Aria May
Clinical Lead, Speech Pathology
Aria is a Lead Speech Therapist who is passionate about empowering children and families to achieve meaningful goals that are important to them. Aria enjoys supporting children with a range of abilities and needs and has a special interest in autism. She values the team around the child and takes a multidisciplinary family-centred approach to supports.
Aria is trained in several approaches including the SCERTS® (Social Communication – Emotional Regulation – Transactional Supports) Model for Autism, Hanen, JASPER, Intensive Interaction, and has Specialist Infant Dysphagia Accreditation and Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC). Aria is trained in the ADOS assessment and is experienced in diagnosing autism. Aria an Inklings Program trainer and values the power of observation and video feedback in understanding and responding to children’s communication cues.
Since graduating from Curtin University (Honours) in 2010, Aria has worked with babies, children and young adults that have a range of developmental differences across community, school and hospital settings across Perth and London. Growth and development are key to Aria’s ethos – both for herself, in her commitment to ongoing learning of evidence-based practice and use of neuroaffirming approaches; and for colleagues – through her provision of clinical supervision and mentoring for team members and Speech Therapy students.
The best part of Aria’s work is supporting children and families achieve their goals and reach their full potential. She loves to celebrate and embrace children’s strengths and interests in supports (from incorporating vacuum cleaners to messy science experiments!) and has found that connection and learning comes when children are comfortable and enjoying themselves. Aria strongly believes that working in partnership with families is important as families are the people that know kids best.