Meet the team
At Comunica, we believe in empowering individuals to communicate with confidence and ease. Our mission is to provide tailored, evidence-based therapy that meets the unique needs of each client, ensuring that communication is never a barrier to living a fulfilling life. We’re committed to fostering a supportive, inclusive environment where progress is encouraged, and every success is celebrated.
With over 30+ years of combined clinical experience in speech pathology, our team works collaboratively with clients, families, and caregivers to develop strategies that promote lasting change. Whether in-person or via telehealth, we aim to deliver the highest quality care that respects your goals and supports your journey.
Meet the team
At Comunica, we believe in empowering individuals to communicate with confidence and ease. Our mission is to provide tailored, evidence-based therapy that meets the unique needs of each client, ensuring that communication is never a barrier to living a fulfilling life. We’re committed to fostering a supportive, inclusive environment where progress is encouraged, and every success is celebrated.
With over 30+ years of combined clinical experience in speech pathology, our team works collaboratively with clients, families, and caregivers to develop strategies that promote lasting change. Whether in-person or via telehealth, we aim to deliver the highest quality care that respects your goals and supports your journey.
Michele Danneels
Senior Speech Pathologist
Michele has over 26 years of experience helping clients improve their communication and swallowing abilities. With a deep passion for empowering individuals, Michele works across a broad range of areas, from early intervention to adult rehabilitation.
As a neurodivergent clinician, Michele brings a lived understanding to her work. She uses neuro affirming approaches that respect who you are, not who someone thinks you should be. She focuses on what helps you function and feel safe in everyday life, without pushing you to mask or perform. People often say Michele has a warm presence. She makes it easy to talk. Clients tend to relax quickly with her, and families feel heard and included. She builds strong rapport, then backs it up with clear goals, practical strategies, and therapy you can use outside the room.
Kai Shyu
Senior Speech Pathologist
Kai is a speech pathologist with over six years' of experience supporting children and adults across a wide range of community settings. His work spans acute and non-acute rehabilitation (including neurodegenerative diseases, stroke and acquired brain injury), disability services and complex youth presentations across mental health and youth justice contexts, including mealtime and swallowing management (dysphagia). He holds a Master of Speech Pathology from the University of Auckland, New Zealand.
Kai’s main clinical focus is helping people communicate more effectively in real life (functional communication) — at home, in education or work, and out in the community. He has a strong interest in social communication (pragmatics) and functional communication skills, particularly with autistic individuals, supporting skills for relationships, participation, emotional regulation, and self-advocacy. Much of his work has been with autistic young people and people with intellectual disability, often alongside complex emotional, behavioural, and psychosocial needs.
Kai is known for building strong rapport quickly, being highly adaptable in sessions, translating therapy goals into practical steps and helping families and support teams feel clear and confident about what to do day-to-day. He also brings deep experience with AAC — from assessment and trialling through to implementation and team training — with a focus on making systems usable, consistent, and most importantly, functional for day-to-day communication.
Why Choose Us?
At Comunica, sessions are designed to fit your individuals needs – we will always prioritise functional goals that help you enhance quality of life, connect with loved ones, however listening to what is important to you is the very cornerstone of successful therapy, at least, we believe it to be so!
Whether it's mealtime management, wanting to delve into the complex world of social skills––very daunting for many! Well, that can mean driving conversations instead of sitting in silence, knowing what to say next, and understanding other people’s point of view with more ease; or building your communicative confidence and flexibility overall without too much 'masking'. We work with you to build skills that make life easier in different settings, while keeping you feeling like yourself.
Sessions are all something that can be tailored to you. We take time to understand what’s happening, explain the “why” in plain language, and build a clear plan that clients, families, and support teams can follow.
Let's get to know each other (on your terms)
Why Choose Us?
At Comunica, sessions are designed to fit your individuals needs – we will always prioritise functional goals that help you enhance quality of life, connect with loved ones, however listening to what is important to you is the very cornerstone of successful therapy, at least, we believe it to be so!
Whether it's mealtime management, wanting to delve into the complex world of social skills––very daunting for many! Well, that can mean driving conversations instead of sitting in silence, knowing what to say next, and understanding other people’s point of view with more ease; or building your communicative confidence and flexibility overall without too much 'masking'. We work with you to build skills that make life easier in different settings, while keeping you feeling like yourself.
Sessions are all something that can be tailored to you. We take time to understand what’s happening, explain the “why” in plain language, and build a clear plan that clients, families, and support teams can follow.
Michele Danneels
Senior Speech Pathologist
Michele has over 26 years of experience helping clients improve their communication and swallowing abilities. She holds a Master of Science in Speech Pathology from the University of Florida and brings a wealth of clinical knowledge to her practice. With a deep passion for empowering individuals, Michele works across a broad range of areas, from early intervention to adult rehabilitation. As a neurodivergent clinician, she brings a unique, empathetic understanding to her work, prioritising neuro-affirming approaches that respect and support each client's individuality. Known for her expertise, warm approach, and commitment to evidence-based, practical therapy, Michele strives to create a safe, inclusive environment where all clients can thrive.
Kai Shyu
Senior Speech Pathologist
Kai is a speech pathologist with over six years of experience supporting adolescents, young adults, and older adults across hospital and community settings. His work spans acute and non-acute rehabilitation (including stroke and acquired brain injury), disability services and complex youth presentations across mental health and youth justice contexts. He holds a Master of Speech Pathology from the University of Auckland, New Zealand.
Kai’s main clinical focus is helping people communicate more effectively in real life — at home, in education or work, and out in the community. He has a strong interest in social communication (social pragmatics), particularly for adolescents and young adults, supporting skills for relationships, participation, emotional regulation, and self-advocacy. Much of his work has been with young people with autism and those with intellectual disability, often alongside complex emotional, behavioural, and psychosocial needs, including youth mental health and youth justice contexts. He is known for building strong rapport, translating clinical goals into practical steps, and helping families and support teams feel clear and confident about what to do day-to-day.
Meet the team
At Comunica, we believe in empowering individuals to communicate with confidence and ease. Our mission is to provide tailored, evidence-based therapy that meets the unique needs of each client, ensuring that communication is never a barrier to living a fulfilling life. We’re committed to fostering a supportive, inclusive environment where progress is encouraged, and every success is celebrated.
With over 30+ years of combined clinical experience in speech pathology, our team works collaboratively with clients, families, and caregivers to develop strategies that promote lasting change. Whether in-person or via telehealth, we aim to deliver the highest quality care that respects your goals and supports your journey.
Meet the team
At Comunica - Speech Pathology, we believe in empowering individuals to communicate with confidence and ease. Our mission is to provide tailored, evidence-based therapy that meets the unique needs of each client, ensuring that communication is never a barrier to living a fulfilling life. We’re committed to fostering a supportive, inclusive environment where progress is encouraged, and every success is celebrated.
With years of experience in speech therapy and AAC, our team works collaboratively with clients, families, and caregivers to develop strategies that promote lasting change. Whether in-person or via telehealth, we aim to deliver the highest quality care that respects your goals and supports your journey.
At Comunica, sessions are designed to fit your individuals needs – we will always prioritise functional goals that help you enhance quality of life, connect with loved ones, however listening to what is important to you is the very cornerstone of successful therapy, at least, we believe it to be so!
Whether it's mealtime management, wanting to delve into the complex world of social skills––very daunting for many! Well, that can mean driving conversations instead of sitting in silence, knowing what to say next, and understanding other people’s point of view with more ease; or building your communicative confidence and flexibility overall without too much 'masking'. We work with you to build skills that make life easier in different settings, while keeping you feeling like yourself.
Sessions are all something that can be tailored to you. We take time to understand what’s happening, explain the “why” in plain language, and build a clear plan that clients, families, and support teams can follow.
Why Choose Us?
Let's get to know each other.
Michele Danneels
Speech Pathologist
Michele has over 26 years of experience helping clients improve their communication and swallowing abilities. She holds a Master of Science in Speech Pathology from the University of Florida and brings a wealth of clinical knowledge to her practice. With a deep passion for empowering individuals, Michele works across a broad range of areas, from early intervention to adult rehabilitation.
As a neurodivergent clinician, she brings a unique, empathetic understanding to her work, prioritising neuro-affirming approaches that respect and support each client's individuality. Known for her expertise, warm approach, and commitment to evidence-based, practical therapy, Michele strives to create a safe, inclusive environment where all clients can thrive.
Kai Shyu
Speech Pathologist
Kai is a speech pathologist with over six years of experience supporting adolescents, young adults, and older adults across hospital and community settings. His work spans acute and non-acute rehabilitation (including stroke and acquired brain injury), disability services and complex youth presentations across mental health and youth justice contexts. He holds a Master of Speech Pathology from the University of Auckland, New Zealand.
Kai’s main clinical focus is helping people communicate more effectively in real life (functional communication) — at home, in education or work, and out in the community. He has a strong interest in social communication (pragmatics) and functional communication skills, particularly with autistic individuals, supporting skills for relationships, participation, emotional regulation, and self-advocacy. Much of his work has been with autistic young people and people with intellectual disability, often alongside complex emotional, behavioural, and psychosocial needs.
Kai also provides assessment and support for swallowing (dysphagia) and mealtime management, and can explore communication supports (AAC) where clinically appropriate.
