Who we are
Inaugural Committee Members include professionals with significant experience in the early childhood intervention field, with both a research and practice focus
Executive Team
Denise Luscombe
ECI Consultant, Director Postural Care Australia, Paediatric Physiotherapist
Kerry Bull (PhD)
PRECI Director (Vic)
Kerry Bull (PhD)
PRECI Director (Vic)
Kerry began her career as an early childhood educator. Kerry has utilised this foundation in early childhood development to further her work in the fields of education and early childhood intervention as a teacher, key worker, manager, and director of programs in Melbourne and rural Victoria and later as a researcher and trainer. Kerry currently works as a consultant and is involved in a broad range of research, policy, practice and program development, and knowledge translation projects.
One of Kerry’s current projects is working with Carol Trivette and Bonnie Keilty on ‘The Envelope’ to challenge the ways we work with all families in a strength-based and family-centred way. Kerry is also interested in how our current understanding of the importance of interactions and experiences on children’s learning, development, and wellbeing, is influencing the way we work in the ECI field.
Driven by values of equity and diversity, Kerry is a keen advocate for young children with developmental disabilities and their families.
Dr Christine Johnson
Associate Professor, School of Education, Western Sydney University
Paula Buttigieg
PRECI Director (WA)
Directors
Susan Gibson
Director, Play Move & Grow, Physiotherapist
Dr Susana Gavidia
Adjunct Associate Professor, Educational and Developmental Psychology, RMIT University
Dr Tim Moore
Senior Research Fellow, The Centre for Community child Health, The Royal Children Hospital
John Forster
CEO Noah's Ark Inc
John Forster
CEO Noah's Ark Inc
John is a strong advocate for children with disabilities having a full life. He is a former National President of Early Childhood Intervention Australia (ECIA), then the peak body for young children with disabilities and their families. In 2011, he led the development of the landmark joint statement on inclusion by Early Childhood Australia and ECIA, the Position statement on the inclusion of children with a disability in early childhood education and care. This was the first cross sector policy document on young children with disabilities and inclusion developed in Australia.
John has been on many governmental advisory groups, including the Victorian Disability Advisory Council and the Victorian Government’s NDIS Implementation Taskforce. He is the coauthor of two resource books. The Key Worker: Resources for Early Childhood Intervention Professionals, with Dr Stacey Alexander, introduced the concept of the Key Worker to Early Childhood Intervention in Australia. Participating and belonging: inclusion in practice, with Alison Webster, focused on inclusion support. He continues to write articles on inclusion and has strong links to the research field both nationally and internationally.
Megan Fox
National Early Childhood Specialist, Mission Australia
Trish Wachtel
Area Manager, Early Childhood Approach, Early Childhood Australia
Kerry Diminish
CEO EarlyEd, Speech Pathologist
Kerry Diminish
CEO EarlyEd, Speech Pathologist
Kerry is a Speech Pathologist and CEO of EarlyEd,
a long-established provider of Kerrie Dominish family-centred early childhood intervention services.
Her past and current roles in the speech pathology and ECI sectors have supported communities to meaningfully include young children in everyday community and educational situations (Play for All Australia, VIVID NSW, Everyone Can Play). Her recent partnerships and grants have filled gaps in information and services for families and professionals related to early literacy, early play, toy libraries, early active play in parks and playgrounds and school readiness.
Kerry has been a long-serving volunteer committee and board member for many local and national community organisations. She values the way the not-for-profit sector can provide innovative and practical solutions for communities by advocating and then initiating, and implementing activities that are responsive to community challenges and changes.
Kerry is committed to facilitating early access to evidence-based best practices for children and capacity building support for families and professionals. As an inaugural member of the PRECI Board, Kerry has been excited to be part of the many collaborative and educational activities PRECI has already undertaken and the prospect of increasing our knowledge and skills to better meet the needs of Australian children and families. She looks forward to the promising opportunities for practitioners, researchers and policy makers in the early childhood sectors, presenting at this critical time of sector reflection and review.
One day however a small line of blind text by the name of Lorem Ipsum decided to leave for the far World of Grammar. The Big Oxmox advised her not to do so, because
Dr Anoo Bhopti
PRECI Director (Vic)
Dr Anoo Bhopti
PRECI Director (Vic)
Anoo is a Senior Lecturer and Researcher in the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences at Monash University and an occupational therapy clinician in paediatrics. Anoo’s research is embedded within the early childhood intervention and childhood disability sector. Her research findings have been used to support the early childhood intervention sector in their written submissions to support the inclusion of parents as applicants for the National Disability Inclusion Scheme. She was a co-author on a report for the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) and collaboratively published the National Guidelines for Best Practice in Early Childhood Intervention. Anoo is committed to working closely with families, to achieve inclusion and participation of children in their homes and communities and follows family-centred practice, strength-based and person-first approaches. Her research interests include childhood disability, family quality of life, parent occupations, paediatric occupational therapy interventions, evidence-based practice, translation research and inclusion and participation of children with disability.
Current research projects include a pipeline of parent support programs called "We Care" and “Now and Next” with an aim to improve family quality of life of families living with a disability.
Volunteers
Michelle Goldsmith
Administrative Assistance
Hendricks Lui
Website Assistance
Hendricks Lui
Website Assistance
Kerry is a Speech Pathologist and CEO of EarlyEd,
a long-established provider of Kerrie Dominish family-centred early childhood intervention services.
Her past and current roles in the speech pathology and ECI sectors have supported communities to meaningfully include young children in everyday community and educational situations (Play for All Australia, VIVID NSW, Everyone Can Play). Her recent partnerships and grants have filled gaps in information and services for families and professionals related to early literacy, early play, toy libraries, early active play in parks and playgrounds and school readiness.
Kerry has been a long-serving volunteer committee and board member for many local and national community organisations. She values the way the not-for-profit sector can provide innovative and practical solutions for communities by advocating and then initiating, and implementing activities that are responsive to community challenges and changes.
Kerry is committed to facilitating early access to evidence-based best practices for children and capacity building support for families and professionals. As an inaugural member of the PRECI Board, Kerry has been excited to be part of the many collaborative and educational activities PRECI has already undertaken and the prospect of increasing our knowledge and skills to better meet the needs of Australian children and families. She looks forward to the promising opportunities for practitioners, researchers and policy makers in the early childhood sectors, presenting at this critical time of sector reflection and review.
One day however a small line of blind text by the name of Lorem Ipsum decided to leave for the far World of Grammar. The Big Oxmox advised her not to do so, because