision of University of Newcastle Speech Pathology Students on placements for a number of years.

Leigh then relocated to sunny Queensland for 10 years where she worked as a Speech Pathologist in the Queensland Department of Education where she provided assessments, individual and group intervention, as well as worked collaboratively with teachers to implement whole class programs, before returning to Newcastle her home town.

Leigh’s particular areas of interest include: Developmental Language Disorder, complex speech difficulties, narrative assessment and intervention, phonemic awareness and using ‘The Simple View of Reading’ for the differential diagnosis of reading comprehension difficulties as well as always providing evidence-based practice.

Leigh has undertaken additional experience in the areas of: Inclusive teaching methods with reading and a vast variety of training associated with literacy development, Developmental Language Disorder, Hanen, Prompt, PECS, Key Word Sign to name but a few.

Leigh works full time at both the Lambton and Warners Bay clinics.

Hannah Parker

SPEECH PATHOLOGIST

Hannah Parker (nee Wright) has been with Early Start Speech Pathology since 2015. Hannah graduated from The University of Newcastle in 2011 with a Bachelor’s degree in Speech Pathology. She then moved to Sydney where she worked in a busy Speech Pathology private practice on the North Shore. Whilst in Sydney Hannah gained significant experience and knowledge working with a diverse range of paediatric clients. It was here that she discovered her love of working with clients and families to identify and develop alternative ways of communicating. This as well as learning about new technologies and building meaningful relationships with her families, continues to motivate Hannah in her Speech Pathology work at Early Start.

After moving back to Newcastle in 2015, Hannah has continued developing her skills across a wide range of Speech Pathology areas including Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), speech/phonology, language, stuttering, early language development, play skills, and literacy skills.

Hannah is a HANEN trained speech pathologist as well as being trained in early play skills, literacy development, speech sounds and phonology and language disorders.

Hannah currently works from the Warners Bay clinic on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Esther Duffy

SPEECH PATHOLOGIST

Esther joined the Early Start team in late 2021 during the midst of the covid pandemic. Esther graduated from the University of Newcastle in 2020 and worked in another private practice setting in Newcastle, briefly, before joining the Early Start team and finding the right support to continue to grow her amazing clinical skills she naturally possesses. Esther is warm and bubbly and provides a gentle level of care with all of her clients.

Esther works a number of days at a local catholic school servicing her clients in the school setting, and working closely with the learning support staff and teaching teams to ensure growth of her clients.

Esther’s clinical interests include school aged language intervention, early intervention and language stimulation as well as literacy development. She prides on working holistically with her clients and ensures the child’s team are kept informed of her speech and language goals to ensure a multidisciplinary approach is always taken.

Esther has undertaken additional training in the areas of: Hanen, Key Word Sign, Visualizing and Verbalizing program and recently the Sounds-Write Literacy program.

Esther works full time at both the Lambton and Warners Bay Clinics.

Libby Boyd

SPEECH PATHOLOGIST

Libby is a University of Newcastle graduate who joined the Early Start team in January 2021.

While Libby enjoys all aspects of speech pathology, her special interests include language development as well as school-aged language and literacy development. Libby also enjoys working with our adult populations.

Libby’s plan this year is to build on her sound knowledge of the vast array and different therapy approaches available when working with children on the Autism Spectrum. Libby is a HANEN trained speech pathologist.

Libby is fun and engaging and is enjoying her new role at Early Start Speech Pathology.

Libby works part-time at both the Lambton and Warners Bay clinics.

Caroline Watson

SPEECH PATHOLOGIST

Caroline brings to Early Start over 20 years of clinical experience spanning all age groups and practice settings, and has worked in Australia, United States, England, and Singapore. Caroline's belief is that communicating, and eating & drinking are two of life’s biggest pleasures and our way of finding connection with others.

Caroline has a special interest in early communication development and has undergone post-graduate training in Hanen (It Takes Two To Talk), DIR Floortime, The Nuffield Dyspraxia Program and the Lidcombe program. As a clinician who embraces the principles of Circles of Security, Caroline is passionate about facilitating child-caregiver connection and communication to optimise the development of early relationships. Caroline is a strong advocate for family partnership practice and understands that no two children are alike!

When Caroline is not working, she enjoys travelling (…well, not right now), talking, eating & drinking with family and friends, and going for walks in nature with her 3 kids.

Caroline works on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays from both the Lambton and Warners Bay offices.

Our Team

Providing Speech pathology services in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie

Early Start Speech Pathology clinics are located in Lambton and Warners Bay, providing high quality speech pathology assessment and intervention in the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie regions.

Michelle Batey

Tabitha Chaseling

Lara Humphries

Ella Bennett

Jane Bottyan

Leigh Sainsbury

Hannah Parker

Esther Duffy

Libby Boyd

Caroline Watson

Get in touch today.

02 4955 5415

reception@earlystart.com.au

Find Us

Michelle Batey

Tabitha Chaseling

Lara Humphries

Ella Bennett

Jane Bottyan

Leigh Sainsbury

Hannah Parker

Esther Duffy

Libby Boyd

Caroline Watson