Bernadette Peart, Certified Practising Speech Pathologist

I am a Speech Pathologist with extensive experience across a broad range of service areas.

I received a Bachelor of Arts (Speech Pathology) from Newcastle University in 1998.

After graduating I commenced work in primary health followed by a stint in community based rehabilitation. During my time in community based rehabilitation I began to recognise the importance of working with my client and their family to identify goals that are meaningful to them and their family.

I then moved to the United Kingdom and worked as a locum for six years. Working as a locum exposed me to a broad range of service models and caseloads. I learned to be flexible, efficient and be able to respond to rapid change.

On my return to Australia I decided to settle in Tasmania. I was drawn to the natural beauty of the state, something I am still amazed by every day!

When I first arrived in Tasmania I started working in acute care (including intensive care and neurosurgery). This is where I consolidated my understanding of the early stages of recovery from acquired brain injury in particular.

I then transitioned into inpatient rehabilitation, working intensively with people and their families to identify functional goals and implement therapy programs to achieve meaningful gains whilst taking advantage of the rapid improvements often made in the early stages after a stroke or brain injury.

After this I moved to rehabilitation of people in the aged care setting. I particularly enjoyed working with people who had a wealth of life experience to share with me during our time working together to ensure that they were able to live life to the fullest despite changes in their level of functioning.

I then found myself back in primary health working with people in their own homes, gaining insight into the things that really matter to them and their family members.

Eventually I made my way to the disability sector where I learned about the importance of working within the complex web of supports required to ensure people living with disability are given every opportunity to engage in activities that are important to them.

I am a Certified Practising Speech Pathologist and member of Speech Pathology Australia.

I have a wealth of clinical experience combined with a sound understanding of quality assurance processes.

I work with people who have difficulty
• Communicating, for example
o Slow or slurred speech
o Word finding difficulties
o Difficulty putting words together
o Difficulty understanding what has been said
• Swallowing (also called dysphagia)

I am able to provide services to
• Residential Aged Care Facilities
• Group Homes
• Client’s home
• Other appropriate venue convenient to the client
• Rural and remote communities

Services are provided at a time convenient to the client.

I am an approved provider for
• Medicare
• Department of Veterans Affairs
• Motor Accident Insurance Board

I understands the importance of working with the client (and where appropriate their family) to work out what is important to the client and identify practical ways to achieve these goals.

I work in collaboration with other service providers when and where appropriate.

I have experience working with People who have
• Survived stroke
• A diagnosis of degenerative neurological disease, for example
o Motor Neurone Disease
o Multiple Sclerosis
o Huntington’s Disease
o Dementia
• Head and neck cancer
• Brain tumour
• Acquired brain injury
• Developmental disability, for example
o Down’s syndrome
o Autism
o Cerebral palsy

All services provided are confidential and evidence based.

Contact Info
Ph 0448 508506
bpeart@ymail.com