Dr Katherine Ong

About

Qualifications

B. App. Sci (Speech Pathology); M.A (Applied Linguistics)
Certified Practising Member of Speech Pathology Australia
International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC)
Speech Pathologist (Feeding, swallowing & early communication)

Clinical Interests

Paediatric feeding and swallowing problems. Introduction of solids and progression with textures. Feeding refusal and oral aversion. Supporting breastfeeding. Transition from tube to oral feeding. Early communication difficulties including delayed speech & language, and introduction of key word signing. Dribbling / drooling.

Background and Experience

Katherine is a speech pathologist with extensive experience working in public hospitals, community health and early intervention. She has worked at the Royal Children’s Hospital since 1991, and has specialised in feeding, swallowing and communication disorders due to complex medical, surgical and neurodevelopmental problems. Katherine has worked with infants and young children with a wide range of conditions such as prematurity, cardiac disease, gastro-oesophageal reflux, allergy, cerebral palsy, saliva control problems, vocal fold palsy and failure to thrive.

Katherine regularly presents at conferences to speech pathologists and other health professionals.

In addition to her appointment at RCH, Katherine works as a senior speech pathologist in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at the Royal Women’s Hospital.

Practice Philosophies

Katherine helps parents to understand their child’s communication and feeding behaviour, and to see the situation from their child’s point of view. She believes it is important to consider the child’s feeding and communication in the context of their overall development, and to understand the interaction of medical, psychological and environmental factors.

Katherine enjoys working collaboratively with families and other professionals (eg. Paediatricians, other allied health) to maximise outcomes in therapy. She believes that the goal of therapy is to enable the child to reach their full potential. Katherine offers practical and functional suggestions for incorporating therapy goals into everyday life.

Publications

• Kubba, H. & Ong, K. Drooling and Aspiration. Book chapter in Scott-Brown’s Otorhinolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, Eighth Edition (2018). Watkinson, J.C & Clarke, R.W. (eds). Taylor & Francis.
• Orton, J., Olsen, J., Ong, K., Lester, R. & Spittle, A. NICU Graduates: The Role of the allied health team in follow-up. (2018). Pediatric Annals, 47 (4), 165-171.
• Dawson, J., Myers, L., Moorhead, A., Jacobs, S., Ong, K., Salo, F., Murray, S., Donath, S., & Davis, P. (2013). A randomised trial of two techniques for bottle feeding preterm infants. Journal of Pediatrics & Child Health, 49 (6), 462-466.
• Morse, S., Haritou, F., Ong, K., Anderson, V., Catroppa, C. & Rosenfeld, J. (1999). Early effects of traumatic brain injury on young children’s language performance: a preliminary linguistic analysis. Pediatric Rehabilitation, 3(4), 139-148.

Public Hospital Affiliations
The Royal Children’s Hospital
The Royal Women’s Hospital