LITTLE STAR TEAM
Director
Dr Sarita K Hamall
Stuttering Specialist
Speech Pathologist
Dr Sarita K Hamall is the owner/Director of Little Star Speech Therapy and has over 25-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
Assistant Manager
/ Reception
Shilpa
Shilpa was born and raised in Nepal and moved to Newcastle, Australia, 2016.She completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Business and Accounting and has extensive experience working in disability and aged-care. Shilpa is an energetic and optimistic person who loves working with children and families. As an Assistant Manager/ Reception at Little Star, Shilpa plays a key role in supporting the team whilst ensuring smooth and effective operation of services. Her responsibilities include overseeing day-to-day operations, managing administration and ensuring the highest standards of care and service delivery. Her preferred area of work is in the allied health and disability sector, where she can continue to make a meaningful impact on children and families. Shilpa enjoys being ‘the reason behind someone’s happiness,’ and her genuine and vibrant personality is reflected in her work. She thrives on fostering a supportive environment to enhance the staff and client experience.
Admin / Reception
Tracee
Tracee is our Administrator / Receptionist who grew up in the Hunter Valley and moved to Newcastle in 2000. Tracee brings over thirty years of experience to Little Star Speech Therapy, previously working in business administration for various industries, including, mining, energy and most recently Hunter New England Health. Tracee prides herself on helping the team with the administration (nuts & bolts) of their job and the behind the scenes maintenance of policies and procedures, ensuring we are on top of, and up-to-date in regard to the required compliance and smooth runnings of the practice.
Speech Pathologist
/ Senior Mentor
Alana
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 hascompleted 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.
Speech Pathologist
Clementine
Clementine completed her Bachelor of Speech Pathology (Honours) at the University of Newcastle and is passionate about helping people build confidence and achieve their communication goals. Originally from Sydney, she moved to Newcastle in 2021 and has made it her home, bringing warmth and a bubbly personality to her work. With two years of experience as an Allied Health Assistant, Clementine understands the importance of delivering evidence-based therapy that feels safe, supportive, and tailored to each individual. Clementine is qualified in Sounds Write and takes a neurodiverse-affirming approach, always striving to meet people where they are and celebrate their unique strengths.
Speech Pathologist
Sarah
Sarah was born in Vienna, Austria, and raised in Sydney, Australia. She completed her Bachelor of Speech Pathology (Honours) at the University of Newcastle. Sarah has a passion for assisting children to meet their therapy goals in a creative and interactive way, with an interest in all aspects of paediatric Speech Therapy. Sarah has personal experience with Autism and Non-Verbal Speech Disorders with her younger brother’s diagnosis, being her leading inspiration to aspire to be a Speech Pathologist. Sarah brings knowledge and experience from her past therapy placements and her previous volunteer work, adapting to tailored communication needs. Sarah is dedicated in providing Evidence Based Practice and keeping informed in all current and developing research and is looking forward to working with and helping your child.
AHA Speech Pathologist
Lauren is currently in her third year of a Bachelor of Speech Pathology at the
University of Newcastle. She has worked in the disability sector for over 8 years and understands the importance of advocating for and empowering clients to achieve their goals. Lauren returned to university in 2023 to pursue her speech pathology degree after working alongside other speech pathologists and witnessing the need for further advocacy in this area. Lauren enjoys working with families and clinicians to deliver evidence-based interventions that empower individuals to achieve their communication goals. She prioritises activities that are client centred to ensure sessions are fun, motivating and engaging. Lauren is eager to finish her studies and continue building her knowledge and skills as a Speech Pathologist.
Lauren
AHA Speech Pathologist
Amilia
Mim is currently in her fourth year of a Bachelor of Speech Pathology at the University of Newcastle. Originally from Port Macquarie, she moved to Newcastle in 2022 to begin her studies and is now completing her final year. Through clinical placements, she has gained experience supporting children with a wide range of communication needs and has developed a passion for helping them find their voice. She is enthusiastic, outgoing, and enjoys building strong connections with families to create engaging and supportive therapy environments. With a client-centred approach, Mim values making sessions fun, motivating and meaningful. Her goal is to continue developing as a clinician while supporting children to reach their full communication potential.