Cristina Russo Speech Pathologist

Cristina thrives in her diverse roles as both an opera singer and a speech pathologist. For her, the common thread in all she does is clear: empowering individuals from all walks of life to find their voice. Cristina enjoys incorporating music into her speech therapy and champions the power of music in supporting speech and language development. She is particularly interested in gestalt language processing—that is, the different way in which many autistic children acquire language—and how music serves as a powerful tool in language development for these children. She has a special interest in early intervention and is a Hanen More Than Words practitioner, working with children from birth to five years of age, including those experiencing speech delay, late talking, or other early communication difficulties. Based in the inner west, Cristina works with families across Yarraville, Seddon, Kingsville, Footscray, Newport, and Williamstown. She is dedicated to supporting culturally and linguistically diverse families to nurture development of both languages in a respectful, strengths-based way. Cristina also offers literacy intervention for primary school-aged children, and supports development of communication skills, social interaction, and expressive and receptive language. She is passionate about providing speech therapy for toddlers and young children in ways that are playful, engaging, and individualised. Cristina is able to support NDIS participants, including those who are self-managed or plan-managed, and is committed to working collaboratively with families to help children achieve their goals in meaningful ways. Cristina is a Certified Practising Speech Pathologist with Speech Pathology Australia.