• Director - Senior Speech Pathologist - Senior Feeding Therapist

    Julie Hunt is a founding member of Next Challenge and has been working with children for over 25 years. As a Speech and Feeding therapist, she is deeply committed to helping children and their families improve their communication, language, and feeding skills. With her collaborative and empowering approach, Julie ensures that everyone involved feels valued and supported in achieving their goals. She loves the fact that she gets to laugh so much with so many little people every day - especially now that two of her four children are adults!

    As a Director, Julie's value lies in her genuine care for her team and her ability to provide them with opportunities to gain a broad range of clinical, leadership, and project management experience. She understands the importance of a well-rounded approach to service delivery and intervention and is committed to supporting the Next Challenge team as they grow and develop professionally. Julie is always impressed by her staff's ability to make a positive impact and values their contributions immensely.

    Clinical Interests:

    • Speech Fluency (stuttering)

    • Infant and Toddler Feeding

    • (Breastfeeding, Bottle Feeding, Transition to solids)

    • Picky Eating / ARFID

    • Oral-motor development

    Approaches commonly used:

    • Get Permission

    • Responsive Feeding TherapyDescription text goes here

  • Senior Speech Pathologist - Feeding Therapist​

    Nikki is an experienced Senior Speech Pathologist who specialises in working with children of all ages, particularly in the areas of speech, language, and feeding.

    She has helped many children with complex speech and language difficulties and feeding issues. Nikki has also worked in the UK, where she provided support to children with cleft lip and palate, assisting them with speech sounds, language development, and feeding skills.

    Nikki and her husband, James, have five children together - this makes for a rather hectic but fun home life! Things that make Nikki feel happy include spending time with her family, travelling, learning more about child development, a glass of champagne and a really great book.

    Clinical Interests:

    • Early Speech and Language Development

    • Speech Fluency

    • Literacy

    • Infant/Toddler Mealtimes

    • Oral motor development

    • Breast & Bottle Feeding

    • Picky Eating

  • Senior Occupational Therapist - Feeding Therapist

    Tash loves helping children of all ages and abilities take small steps to achieve big goals, develop independence and achieve their full potential. Tash strongly believes in practising in a way that involves families. She enjoys assisting parents and caregivers in setting achievable goals for their children. She has a particular interest in helping children attain motor-based goals, such as handwriting, and assisting neurodivergent children to achieve their full potential.

    Tash’s fun and playful approach to therapy ensures that children feel comfortable and happy when coming to their sessions. Tash has worked with children in Australia, Fiji and the United Kingdom in various settings. She finds great joy in working alongside the Next Challenge team and the variety of experiences that come with each new day.

    Clinical interests:

    • Disability and Neurodivergence

    • Assistive Technology and Adaptive Equipment

    • Fine motor and handwriting skills

    • Early play skills

    • Sensory processing

    • Emotional regulation

    • Self-care routines

    • Feeding

    Approaches commonly used:

    • Child-led

    • Neuroaffirming

    • DIR Floortime

    • Consultative

    • Circles of security

    • Get Permission

  • Senior Occupational Therapist - Feeding Therapist

    Izzy is a caring and dedicated occupational therapist who enjoys creating a warm and welcoming environment for families. Izzy thinks that one of the most rewarding parts of being an OT is collaborating closely with families and those closest to the child. She firmly believes that a holistic approach, which encompasses the entire support network, leads to the most meaningful outcomes.

    Izzy spent four years living and working as an OT in the South West before returning to Perth. During her time there, she cultivated a deep passion for working with neurodivergent clients and their families. She is dedicated to providing compassionate and effective support while also actively working to foster inclusion and understanding of neurodivergence within the community.

    Izzy's goal is to ensure that neurodivergent children have equal opportunities to grow, learn, and thrive.

    In her spare time, Izzy enjoys music, swimming in the ocean and eating good food!

    Clinical interests:

    • Disability and Neurodivergence

    • Fine motor skills

    • Motor planning skills/coordination

    • Play skills

    • Sensory processing

    • Self-care routines

    Approaches commonly used:

    • Child-led

    • Neurodiversity affirming

    • Consultative