LITTLE STAR TEAM
Director
Dr Sarita K Hamall
Stuttering Specialist
Dr Sarita K Hamall is the owner/Director of Little Star Speech Therapy and has over 22-years experience working as a speech pathologist. She is a highly experienced clinician in the treatment of stuttering disorders in clients preschool-age to adults. Sarita is knowledgeable in the Lidcombe Program and modified treatment approaches for severe stuttering. In 2012, Sarita completed a PhD at the University of Newcastle, where she contributed to the evidence-base of early stuttering treatment delivery. She has mentored speech pathologists and students for over 15-years and continues to share her expertise with those in the community. Sarita has a true love of the profession and feels the happiest when she sees the achievements of each and every client.
Director / General Manager
Chris Hamall is born in Newcastle, NSW and is the owner/General Manager of Little Star Speech Therapy. Since 2012, Chris has been instrumental in growing Little Star from a single clinician to multiple skilled professionals. He brings his 15 years knowledge and experience working with children with multiple needs, disability, and mental health issues under the "Community Services Sector" in the Hunter. This experience has helped him grow into a compassionate professional who truly understands and respects the needs of clients and families. His extensive knowledge in community outreach and business matters ensures that he maintains the very best standards for the clinic and the wellbeing of all staff and clients. He is happy to be part of a team of compassionate professionals and takes pride in maintaining quality services for all children.
Chris Hamall
little star staff
Administration Officer
Marisa Smythe
Marisa was born in Newcastle, Australia and has lived here for most of her life. Her working career has varied over the years. She worked as a carer in the community before moving into aged care, where she remained for 20 years. This taught her about respect, empathy, looking after the needs of the disabled and the importance of making a difference in other people's lives. Following the birth of her two daughters, Marisa advanced into an administration and leadership role with medical specialists and allied health. She is very excited to be working at Little Star Speech Therapy as our Administration Officer including the wonderful staff and team. She is a people person who loves talking, listening and helping those in need. Marisa is very excited to be working with children and their families to achieve their goals.
Reception / Admin
Shilpa Khanal
Shilpa was born and raised in Nepal and she came to Newcastle, Australia 6 years ago. She completed her Bachelor’s Degree in field of Business and Accounting and has extensive experience working in age care and disability. Shilpa is an energetic and optimistic person who loves working with families and children. She loves to be "the reason behind someone's happiness" and it shows with her genuine and vibrant personality. Shilpa is our receptionist/admin at Little Star and her intention is to help families, clients and staff with their administration needs. Her preferred area of work is in the allied health and disability sector.
Clinical Educator / Clinician
Rhiannon beattie
Rhiannon completed her Bachelor of Speech Pathology (Honours) at the University of Newcastle, where she also works as a Clinical Educator. She is a warm and caring clinician who is passionate about supporting clients to achieve their goals no matter how big or small. Rhiannon values the therapeutic relationships she has with her clients and enjoys seeing them succeed in therapy which plays to their strengths and interests. Rhiannon brings extensive experience working in multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary teams across Newcastle supporting a range of clients with complex disability. She enjoys and welcomes working collaboratively with other professionals to create the best outcomes for her clients and their families. Rhiannon is dedicated to ongoing professional development and has completed courses such as: Nuffield Dyspraxia Program for motor speech intervention, Sounds Write for literacy and Hanen More Than Words. She is passionate about finding the right approach for the right client, and empowering children and families.
Clinician
Joanna Nelson
Jo completed a Bachelor of Speech Pathology (Honours) degree at the University of Newcastle. She has worked in Newcastle and on the Mid North Coast of NSW to help children and their families build confidence and achieve their communication goals.
Jo gained early experience working alongside occupational therapists and continues to welcome the opportunity to work collaboratively with other professionals. She loves supporting children in the areas of early communication, literacy, fluency, and pragmatic language.
Jo is trained in programs including Hanen It Takes Two to Talk, Sounds Write, Lidcombe, and Secret Agent Society and is passionate about ongoing professional development to best support her clients and families. Jo’s positive outlook and ability to focus on each person's strengths and areas of interest helps her build meaningful connections with her clients.
Clinician
Alana Wilson
Alana is an energetic and vibrant clinician who is passionate about working together with children and their families in achieving their communication goals. She completed her Bachelor of Speech Pathology degree at The University of Newcastle and has since gained extensive experience working in local private practice providing assessment and therapy to a diverse range of clients. Alana is extremely dedicated to professional development and has
completed many specialised postgraduate training courses in the areas of speech, stuttering, early language, school-aged language and literacy development. She has gained further knowledge and expertise in the areas of sensory regulation, Gestalt Language Processing and neurodiversity affirming practice. Alana is a Hanen Certified clinician having completed the ‘It Takes Two to Talk’, ‘More Than Words’ and ‘Target Word’ training programs for supporting language development. She is also trained in the Lidcombe Program for stuttering intervention and Sounds-Write and Talk for Writing programs for literacy development. Alana has a warm, caring, and captivating rapport with her clients and always strives to make each session fun, engaging and specifically tailored to suit each individual child and their family’s needs.
Clinician
Annemarie Laurence
Annemarie is from Newcastle, NSW and is a clinical educator and speech pathologist. She has touched the lives of many aspiring speech pathologists at the University of Newcastle with her excellence in mentorship and leadership. Annemarie is trained in Professional Development programs, some of which includes Sounds-Write for literacy and Story Champs for language development. She has a beautiful demeanour, which calms busy clients, as they relate to her warm presence. Annemarie is available to see clients at Little Star Speech Therapy for later appointments in the afternoon. She strives to make a difference for children who struggle with communication and help empower families along the way.
Clinician
Isabella Gerritsen
Isabella Gerritsen was born and raised in Newcastle NSW. She completed a Bachelor of Speech Pathology (Honours) degree at Newcastle University. She has a passion for working with children to achieve their goals big or small, empowering families along the way.
She brings her previous experience working within the early education setting as well as an Allied Health Assistant where she integrates these skills and knowledge into her Speech Pathology role at Little Star Speech Therapy. Isabella is a caring and supportive clinician who enjoys working alongside all families to support each and everyone's individual needs.
Amiza is Bruneian, born in the United Kingdom and raised in Brunei Darussalam. She came to Newcastle, Australia 2 years ago. She is a few semesters away from completing a Bachelor of Speech Pathology (Honours) at the University of Newcastle where she will be graduating in mid 2025. She possesses a profound passion for collaborating with children, driven by a deep commitment to helping them attain their aspirations. Her dedication extends beyond just the children themselves; she is equally devoted to empowering families throughout the journey. Drawing from her background in outside of school hours care and paediatric clinical placements, she is poised to integrate these skills at Little Star Speech Therapy. Amiza is thrilled to embark on this new journey with the team, anticipating the opportunity to connect with the wonderful families she will support and work alongside.
AHA Speech Pathologist
Amiza Azmali
AHA Speech Pathologist
NERA MOK
Nera is a bilingual AHA Speech Assistant, fluent in both English and Mandarin, with a passion for empowering children with a solid foundation for effective communication, ensuring each child's unique needs are met. She holds dual qualifications in Child Psychology and Early Education (Merit Award) and is about to complete her degree in Speech Pathology (Honours). Nera is dedicated to delivering results-driven, personalized interventions, working closely with families to develop tailored strategies that address each child's unique communication needs. Nera is professionally committed to staying current with the latest research and best practices, and continuously enhances her skills to offer the best possible care. Her empathetic, warm approach fosters trust and is the driving force behind her mission to positively impact the lives of those she supports.
AHA Speech Pathologist
Sarah Brenner
