Meet the Coomera team
The Early Start Australia Coomera team provide occupational therapy, and speech pathology services to support children and their families.
Amy Engelbrecht
Practice Principal and Occupational Therapist
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Occupational Therapy
Registration number
- AHPRA OCC0002295889
Amy is the Practice Principal of Coomera Early Start Australia.
She immigrated to Australia with her husband and two busy boys in 2019 and has been with Early Start Australia since July of that year.
Since being in Australia Amy has furthered her skillset to support families through attending a wide variety of training including SOS feeding, toileting and Sounds-Write literacy program.
Amy has been a dedicated paediatric occupational therapist for over 15 years and has a passion for supporting children to reach their goals, whether at school or in their daily lives at home.
Amy supports children to develop their skills and achieve their goals as well as improve their perseverance, grit and determination.
Her therapy sessions are a safe space for children to overcome obstacles and try ‘hard things’ so children are encouraged to grow both their skill set and their self esteem.
Areas of interest
- Giftedness
- ADHD
- Sensory integration
- Executive functioning
- Visual perception
- Building independence in daily skills
Nova Lee
Occupational Therapist
Nova is a new graduate Occupational Therapist at Early Start Australia in Coomera. She is passionate about working with children and young people to support their engagement in everyday activities, including play, learning, and self-care. Nova focuses on making therapy fun and meaningful through a collaborative approach, so her clients enjoy the process while working toward their goals. Nova twirled into the world of dance when she was little and hasn’t stopped since! Nova also loves nature—she’s always up for a bushwalk and loves finding waterfalls!
Eliza Markwell
Occupational Therapist
Eliza is a new graduate occupational therapist at Early Start
Australia in Coomera, and enjoys working with children of all ages. Eliza completed her Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Honours) at The University of Queensland in 2024.
Eliza is passionate about supporting children to reach their goals
and participate in meaningful activities through therapy sessions
that are tailored to each child’s strengths and interests.
She enjoys taking a creative approach to therapy to ensure
sessions are engaging and fun, supporting children to develop confidence and independence in their daily lives.
Interest areas: social skills, emotional regulation, fine motor skills, ADHD
Emily Martin
Occupational Therapist
Registration number
- AHPRA OCC0002758246
Emily is an occupational therapist at Early Start Australia in Coomera.
Emily has a background in early childhood and care and allied health assistance (AHA), she brings a comprehensive understanding of child development and therapeutic interventions to her practice.
Emily’s experience has provided her with valuable insights into supporting children and adolescents in developing essential skills for daily life.
Areas of interest
- Social skills
- Fine and gross motor
- Executive functioning
- Youth/teenage age group
Kristi Brinkman
Occupational Therapist
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Health Science
- Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Hons)
Registration number
- AHPRA OCC0002776664
My name is Kristi Brinkman, occupational therapist at Early Start Australia.
I am passionate about helping others to be able to do the things they need, want or have to do within their daily lives – for children most of their learning is through the therapeutic use of play to learn new concepts and grow into the people they deserve to be!
I believe that through using my clients interests, along with my own (which include board games, video games, arts and crafts and building new things) that therapy sessions can be tailored, motivational and fun.
Areas of interest
- Areas of interest:
- Early intervention (ages 3-5)
- Play skills
- Parent coach
- School advocacy
- Imaginative play, social skills
Aimee Sullivan
Occupational Therapist
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Occupational Therapy
Registration
- AHPRA OCC0002440705
Aimee is an occupational therapist who has worked at the Early Start Australia Coomera clinic for the last 3 years.
During her time at ESA, Aimee has worked with a wide range of children with differing diagnoses; specialising in autism spectrum disorder.
Aimee is passionate about working in early intervention and with children with complex presentations.
Aimee has additional qualifications in using DIR Floortime in therapy and she works within this model of practice daily.
Aimee works closely with her families to ensure that therapy practice and strategies are tailored to suit the child’s individual needs across each of their differing environments.
Areas of interest
- Early Intervention (ages 0-4 years)
- Play skills
- Parent coaching
Jordan Brinsley
Speech Pathologist
Jordan is a new graduate speech pathologist at Early Start Australia. She graduated from Southern Cross University in 2024 with a Bachelor of Speech Pathology. Before entering the allied health field, Jordan worked in entertainment with Disney World and Disney Cruise Line. She brings her creativity, performance background, and passion for engaging communication into her therapy sessions.
Jordan enjoys working with children of all ages and creates fun, personalised sessions that reflect each child’s strengths and interests. Her goal is to help children build confidence and develop strong communication skills in a supportive and playful environment.
Her areas of interest include ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), social skills, and supporting late talkers
Gemma Bowie
Speech Pathologist
Professional memberships
- Speech Pathology Australia Certified Practicing Membership
Gemma is a passionate speech pathologist who works with children and teenagers of all ages.
She uses a neurodiversity affirming and strengths-based approach to work with all her clients.
In particular, Gemma loves working with alternative and augmentative communication (AAC), literacy, language disorders, and selective mutism.
Gemma has participated in specialist training for AAC, Gestalt Language Processing, Responsive Feeding, and the Sounds-Write literacy program.
Areas of interest
- AAC
- Gestalt Language Processing
- Literacy
- Language disorders
- Selective mutism
Rhiannon Reid
Physiotherapist
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Physiotherapy
Rhiannon graduated from Griffith University with a Bachelor of Physiotherapy and has worked in private practice ever since helping clients of all ages and abilities to meet their goals.
When not working hard, Rhiannon can be found reading a good book, heading to the gym or for a walk with friends, or hanging out with her cat Coco, watching the footy (AFL) or netball (go Lightning!).
Jennifer Hutchinson
Therapy Coordinator
‘m a proud mum of two incredible children, and my life is a beautiful blend of compassion, creativity, and connection. With a son on the autism spectrum and a partner who is a paraplegic, I’ve developed a deep passion for working within the disability community—advocating for inclusion, understanding, and support through lived experience.
When I’m not bringing my bubbly energy to the front desk, you’ll find me on stage—acting, singing, and soaking up the magic of live performance with my local theatre company. The arts give me a joyful outlet to express myself and connect with others, while my work and family life fuel my drive to make a meaningful difference every day.
I was recently awarded 2025 Excellence for Customer Service in Early Start Australia in QLD.
Lauren McIlwraith
Administrator and Allied Health Assistant
Lauren is an Administrator and Allied Health Assistant at the Coomera clinic.
Lauren has had 22 years experience working in childcare, from a trainee to room leader for many years.
Lauren has a passion for supporting children and their families.
Lauren has a interest in helping children become the best version of themselves through a focus on strength, independence, self confidence and building social skills that will help them in their young lives.
Getting to know the families is a very important part of therapy to Lauren.
Lauren feels building a professional relationship with the clients and their families allows everyone to feel more comfortable and this results in more valuable therapy for everyone.
When Lauren is not working, she enjoys spending her weekends with her family.
This always involves watching her kids play sport and also going to the beach to enjoy a day in the sun.
Shannon Barber
Allied Health Assistant
Shannon is an enthusiastic Allied Health Assistant at our Coomera clinic.
Shannon supports children with their speech pathology goals, developing their skills through fun and meaningful activities.
Shannon is passionate about animals and conservation.
She loves working with children and her kind, gentle and supportive attitude encourages children to thrive.