Meet Kirsty, a passionate and progressive speech pathologist committed to bringing the latest evidence-based treatment and innovative methods to facilitate optimal communication, swallowing, and voice across the lifespan.

Kirsty graduated with a Bachelor of Speech Pathology from the University of Sydney in 2014 and has since gained over 10 years of experience providing high-level speech pathology care to adults and paediatrics with communication and swallowing disorders in both the public and private sectors. She has grown her expertise in various roles developing a diverse skill set to work with a wide range of language, speech, voice, and swallowing disorders across the lifespan.

For 8 years, Kirsty worked at main tertiary hospitals in Sydney, where she gained valuable knowledge and extensive experience treating adults with various communication and swallowing disorders, as well as, paediatric feeding disorders in infants. Kirsty has a special interest in swallowing disorders, the management of various head and neck cancers, and oncology management with experience working closely with large multidisciplinary teams in the Crown Princess Mary Cancer Centre at Westmead Hospital, Blacktown Cancer and Haematology Centre and Mt Druitt Palliative Care services. 

Since 2021, Kirsty has directed her private practice, Synergy Speech Pathology, bringing her robust skills to provide accessible and high-quality speech pathology services to adults and paediatrics in the community. Kirsty currently provides assessment and management for swallowing, speech and voice rehabilitation to oncology patients, particularly head and neck cancer patients at every stage of their cancer journey through various GenesisCare sites including Norwest, Kingswood, Campbelltown and Hurstville and her private practice services.

Since starting her own private practice, Kirsty’s little family has grown and she has become fascinated watching the feeding and communication skill development of her own child and those around her, as well as, neurodivergent affirming therapy approaches. This ignited her passion and dedication to complete further training in infant and paediatric feeding, early speech and language skills, and neurodivergent affirming practices, leading her to expand her expertise and services to a mixed caseload of both adults and paediatrics.

Kirsty has continued to develop her skills in paediatric feeding by undertaking training in responsive feeding therapy practices including the Infant Feeding Foundations course by Babble and Munch Learning among other courses. Kirsty uses the responsive feeding approach to help children and families build positive mealtime experiences. 

Kirsty is highly experienced in dysphagia management and rehabilitation and has a strong passion for research in this area. She has held numerous Research Associate roles, including investigating the application of surface electromyography (sEMG) in patients with swallowing impairments and supporting quality of life among people with Motor Neurone Disease in collaboration with the University of Sydney and Westmead Hospital. She also was involved in ‘Co-Creating Safe and Enjoyable Meals for People with Dysphagia’ research project and health professional training in collaboration with the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). Her previous research experience led her to successfully gain the Westmead Charitable Trust Allied Health Grant in 2020 for leading an innovative speech pathology student-led clinic research project in collaboration with the University of Sydney.

Kirsty has provided lecturing, clinical education, and university examination marking over the last nine years, facilitating speech pathology students’ clinical development at various universities. Currently, she is a Casual Academic at the University of Technology Sydney and remains active in her teaching, research, examiner and clinical education roles.

At the core of Kirsty’s approach is the belief that every client has unique needs and requires a personalised treatment plan aligned to their goals. Together working collaboratively with clients, their families, and fellow healthcare professionals, Synergy Speech Pathology has helped numerous clients become empowered and achieve their communication and swallowing goals to improve their quality of life.

Synergy is the powerful force that is generated when individuals collaboratively work together towards a common goal creating a greater impact.

Together we can make a difference for the better!

– Kirsty Axiak.