Jane Daniel Speech Pathologist

Experienced, passionate Speech Pathologist. Family focused- functional- fun Speech Pathology for little kids aged 0-6 years. Speech / language / stuttering services provided. Research based intervention. Certified in Hanen, PROMPT and Lidcombe program.

Jane is a Certified Practicing Paediatric Speech Pathologist who graduated from the University of Sydney in 1998 with a Bachelor of Applied Science (Speech Pathology). She has a worked as Paediatric Speech Pathologist for the last 16 years in Australia and overseas.

Her extensive experience includes working:
As a Speech Pathologist / Senior Speech Pathologist for Education Queensland where she worked consultatively and collaboratively with members of the educational team to optimise learning outcomes for students in metropolitan, regional and rural and remote areas of Queensland (in State Schools and Early Special Education Facilities).

In more recent years she has:
Worked as part of the Allied Health Team for the Queensland Paediatric Cardiac Service (Prince Charles / Mater Hospital, Brisbane) to promote developmental outcomes for inpatients and outpatients and their families;

Worked as a Clinical Educator for Griffith University supporting the professional learning of Speech Pathology students (Masters Program) within Childcare environments;

Worked with Speech Pathology Colleagues to develop and deliver ‘Read and Grow Plus’ training materials / in- services and ‘Read and Grow’ in- services (Communities for Children), designed to provide first wave, community education for parents, Educators and Non- Government Organisations on functional strategies for embedding oral language strategies into story time;

Returned to her passion of Early Intervention and has worked for the local Health Service since 2014 in Community Health Centres with children aged 0-5 years and their families. Jane will continue in this role.

She is truly passionate about early intervention and thrives on the opportunity to work collaboratively with parents and caregivers to help their children achieve their best outcomes. She has three young children of her own and has experienced personally, the imperative role that early intervention provides in preparing children for later social and academic success. Jane has extensive, research based knowledge on all aspects of early communication and will be primarily providing Speech Pathology services to children aged 0-5 years where there are concerns in one or more of the following areas:

Receptive language (how little kids understand language). For example:
Difficulties following directions of increasing length and complexity;
Difficulty understanding basic concepts;
Difficulty understanding different sentence structures;

Expressive language (how little kids using words to express their ideas). For example:
Children not saying any words;
Only use single words to express ideas;
Only using simple phrases with limited grammatical structures;
Difficulties using talking skills in a social context;


Speech production skills (how little kids say their sounds). For example:
Children only understood by parents and / or siblings;
Many errors with how sounds are produced. Saying ‘tat’ for ‘cat’;
Is often able to repeat a sound or word (spoken by an adult) but is unable to remember to use this sound in words / sentences without help;

Stuttering (achieving the natural flow required for effective communication):
Many little kids can experience a period of natural speech dis- fluency but if this lasts for longer than 6 months, this is called stuttering. Stuttering can include:
The repetition of the initial sounds in words. For example: ‘m-m- mum’;
The repetition of whole words. For example: “mum, mum, mum’
Secondary characteristics which include eye blinking and facial grimacing;

Why see a Speech Pathologist?
Anybody who is a parent or caregiver in this ‘day and age’ is surrounded by a wealth of information. This includes parenting magazines, websites, blogs, social media, friends, Mothers groups, play groups and sporting teams. There is so much information available that we can read and discuss with family / friends but sometimes this can become quite overwhelming, particularly if you might be feeling a little anxious about your own child’s development. If you’re sick- you see the Doctor, if you’ve hurt a muscle- you a Physiotherapist, if you’re concerned about any aspects your child’s communication, please come along and see me. I am an expert in the area of communication and will be providing the following services:

1. Screening Assessments- to help answers parents question ‘should I be concerned’?
2. Screening Assessment reports- ‘a written snap shot of what the screening told us’;
3. Full comprehensive initial assessments- ‘this looks at all areas of a child’s communication to determine areas of strength and those areas requiring support’;
4. Summarised initial assessment reports- ‘a summarised overview of the assessment’;
5. Comprehensive initial assessment reports- ‘a comprehensive explanation of the initial assessment’;
6. Consultative intervention- ‘this may be a one off intervention session following a screening assessment or initial assessment to provide education, modelling and advice to parents / care- givers’;
7. Regular intervention- ‘the frequency can be negotiated with families and may be delivered weekly, fortnightly or monthly’;
8. Home / childcare intervention plans ‘family focused goals and functional therapy ideas’ to be implemented externally and in addition to the therapy session. This may include recommendations for individual education plans;
9. Review assessments- ‘how is my child going with our therapy goals’?
10. Referrals to other Professionals ‘to optimise the long term outcomes for your child’. This may include referral to other Allied Health professionals (Paediatric Occupational Therapists, Paediatric Physiotherapists), Paediatricians, Psychologists, Audiologists and liaison with Early Special Education Providers. If required, Jane will refer on to other highly specialised Speech Pathology colleagues if input is required relating to paediatric feeding and swallowing disorders. Jane will always seek formal permission before these referrals are completed.

Family focused- functional- fun
Life is pretty crazy. We live in a fast paced world where families often enjoy less quality time together then they would like. The time that we spend together should be about creating memories not additional stress. I truly believe that communication is developing all the time, not just in defined ‘home work’ periods. I look forward to working with you and your family to educate you on techniques and strategies that you can use to confidently embed: family focused, functional communication goals throughout the ‘fun times’ in your day.