Devon Barnes BSpThy, MSPAA, CPSP

Founder & Clinical Director

Devon is the founder of LearnFast Australia and also the Clinical Director of The Lindfield Speech Pathology & Learning Centre which she established in 1990. She has over 40 years experience working with children and adults with speech, language, literacy and learning problems.

Devon heads a multidisciplinary team comprising speech pathologists and other professionals including pediatricians, child psychologists and occupational therapists.

She has experience working with a wide range of patients, both adults and children, with a variety of conditions including autism, dyslexia, language difficulties, reading and literacy challanges and strokes. Devon is constantly seeking out the latest research and treatment strategies. She says that treatments must have a scientific basis and validation.

Devon is a regular invited speaker at Australian and international conferences, including the International Dyslexia Association Conference in Chicago (2002), FABBLC conference in Singapore 2005) and the National Speech Pathology Conference in Perth 2006. She also speaks at numerous conferences and seminars around Australia. She was a keynote speaker at The Australian Brain-Based Learning conferencein 2007. Her presentation addressed ‘Identifying and treating children with Language and Reading Deficits’. 

During her career, Devon has worked in both the public and private sectors with adults and children as both a speech-language therapist and an audiologist. She has worked in hospitals, schools and community health centres where her focus was managing children with learning and associated emotional difficulties.

Devon got her Diploma in 1968 and her speech pathology Degree in 1974.

Her work included special schools where she treated children with hearing impairment, developmental delays, and language and learning difficulties.

In the hospital environment she treated adults with neurological impairment rsulting from head injuries and strokes.

Since 1988 Devon has specialised in the assessment and treatment of children with learning difficulties and auditory processing disorder.

Devon’s work has been publically recognised on a number of occasions – the latest being her nomination as Australian of the Year in 2007, and winning the 2007 Business Woman of the Year Award in her local area. 

Major Conference Presentations by Devon Barnes

Chicago USA Nov 1999
International Dyslexia Association Conference

Singapore May 2005
First Asian Brain-based Learning Conference

Perth May 2006
National Conference – Speech Pathology Australia