Tony is the Operations Manager at ‘Speaking Therapy’ and is also a qualified Special Education Teacher. He also founded ‘Visuals2Go’ which is an iOS app designed to support individuals with communication difficulties and to support therapists, teachers, parents and carers to facilitate learning.
Tony graduated with a Bachelor of Education in Special Education degree in 2004 at the University of Technology, Sydney. He has also completed certificate 3 in Auslan Sign Language. Tony has experience teaching in a vast range of different Special Education settings and has been in several different teaching and consultancy roles both in London UK and in Australia. He has been an Early Intervention teacher for children of 4 years of age through to teaching High School students with disabilities.
Tony is trained in many additional areas including Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) Therapy, Functional Behaviour Assessments (FBA), and TEACCH Autism Program. He has taught students with a range of disabilities and needs, including people in the Autism Spectrum, Down Syndrome, and students with complex needs and challenging behaviours.
Tony has a strong passion for seeing individuals with disabilities communicate and connect with the people and world around them. He believes being able to communicate is a fundamental human right and that everyone’s communication skills can be harnessed and developed when they are given the right tools and receives the necessary support.
Tony values the use of a multi-modal approach when it comes to using AAC because he believes the individual should have a number of ways to get their messages across.
Tony is trained in using a variety of AAC systems in addition to Visuals2Go, including Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS), Auslan, Key Word Sign, One button switches and low tech Eye gaze systems. He has had success in teaching many individuals with developmental disabilities in using a range of different AAC systems.
Tony’s other passion is helping individuals learn to read and to develop literacy skills. He has helped many children with developmental disabilities learn to read. Tony believes with the right approach, the development of reading and literacy skills is possible.
Tony can communicate in Cantonese and Auslan.