Our Team

Speech Therapy Central Auckland

Samantha Russell

Speech Language Therapist and Director of Speech4all

I am a New Zealand trained Speech Language Therapist with a Bachelor of Speech Language Therapy from Massey University and a Master of Science with First class Honours in Speech Language Sciences from the University of Canterbury. With over 10 years experience I have had the privilege of working with a number of individuals and their families to achieve their goals. I have significant experience working with children with special needs, complex communication difficulties and speech sounds disorders.

Over the years I have remained a ‘life-long learner’ by continuing with various professional developments around Autism, complex communication difficulties, literacy, speech sound disorders, Makaton, Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) systems. I value ongoing learning as at Speech4all we maintain and offer the highest quality of Speech Language Therapy services

Throughout my experience I have had the opportunities to develop my skills and knowledge in a range of areas and enjoy working directly with clients, offering supervision for other SLT’s and running professional development workshops for education providers and families. For some families I am able to do a mix of one-on-one therapy sessions and coaching workshops for parents to provide the best service possible for the individual

I value the opportunity we are given at Speech4all to provide such personalised therapy options working directly with the child and their family to ensure best results. Through this we are able to build strong relationships and create an individualised program to best meet the needs. I am flexible and capable of adapting therapy delivery, strategies, resources and goals as required to ensure that best practice continues to be offered.

I am Communication Assisted Technology (CAT L1) Accredited (Used for assessing needs for and applying for AAC supports)

I am a registered member of:

New Zealand Speech-language Therapy Association (NZSTA)
Assistive Technology Alliance New Zealand (ATANZ)

Vanessa Goodall

Speech Language Therapist

I became interested in speech language therapy through a previous job as a nanny overseas. I already had a Bachelor of Health Science degree, and when one of the children I cared for started attending speech therapy, this really piqued my interest in the area. As soon as I returned to NZ, I trained as a Speech Language Therapist at the University of Auckland, completing a Masters in Speech Language Therapy Practice in 2018. I then worked for 3.5 years with a paediatric population in the public sector, at the Ministry of Education in West Auckland, before starting work in the private sector.

This experience has allowed me to work across a variety of settings including early childhood centres, schools and homes. While working alongside parents, teachers, and other specialists such as social workers, occupational therapists and early intervention teachers. It’s always such a privilege to be able to be part of children’s communication journey!

Throughout my career so far, I have gained experience working with articulation and phonology delays/disorders, stuttering, autism spectrum disorder and social communication difficulties, children with hearing loss, children with Down’s syndrome, and language delays/disorders. I am passionate about early language development. I am trained in Hanen’s It Takes Two To Talk and ABC & Beyond, the Lidcombe Program, Way to Play, and the Routines Based Model. I have also done professional development in Makaton sign, and am always keen to take my next steps to continue learning and developing my skills.

I believe in working collaboratively with the child and their family, ensuring that therapy is functional, and that everyone surrounding the child has the skills to be involved in the process. I strive to make therapy fun and engaging for the child, and that sessions are adapted to meet the needs and include the interests of each and every child I work with!

Angel Tong

Speech Language Therapist

I recently received my Bachelor of Speech and Language Therapy with Honours from Massey University. I am currently running the social groups, Chit-Chat4all, for young teens and young adults on Saturdays. On the weekdays, I am working as a Speech and Language Therapist for a special school in Auckland. I thoroughly enjoy working with families and individuals of all ages to help them reach their communication goals and improve quality of life

My clinical experience includes working in private practice, special schools, homes, and early childhood centres. I have also performed diagnosis and treatment in the areas of articulation/phonological processing, receptive/expressive and pragmatic language, and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). I am dedicated to providing a supported environment and fostering meaningful interactions to encourage learning of new skills and to enhance overall communication for individuals and families

In my free time, I love to spend time with family and friends, cook or go to the park

I am a registered member of:

New Zealand Speech-language Therapy Association (NZSTA)