Tania Teitzel

Founder / Director & Speech Pathologist

B Sp Thy (Hons), MSPA, CPSP

Tania established Therapy Matters in 1995 after having worked in the public sector, for Community Health and Disability agencies as well as at the University of Queensland, as a researcher, in the field of speech sound disorders and early literacy development.

Tania attained her speech pathology degree with First Class Honours from the University of Queensland and was the recipient of a University Medal for academic excellence. Tania has interests in the treatment of learning disabilities, AAC and complex communication disorders such as childhood apraxia of speech, childhood dysarthria, autism and developmental disabilities.

Tania has presented at local, national and international conferences on speech sound disorders, language-literacy links, Down syndrome, Autism and the inclusion of children with disabilities. Tania has lectured at Griffith University’s Master of Speech Pathology Program in speech sound disorders (including childhood apraxia of speech). She has sat on the Private Practice Advisory Group of Speech Pathology Australia (SPA) and is currently a member of the SPA Emerging Practice Models Advisory Group. She has co-authored two publications: Preschool and Primary Inventory of Phonological Awareness (PIPA) and an Inclusion Resource Guide for Young Children with Disabilities. She is an Accredited Key Word Sign Presenter and a Certified Facilitator of the Brick-By-Brick® Program by Play Included® for LEGO® Brick-Based Therapy.

In 2024, Tania Teitzel was named a finalist in the Speech Pathologist of the Year category at the Australian Allied Health Awards (with Therapy Matters also being selected as a Finalist in the Allied Health Paediatric Team Excellence and Allied Health Team Culture Excellence Awards). These Awards recognise excellence across allied health professions through a formal nomination and submission process, with entries reviewed by an independent panel of experienced allied health professionals against published criteria.

Tania is a compassionate leader dedicated to mentoring and supervising her team to achieve high standards of excellence. She is a passionate, innovative and knowledgeable speech pathologist who enjoys designing flexible and tailored sessions that embrace a child’s interests. Tania is embracing of Neurodiversity Affirming Approaches and open to learning from the perspectives of neurodivergent people on how speech pathology can make a difference in their lives. She enjoys sharing her knowledge and providing transformative supervision experiences within our Therapy Matters team and to clinicians around Australia.

Tania became a qualified speech pathologist in 1991 .

She has dedicated her career to Therapy Matters since 1995.

She has completed further training in:

  • PROMPT
  • Hanen “It Takes Two to Talk”, “More Than Words” and “Talkability””

  • DIR Floortime

  • Key Word Signing

  • PODD Books

  • PECS

  • Thrass
  • High & Low Tech AAC
  • Collaborative & Proactive Solutions (CPS)
  • Zones of Regulation
  • MindWing Story Grammar Marker

  • Dynamic Tactile Temporal Cuing (DTTC)

  • Neurodiverse Affirming Approaches

  • Michelle Bihary Leadership & Supervision Training

  • LEGO® Brick-Based Therapy as a Brick-by-Brick Program Facilitator

Tania sees clients at the West Burleigh Clinic on Monday afternoons, Thursdays and Friday mornings and at the Murwillumbah on Wednesday afternoons (fortnightly). Tania also leads our term-time Brick Club programs.

What’s your favourite toy?

“I’ve loved building with LEGO® since I was little AND I’ve loved Star Wars ever since I saw the first movie at the cinemas. So, it was an easy choice for me to showcase my most recent LEGO® Build, The Child from the new series the Mandalorian.

Many of our clients are passionate LEGO ® and Star Wars fans too so we often have a lot in common!

I’ve always wanted to be trained in LEGO ® Brick–Based Therapy and COVID provided that opportunity on-line in 2020 (when usually you have to travel to the UK).

I have loved using LEGO ®in therapy with my clients as it is so versatile and engaging.

LEGO ®can be used in groups to build social skills, to learn how to follow and give directions, to talk about colours and shapes and to engage in pretend play. LEGO ® is the perfect tool in any therapist’s tool kit!”

I share my own Grogu build as a passionate LEGO® fan with an important disclaimer that LEGO® is a trademark of the LEGO Group of companies which does not sponsor, authorize or endorse this site.