Novita Research Report January 1999 - Novita Children's Services

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David Hobbs B Sc (Physics), B Sc / B Eng (Biomed) (Hons), Exec Dip Bus Plan
David graduated from Flinders University with a Physics degree in
1994 and a double degree in Biomedical Engineering, with Honours,
in 2000. He also has an Executive Diploma in Business Planning
(2001) through the South Australian Enterprise Workshop. David
started working at NovitaTech in May 2001, and is employed as a
Senior Rehabilitation Engineer within the Research & Development
Department and the Engineering (Testing Laboratory) Group.
David is a member of the National Committee on Rehabilitation
Engineering, through Engineers Australia, a Board member of
ARATA, and was awarded a Churchill Fellowship in 2002. The
aim of David’s Churchill research was to investigate how leading
rehabilitation engineering centres around the world are using
research and development, Universal Design, and the application
of technology to assist people with a disability. David has
recently been appointed as a ‘Flinders Ambassador in the
Community’ by the Vice-Chancellor of Flinders University, and is
a member of ‘Engineers Without Borders Australia’ at a state and
national level.
Merrin Ising B App Sc (Speech Pathology)
Merrin graduated from Flinders University in 1996 with a Bachelor
of Applied Science in Speech Pathology. Merrin began her career
working with adults with acquired brain injury at Julia Farr Services.
In January 2000 she accepted a position at Novita Children’s Services
and has enjoyed working with children ever since. Merrin has an
interest in working with children with complex communication
needs and giving them a voice within our community. She has also
maintained a particular interest in acquired brain injury and would
one day like to pursue this further with children and adolescents.
Merrin is currently the Senior Speech Pathologist at the Southern
Regional Office of Novita Children’s Services.
Sue van de Loo B App Sc (Occupational Therapy)
Sue is currently a member of the NovitaTech Support Team. She
graduated from the South Australian Institute of Technology in 1988
and gained employment with the Crippled Children’s Association
(now Novita Children’s Services) in the same year. She has worked in
a broad range of therapy areas including Early Childhood Services
Speech and Language units, country outreach and been a senior
therapist in the North East Regional Office. During 1990–91, Sue
worked in Paediatrics in the United Kingdom. In 1996, Sue played
a key role in the establishment of an internal NovitaTech Assistive
Technology Support Team. Technology for people with disabilities
has always been an area of interest, and Sue has a special focus on
alternative controls for powered mobility and access to alternative
and augmentative communication systems. Sue has presented papers
at a number of national and state conferences and has been involved
in running technology workshops both intra and interstate.
Terry Lyons Dip Tech (Occupational Therapy)
Following a cadetship during her training, Terry began working for
the then Crippled Children’s Association of South Australia, Inc., and
completed her qualifications in occupational therapy in 1974. She
has worked in the area of services for children and adolescents with
physical and/or multiple disabilities throughout her career, with a
short period of employment in country South Australia. In 1988–91
she held a joint position with the University of South Australia and
Spastic Centres of South Australia as Student Unit Supervisor. Terry
has an interest in occupational performance in children, and
intervention methods to support their independence. Since 1997,
Terry has been the Chief Occupational Therapist at Novita Children’s
Services, and is the OT Australia – SA representative for the Paediatric
and Adolescent Action Group. Terry has worked in most regions of
Novita, and is currently based in the Northern Regional Office.
Paul Manson B Sp Thy
Paul completed his Bachelor of Speech Therapy at the University of
Queensland in 1983. He started his career working with children
with a disability in 1984 at the Hartley St School for Physically
Handicapped Children in Canberra. He moved from Canberra in
1985, and joined Novita Children’s Services. Paul has maintained
his interest in communication for people with a disability ever
since, and is interested in the ways we can improve the quality of
life for children with disabilities. Naturally, this has focused on
augmentative and alternative communication. Paul has performed
different roles within the organisation, including within the Head
Injury Program and Technology Access Service and 3 different
Regional Offices. Paul is currently the Senior Speech Pathologist at
Novita’s North Western Regional Office.
Sonya Murchland B App Sc (Occupational Therapy), MH Sc (Occupational Therapy)
Sonya gained her occupational therapy qualifications in 1982
graduating from the South Australian Institute of Technology, and then
in 1995 she gained her Masters in Health Science from the University
of South Australia. She commenced working with children who have
disabilities in 1982 at the Spastic Centres of South Australia, and has
gone on to work in a variety of children’s health settings in Adelaide
and in Scotland. Sonya commenced work at Novita Children’s Services
in 1998, following a secondment from the Women’s and Children’s
Hospital. Her interests include the development of hand function in
children, measuring outcomes of therapy, models of service delivery and
resource allocation. Sonya has a commitment to the provision of services
to children in rural and remote areas. She has worked in most regions
of Adelaide and is currently acting as Manager of Clinical Research
before returning to the position of Senior Research Occupational
Therapist with a clinical load in one of the regions in early 2005.
Toan Nguyen B Sc / B Eng (Biomed) (Hons), M Eng (Research) Candidate
Toan graduated from Flinders University with a double degree in
Biomedical Engineering, with Honours, in 2000. He is now completing
his Master of Engineering (Research) thesis entitled, “Accessible Mobile
Communication for People with Disabilities” at Flinders University,
Adelaide. In 2003, Toan was employed as a Research Assistant at
NovitaTech within the Research & Development Department to assist
with a trial of “New Technological Options for people with physical
disabilities, through the use of telecommunications equipment”. The
objective of this research was to trial and evaluate new configurable
“off-the-shelf” technological options that can improve the lifestyle,
independence, security and social interaction of people with disabilities.
At present, Toan is employed as a Rehabilitation Engineer to carry
out further research into telecommunications options for people with
disabilities, with a particular emphasis on mobile phone access for
Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) device users.
Kylie Opperman B App Sc (Speech Pathology)
Kylie has been working as a Speech Pathologist in the area of
paediatrics and disabilities for over 10 years. She has a particular
interest in dysphagia in children, early communication development
and the use of assistive and augmentative communication (AAC).
Kylie has been a senior therapist since 1996, first as a Regional
Senior Speech Pathologist, then Clinical Senior within specialist
speech and language programmes, then in the area of dysphagia,
before being appointed Research Senior in 2003.
Dr Parimala Raghavendra B Sc, M Sc, PhD
Dr Raghavendra has a PhD in speech pathology from Purdue
University, USA. She has clinical, teaching and research experience
in augmentative and alternative communication through her
work in India, Singapore, USA, and Sweden. She has published in
high quality journals and has over 60 national and international
conference presentations. She has been a consultant editor for the
Journal of Augmentative & Alternative Communication, since
1990 and was the Vice-President without Portfolio, International
Novita Children’s Services Incorporated • Research Report January 1999 – June 2004