Passionate – Dedicated – Professional

Passionate – Dedicated – Professional

supporting families through difficult mealtimes

The Feeding Clinic supports families through stressful or difficult mealtimes with the aim of helping children enjoy food and create happy mealtimes. Our feeding team work with families by helping parents create a plan for confidence at home while also providing direct therapy which can help your child feel more comfortable around new food.

Conditions or concerns we help with

  • Stressful Mealtimes

  • Babies finding it difficult to transition to solids
  • Restricted eating including limited range of accepted foods or anxieties around new food
  • Difficulties with biting/chewing/swallowing

  • Dietetic concerns including weight management, constipation, dietary intake and diagnoses requiring dietetic support

Daycare & Early Childhood Talks

Our therapists can provide workshops for Early Childhood educators, including:

  • Friends with Food: Strategies for developing a healthy relationship with food in daycare centres
Mothers Group Talks
  • Starting Solids
  • Fussy Eating Group

Get Expert Guidance at Our Feeding Clinic

Improve Your Child’s
Feeding Habits Today

Passionate – Dedicated – Professional

Feeding Clinic Team

lauren pike

Senior OT, Head of Feeding Service

lauren pike

Lauren is very passionate about helping families feel more confident in feeding their child. It is her passion to create a judgement free space where she can work with both the child and their parents to create a routine that develops not only skills and progress in a mealtime, but family joy as well.

BSc Occupational Therapy (hons).

PD:

  • The Feeding Relationship and Eating Competence by Ellyn Satter
  • Sequential Oral Sensory (SOS) Approach to Feeding
  • Babble and Munch: Infant Feeding Foundations
  • Melanie Potock: Your Feeding Tool Kit
  • Melanie Potock: The Anxious Eater
  • Sandhya Menon: Autistic Affirming Care
  • Responsive Feeding Therapy Conference
  • Making Sense of Mealtimes

Lauren has worked in paediatrics since graduating OT in 2008. She quickly became interested in feeding and worked on various Government feeding teams in both disability and developmental delay. For the past seven years, Lauren has focused solely on feeding therapy and has extensive experience in working closely with families in this area. In 2022, Lauren joined Western Kids Health and set up the multi-disciplinary Feeding Clinic here.

Lauren has experience in working with children of a wide range of ages. She can support your family with babies who are finding it difficult to transition to solids, and fussy children of all ages from toddlerhood to late teens. She is able to support families who have a few questions on fussy eating and want to get on the right track, all the way to supporting children who only eat a couple of different foods.

brooke penny

Accredited Practising Dietician

Currently on Maternity Leave

brooke penny

Brooke is a caring and compassionate dietitian, working collaboratively with children and parents to develop practical and achievable solutions to their food and diet concerns. Brooke also works as part of the multidisplinary feeding team, helping toddlers through to teens to expand their diet and feel confident at mealtimes. Brooke’s ultimate aim is to alleviate the stress around food and make mealtimes an enjoyable experience.

BSC Nutrition, Masters of Dietetics,

  • Certificate in Paediatric Nutrition and Dietetics Unit 1 – Royal Children’s Hospital
  • Monash University Training – The Low FODMAP diet for Irritable Bowel Syndrome
  • ARFID Masterclass – Melanie Potock

Brooke graduated Curtain University in 2018, she worked with adults in the hospital and community settings before finding an interest in paediatrics. She has been part of the Western Kids Health team for 4 years.

Brooke also volunteers with the OnTrack program run by ADHD WA

Brooke’s area of special interests include:

  • Fussy eating / food aversions
  • Growth faltering / weight management
  • Gastrointestinal issues (IBS, constipation)
Amelia Bell

Senior Speech Pathologist

amelia bell

Amelia’s approach to intervention is about empowering and upskilling families to support their children’s communication.

Amelia works with your child and your priorities and works hard to ensure therapy is tailored to your child.

Amelia’s therapy is always based around FUN and engaging activities so children feel excited and happy when coming to see her.

Graduated from Curtin University in 2018 with a Bachelor of Science (Speech Pathology).

Professional Development in

  • Sounds Write – First Rate Phonics
  • Lidcombe Program- stuttering intervention
  • Sequential Oral Sensory (SOS) Approach to Feeding
  • Talk 4 Writing Intervention
  • Hanen – It Takes Two to Talk

Amelia possesses a comprehensive background in paediatric speech pathology, encompassing various presentations such as developmental delay and disability. Her expertise extends to specialized areas including spelling and literacy intervention, mealtimes, early intervention for children below 4 years of age, language skills encompassing both understanding and expression, stuttering, speech sound delay and disorder. Additionally, Amelia has garnered experience in supporting the assessment and prescription of alternative communication devices.

Prior to graduating from Curtin University, Amelia served as a disability support worker, offering invaluable assistance to a young family with a child experiencing disability. Following her graduation, she transitioned to a role as a sole trader within a private practice setting, honing her skills and expertise. Subsequently, Amelia transitioned to a paediatric NDIS provider, specialising in catering to children with vision impairments, further enriching her breadth of experience in paediatric speech pathology.

Amelia’s special areas of interest are within early intervention, specifically children who are ‘late talkers.’ She enjoys working closely with children and their family to ensure parents feel empowered to support their child’s communication. Amelia is passionate about making therapy meaning to each child and their family.

Emily Genovesi

Senior Dietician

Emily Genovesi
Emily is a dedicated dietitian who is passionate about creating positive mealtime and feeding experiences for children and their families. She is empathetic of the stress that can be experienced at mealtimes and wants to support families to feel confident when faced with decisions around feeding their family.  Her person-centered approach empowers parents and children to have confidence in their dietary choices.
BSC Nutrition, Masters of Dietetics

Emily graduated from Curtin University in 2017. Since then she has furthered her knowledge by completing the professional development below;
• Melanie Potock Workshop “Your Feeding Tool Kit”
• Melanie Potock Workshop “AFRID – The Anxious Eater”
• Dietitians Australia “Managing and Measuring Growth”
• Maddie Todd, Hatch Dietetics “Developing your disability specific assessment skills”
• Queensland Health Course “Paediatric Nutrition modules”

She is also currently completing a course by Dr Fiona Willer on the Non- Diet Approach

Emily has worked in private practice, hospital and as a community disability dietitian. Emily has worked in paediatrics for 5 and a half years and has worked with toddlers through to teens with a wide-range of nutrition and mealtime concerns. Emily’s has a comprehensive understanding of working with children with a range of development, neurodiversity and motor skill presentations due to her experience.
Emily has extensive experience in supporting individuals with disabilities, working with neurodiversity, speech and language delays and dysphagia.
Emily enjoys working in a variety of different areas including;
• Paediatric feeding disorder / fussy eating / food aversions
• Growth faltering / weight management
• Constipation
Kathryn Monaco

Education & Developmental Psychologist

Kathryn Monaco

Kathryn Monaco provides a sensitive and engaging therapy space for children to develop their skills to cope and adjust to life changes. Kathryn has a rich knowledge of attachment, development, neurodiversity and mental health in children. Through play and conversation, Kathryn works with the child to develop their self awareness and problem solving skills to grow!

Kathryn enjoys working with parents in supporting their parenting journey, and widening their understanding of their child’s needs. Kathryn works collaboratively with medical and health specialists, and educators to assist with a child’s treatment plan. Kathryn frames her child session’s based on the child’s age and ability using the following treatment approaches: cognitive behaviour therapy, dialectical behavioural therapy, acceptance commitment therapy.

Masters in Educational & Developmental Psychology.
Kathryn has 15 years’ experience working as an Educational & Developmental Psychologist in private and government settings.
Kathryn’s interests are working with children (0-16 years of age) in developing their ability to copy and problem solve to assist in their emotional regulation, relationships and self awareness. This includes anxiety/worry, adjustment difficulties, anger, social skills, shyness. Kathryn has extensive experience working with children with neurodiversity and educational based challenges.

Passionate – Dedicated – Professional

Passionate – Dedicated – Professional

what parents are saying

Discover the difference we make in children’s lives through the
words of our parents: real stories of progress, care, and breakthroughs.

Absolutely the best place I have ever taken my daughter who has a chronic condition. She felt listened to and the care matched her needs.

Cheryl Kershaw

After our child was diagnosed with a complex pain condition he was unable to walk and was crying in agony 24 hrs a day. We learned more from the first meeting with the Physio and OT than from any other specialist. We are eternally grateful for the help from Nicole and Emily.

Jenny Wright