CTI Committee

Our committee is made up of Speech and Language Therapists with a range of experiences working in low and middle income countries across the globe. If you are interested in getting more involved, contact us.

Julie Marshall is a Professor of Communication Disability, at Manchester Metropolitan University, UK  and a Speech and Language Therapist.  She supports people with communication disability and their families/community in under–resourced settings and in understanding how diversity, in all its forms, affects  communication disability and appropriate support. She has worked for more than 34 years in the UK and in Africa, including in humanitarian settings, supporting the education of SLTs and other professionals, carrying out research and clinical work, building research and service delivery capacity, and preparing Allied Health Professionals to work in Low and Middle-Income countries and in the UK.  She was one of the people who established CTI.

Amy worked for two years in Rwanda helping to set up an adult and paediatric outpatient based SLT services in one of the hospitals. Current work is with the criminal justice service reaching those who have missed or not had the opportunity to access services. Clinical work includes neuro-disability, SEMH and working with adolescents.

Emma worked as an SLT in Kenya for 14 years in acute hospitals, outpatients, and community (adult neuro/ voice/ stammering). Together with Kenyan colleagues she: set up two hospital- based SLT services, an association for SLTs (ASLTK), 4 support groups (Aphasia, Stammering, Laryngectomy, PD), provided clinical placements for international & local students, and organised Kenyan SLT conferences. Currently based in the UK working independently and in the NHS; she supports ASLTK and colleagues in other LMICs when requested and helps with CTI projects such as the Working in Less Resourced settings Guide (jointly with ADAPT and OT Frontiers), workshops, and the (free online) Widgit Critical Care Covid Communication chart.

Helen is a British Speech and Language Therapist and consultant disability inclusion advisor with a special interest in communication as a human right. Helen works in development and humanitarian contexts with state and non-state actors, to develop inclusive services for people with communication needs and their families.  She is also studying for a PhD on access to inclusive education services for refugee children with communication disability in Rwanda. Helen lived and worked in East Africa 2008-2019 and is currently based in Putrajaya, Malaysia.

Clare works as a paediatric Speech & Language Therapist in Belfast. She became involved with CTI after shadowing a VSO clinic in Uganda as a student and has made two trips to Mexico to support the SLT service in a school for children with cerebral palsy.

Charlie Danger is an OT with an MSc in Language & Communication Impairment. He worked in Qatar for 5 years where he focussed on developing an Augmentative & Alternative Communication (AAC) and Assistive Technology service. His attempts to understand and embed himself into the many cultures helped him find ways to persuade families and professionals to get on board with AAC, and negotiate through the most unexpected challenges.

Caitlin is a recently qualified speech and language therapist working with children and teenagers with complex communication disabilities in Manchester. She has done some short-term volunteering in LMICs but looks forward to extending this to the field of communication disability in the future. Caitlin is responsible for organising CTI’s events such as webinars and drop-in Q&A sessions.

Natalie Bryan

Natalie is a Speech and Language Therapist working across paediatric and adult teams in South London as a specialist for young people with learning disabilities transitioning between the two services. Prior to this position Natalie also worked for the public health service on the island of Tobago (Trinidad & Tobago) for 3 years where she supported people with a range of speech, language or swallowing difficulties from toddler to end of life.