Meet Our Team
Developmental Educators / Behaviour Support Practitioners
Christian ParenteAdele Demasi
Cara Davies
Sarah Dean
Stephanie Reid
Maddy Newland
Chelsie Osborne
Speech Pathologists
Alice RamseyAssessment Team
Carolyn Cole (Autism, Psychoeducational, Cognitive and ADHD Assessments)Charlotte Badge (Autism, Speech and Language Assessments)
Claire Sage (Autism, Cognitive and ADHD Assessments)
Marissa Menezes (Psychoeducational, Cognitive and ADHD Assessments)
Kylie Broderick (Psychoeducational, Cognitive and ADHD Assessments)
Alexandra Harry (Psychoeducational, Cognitive and ADHD Assessments)
Christian Parente
Co-Director / Senior Developmental Educator / Behaviour Support Practitioner (Advanced/Specialist)
Christian has a special interest and expertise in Positive Behaviour Support. Christian focuses on providing support by building lasting relationships with the child and family. Christian’s approach involves working directly with the child, family or other support networks such as educators and support workers.
Christian has experience and expertise in working with children and teens who are struggling with:
- Emotional regulation
- Self-injurious behaviours
- Absconding
- Worry and anxiety
- School refusal
- Assistance navigating and transitioning into education programs
- Social skills to support make and maintain peer friendships
- Community participation
- Behaviour support training for parents, teachers, support workers
- Developing Positive Behaviour Support Plans
Christian has a Disability and Developmental Education Honours Degree from Flinders University. Christian has previously worked interstate whereby he contributed to a significant quality improvement project in Tasmania and was also part of the teaching team at Flinders University.
Christian has experience working with young people with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Intellectual Disability and developmental trauma. Christian is a NDIS registered Behaviour Support Practitioner assessed at the advanced/specialist level and is a member of the Developmental Educators Association Inc. (DEAI).
Carolyn Cole
Co-Director / Clinical Psychologist / Behaviour Support Practitioner (Advanced/Specialist)
Services Offered:
- Therapy
- Assessments (Autism, Psychoeducational, Cognitive and ADHD)
Carolyn is passionate about working with families to understand their child/teen’s behaviour, identify and build on strengths, and tailoring interventions to suit each family’s unique circumstances. Carolyn has experience and expertise in working with children and teens who are struggling with:
- Autism Spectrum Disorder, Intellectual Disability, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or general learning delay
- Anxiety
- Managing stress associated with school and study, including organisational skills
- Social problems
- Depression, low self-esteem/ lack of confidence
- Angry and frustrated (defiant) behaviours
- Sleep difficulties
Carolyn has a Psychology Honours degree from Flinders University and a Masters degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of South Australia. Carolyn has worked as a psychologist since 2000 in both the private sector and a range of government settings including disability and health. Carolyn has extensive experience in both diagnostic assessment and therapy with individuals with developmental delay, autism spectrum disorder, and intellectual disability. Carolyn is AHPRA registered, a member of the Australian Psychological Society (APS) and supervises Psychologists working towards Clinical endorsement.
Alice Ramsey
Senior Speech Pathologist
Alice (she/her) is an empathetic and dedicated Certified Practising Speech Pathologist. She graduated from Flinders University in 2015 and has 9 years’ experience supporting children and adolescents with disabilities.
As an openly neurodivergent person and a proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community, Alice is committed to providing a person-centred, neurodiversity-affirming, and trauma-informed service to children with unique communication needs. She supports communication development through a gentle, strengths-based approach, grounded in the trusting relationships she builds with young people and their families.
Alice provides assessment and therapy for children and adolescents with neurological differences that can affect speech and language, and has a special interest in supporting children with speech sound development and early literacy skills.
She also provides clinical supervision to other speech pathologists, which she absolutely loves!
Adele Demasi
Senior Developmental Educator / Behaviour Support Practitioner (Proficient)
Adele is passionate about supporting children and families using a Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) approach. Adele has an interest in collaborating with families, children and other professionals to improve the following areas:
- Emotional regulation
- Navigating transitions at either school or post-school education programs
- Making and maintaining positive peer friendships
- Teaching daily living and life skills
- Managing behavioural escalations with a calm nature
- Supporting the child’s support network to implement behavioural strategies
- Behaviour support training for parents, teachers, support workers
- Developing Positive Behaviour Support Plans
Adele has an empathetic and calm therapy style focusing on improving relationships in different settings and contexts (home, school, services, community). Adele was able to implement and improve this style at Guiding Pathways where she completed her 280 hour Placement under supervision in 2018.
Adele has a Disability and Developmental Education (Honours) degree at Flinders University and has recently completed her thesis evaluating a Disability Employment Service that teaches young people skills, assisting them to transition into open employment. Adele is also a member of the Developmental Educators Australia Inc. (DEAI) and was the recipient of the Disability and Developmental Education Student of the Year Award at the DEAI awards ceremony.
Adele is also a NDIS registered Behaviour Support Practitioner assessed at the proficient level.
Cara Davies
Senior Developmental Educator / Behaviour Support Practitioner (Proficient)
Cara specialises in working with children and families using a Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) approach. Cara has experience and is passionate about supporting children and families in the following areas;
- Emotional regulation
- Managing violent or dangerous behaviour escalations
- Absconding
- Assistance navigating and transitioning into education programs
- Making and maintaining peer friendships
- Teaching daily living and life skills
- Behaviour support and training with the child’s support networks
- Developing Positive Behaviour Support Plans
Cara has a friendly and engaging therapy style focusing on developing positive relationships and working closely with the child and their family across settings (home, school and community).
Cara has a Disability and Developmental Education Degree at Flinders University and is a member of the Developmental Educators Australia Inc. (DEAI).
Cara is also a NDIS registered Behaviour Support Practitioner assessed at the proficient level.
Sarah Dean
Senior Developmental Educator / Behaviour Support Practitioner (Proficient)
Sarah is passionate about working with children, adolescent and their families to create opportunities for independence. Sarah specialises in using a Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) approach, focusing on increasing her client’s overall quality of life. Sarah has a strong passion and interest in supporting children and families in the following areas:
- Emotional regulation and behavioural de-escalation
- Peer friendship development
- Puberty and sexual health development
- Supporting clients with a “PDA” profile
- Increasing independence through daily living skills
- LEGO® Based Therapy
- Developing Positive Behaviour Support Plans
Following completing her placement with Guiding Pathways and working as our Allied Health Assistant. Sarah completed her Disability and Developmental Education Degree at Flinders University and is a member of the Developmental Educators Australia Ltd. (DEA).
Sarah is also a NDIS registered Behaviour Support Practitioner assessed at the proficient level.
Stephanie Reid
Developmental Educator / Behaviour Support Practitioner (Proficient)
Stephanie is passionate about building strong relationships with clients and supporting young individuals and their families to achieve their goals. She focuses on creating opportunities for growth, independence, and confidence, while promoting overall wellbeing. Stephanie has a strong interest in supporting children and families in the following areas:
- Emotional regulation and behavioural de-escalation
- Teaching everyday life skills
- Supporting independence through daily living activities
- Creating opportunities to build communication skills
- Building and maintaining positive peer relationships
- Supporting the clients support networks to implement behavioural strategies
- Developing Positive Behaviour Support Plans
Stephanie completed university placements with Guiding Pathways before progressing into an Allied Health Assistant role. She has since completed her Bachelor of Disability and Developmental Education at Flinders University and is now a qualified Developmental Educator, continuing her work with the Guiding Pathways team.
Stephanie is a member of the Developmental Educators Association Inc. (DEAI) and is a NDIS-registered Behaviour Support Practitioner, assessed at the proficient level.
Maddy Newland
Developmental Educator | Behaviour Support Practitioner
Maddy is passionate about supporting neurodivergent children to develop their social skills and emotional understanding. She brings a warm, friendly, and strengths-based approach to her work, supporting play, learning, and meaningful connection with each young person and family.
Across 2024-2025 Maddy completed 250 hours of university placements at Guiding Pathways before continuing in an Allied Health Assistant Role.
Maddy has a Bachelor of Disability and Developmental Education Degree from Flinders University and is a NDIS Registered Behaviour Support Practitioner.
In these roles, Maddy supports children by establishing positive relationships, implementing therapeutic sessions, developing tailored therapeutic resources and behaviour support plans, to support positive and meaningful outcomes.
Chelsie Osborne
Developmental Educator & Behaviour Support Practitioner
Chelsie is passionate about supporting children with disabilities and their families. She is committed to creating engaging and meaningful experiences that align with each child’s strengths, interests, and sensory needs, whilst applying a positive and person-centred approach throughout her practice.
Chelsie values the importance of building connections with every child and their family. After completing Marte Meo Training she understands the importance of following a child’s lead and recognising the smallest changes in behaviour (e.g. gaze, gesture etc) as opportunities for connection, communication and development.
Chelsie supports children at their developmental level, creating opportunities to build communication, emotional regulation, social and functional skills through play and natural environments. She is passionate about supporting every child to access and opportunities for meaningful participation in their education and community.
Chelsie shares a range of experience across a range of settings. She has worked as a School Support Officer (SSO) in a special education school, a disability support worker, and an Out of School Hours Care Director. Through these roles, she has worked with a range of families and collaborated closely with multidisciplinary therapy teams across school, home and community environments.
Chelsie has completed a Bachelor of Health Science, majoring in Disability and Community Rehabilitation and Post-Graduate Certificate in Positive Behaviour Support.
Marissa Menezes
Clinical Psychologist
Services Offered:
- Therapy
- Assessments (Psychoeducational, Cognitive and ADHD)
Marissa is passionate about providing child and family-centred service. Marissa provides therapeutic support for children, adolescents and their families. The majority of Marissa's clients are Autistic, ADHDers, and/or having other Neurodivergences but she also has experience working with anxiety disorders and depression. She aims to practice through the Social Model of Disability lens and by engaging the most significant systems in a child's life especially home and school in supporting them. She draws on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Attachment Theory, Collaborative and Proactive Solutions approach and the Neurodiversity Affirming framework. Marissa also has an interest in working with adolescents and young adults who are members of the LGBTQIA+ community.
Marissa also conducts cognitive, educational and ADHD assessments for children and adolescents. Marissa has experience using a range of assessment tools and recognises the importance of using qualitative information (parent and teacher interviews and clinical observations) in the assessment process.
Marissa holds a Master of Psychology (Clinical) at the University of Adelaide and has experience in the private sector and government settings. She is registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and is a member of the Australian Association of Psychologists Inc (AAPi).
To keep abreast with the best practice standards, Marissa undertakes regular supervision from multiple senior psychologists and engages in ongoing relevant education in the area of child psychology.
Kylie Broderick
Registered Psychologist
Services Offered:
- Therapy
- Assessments (Psychoeducational, Cognitive and ADHD)
Kylie has a compassionate and caring approach to children and their families. Kylie has experience in providing psychoeducational assessments to a diverse range of students including students with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Intellectual Disability, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and learning difficulties. She has worked closely with schools and families to support the student in educational and home settings. She has worked in schools in regional areas as well as locally.
She has knowledge of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.
Kylie holds a Bachelor of Behavioural Science (Honours) at Flinders University. She is registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and is a member of the Australian Psychological Society (APS).
Charlotte Badge
Speech Pathologist
Services Offered:
- Assessments (Autism, Speech and Language)
Charlotte recognises the fundamental role of communication in a child’s social and emotional wellbeing. She is dedicated to contributing to the holistic understanding of each child so that they can reach their unique potential. Charlotte has gained significant experience in the provision of Speech Pathology services to children and teenagers including comprehensive assessment, diagnosis and intervention to children and their families. Her specialty areas include;
- Early communication development
- Play skills
- Language disorders / delays
- Speech difficulties
- Stuttering
- Fussy eating
- Social Skills and Communication
- Nonverbal Communication
- Autism Spectrum Disorder and other neurodevelopmental disorders
Charlotte graduated from the Masters of Speech Pathology Course at Flinders in 2007. Charlotte is a Certified Practicing Speech Pathologist, an accredited Autism Diagnostician and has completed training in various therapeutic approaches such as Hanen It Takes Two to Talk, Marte Meo, The Developmental, Individual Difference, Relationship-based (DIR®/Floortime™) model, SOS (Sequential Oral Sensory) Approach to Feeding, Lidcombe Program and Social Thinking.
Claire Sage
Clinical Psychologist
Services Offered:
- Assessments (Autism, Cognitive and ADHD)
Claire is a clinical psychologist with over 10 years’ experience in the assessment and diagnosis of neurodevelopmental disorders, and working with children with complex presentations and needs. She can assess and diagnose a range of conditions including autism spectrum disorder, cognitive / intellectual challenges, ADHD and specific learning disorders. She is experienced in using a variety of psychological assessments and approaches. Claire collaborates with parents, educators and other allied health professionals to understand the unique presentation, needs and strengths of the child. She employs a warm, friendly approach to help children and families feel at ease.
Claire has a Masters Degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of New England (NSW) and is endorsed by the Australian Psychological Society’s College of Clinical Psychologists. She works in both the government and private sector.
Alexandra Harry
Clinical Neuropsychologist / Clinical Psychology Registrar
Services Offered:
- Assessments (Psychoeducational, Cognitive and ADHD)
Natalie Kohn
Reception & Administration
With more than 17 years’ experience in customer service and administration, Natalie brings a strong work ethic and exceptional organisational skills to Guiding Pathways.
Natalie has a passion for helping people and has experience supporting and volunteering with children and young people from diverse backgrounds. Natalie’s extensive business experience coupled with her friendly and caring personality means she puts your family first to ensure your experience at Guiding Pathways is positive.
Penny Lane
Reception & Administration
With a warm and welcoming nature, in person or via phone, you will be greeted professionally and compassionately by Penny.
Penny has over 20 years’ experience in customer service and most recently 4 years in medical reception and administration.
Coming from a customer service and medical administrative background Penny prides herself on her organisational skills and she builds rapport with ease. Penny will go above and beyond to ensure your family receive a positive experience at Guiding Pathways.
Holly Hicks
Reception & Administration
Holly will greet you with a warm welcome both in clinic and over the phone.
She has over 16 years’ experience in Reception and Administration with a background in Youth Health Administration and Medical Reception.
She has a passion for working with children, youth and their families. Holly’s goal is to help all clients have a positive experience at Guiding Pathways.
Ally Clarke
Reception and Administration / Allied Health Assistant
Ally is an experienced primary school teacher. She brings strengths in building relationships with children and their families and excellent organisational skills to her administrative role at Guiding Pathways.
Ally will greet you with warmth and professionalism to ensure your experience at Guiding Pathways is positive.
In her secondary role as an Allied Health Assistant, Ally assists Guiding Pathways practitioners in the development of client resources and additional supports using knowledge and skills from previous teaching experience.