He didn’t know it at the time, but Binh Doan’s professional destiny was forged in an awkward moment at a stranger’s dinner table.
Binh was 15 when he arrived in Australia from Vietnam and went to live with a host family who would help him learn English while he completed high school.
“I remember sitting around the dinner table one evening and only understanding about 10% of what was being said,” Binh recalls. “It was really tough. I had to pretend like I understood. I remember laughing and they said, ‘Do you understand?’ And I said, ‘No, I'm just laughing along with you.’”
This experience of feeling lost in conversation sparked a deep empathy in Binh that would later lead him to help others overcome similar struggles with language and communication barriers.
Often people come to us with very little, or no confidence. And after a couple of weeks or months, they know they can read, learn, and do things they couldn’t do before. It brings joy to them and to their families
- Binh Doan, Speech Pathologist
From aspiring doctor to passionate speech pathologist
Binh was born in Ho Chi Minh City in the 1980s. His parents, who worked hard to provide a good education for him and his three older siblings, encouraged Binh at a young age to emulate the local paediatrician – a role model the whole family admired.
It was this desire to fulfill his parents’ dreams that guided Binh’s move to Australia to study medicine. But with limited English proficiency, Binh faced significant challenges fitting into the school system. He spoke English with a strong accent, and local children sometimes made fun of the way his name sounded.
Despite these hardships, Binh was determined to succeed. He steadily improved his English by learning to “tune” his ears to the Australian accent. There were difficult moments, but Binh's resolve to pursue his studies never wavered, knowing it would make his parents proud.
Eventually, the financial burden of medical school led him to explore other career pathways. A chance encounter with a speech pathology pamphlet ignited his interest in a field that combined medical science with communication.
After graduating with a Bachelor of Biomedical Science, Binh completed his Master’s in speech pathology. Then, in 2014 he founded Speakable, a practice dedicated to helping children and adults overcome speech, language, and literacy difficulties.
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A holistic approach to speech therapy
Binh’s approach to therapy is holistic, meaning he not only addresses communication challenges but also nurtures overall personal growth and wellbeing. This comprehensive, empathetic method has proven to bring lasting, positive changes in the lives of his clients.
Binh says he finds happiness in working with a wide variety of people of all ages. He describes a typical day a Speakable:
“One moment, I might be on the floor playing with a two-year-old who has no understanding of English, and the next, I’m helping a seven-year-old with their reading and writing skills. Later, I might be assessing an adult with a very different set of challenges,” he says.
Binh says Speakable’s core purpose is helping people build confidence.
“Often people come to us with very little, or no confidence. And after being with us for a couple of weeks or months, they know they can read, learn, and do things they couldn’t do before. It brings joy to them and to their families,” Binh says.
Binh wouldn’t be able to build that confidence without first earning the trust of his clients and their families. He says standardised assessments play a vital role in building that trust, especially on a client’s first visit.
“It’s a very helpful starting point,” Binh explains. “For example, when I say to parents that their child will be assessed according to national criteria for children in a similar cohort, that gives them confidence that my professional opinion and my approach to any therapy will be grounded in evidence.”
A range of speech and language tools
Binh and his staff draw from Pearson’s range of speech and language resources and training, beginning with the tests that will set a baseline for the client, so that progress can be tracked regularly over time. Their most-used assessments include:
- the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals assessment (CELF 5), which is a battery of subtests that evaluate writing, reading, and pragmatic skills
- the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals Preschool-3 (CELF Preschool) to assess elements of language necessary for preschool children to transition to the classroom
- the Diagnostic Evaluation of Articulation & Phonology (DEAP) to identify speech disorders
- the SCAN-3C test, which is used for auditory processing disorders in children.
Binh also draws on Pearson’s Cogmed Working Memory Training program, which is designed to improve attention and working memory in people affected by ADHD, traumatic brain injury, stroke, and side effects of cancer treatment.
...when I say to parents that their child will be assessed according to national criteria for children in a similar cohort, that gives them confidence that my professional opinion and my approach to any therapy will be grounded in evidence
- Binh Doan, Speech Pathologist
Standing on the shoulders of giants
In addition to providing comprehensive insight into a client’s strengths and challenges, Binh says the Pearson assessments are extremely reliable, giving him and his staff confidence in their professional opinions, and informing their various therapies. He says Pearson’s 100 years of heritage is evident in the quality and usability of the tools on offer for allied health professionals.
“It's like we’re standing on the shoulders of giants,” Binh explains. "We learn from the experts who have dedicated immense time and energy to developing these tools. Our role is simply to master their application.
“These tools not only boost our confidence but also instill trust in the parents and teachers of the children undergoing therapy. Parents place their faith in us, knowing that we employ reliable, evidence-based assessments alongside our professional observations.
“Their trust prompts deeper parent engagement in the child’s therapy, which means our interventions are effective both inside and outside the clinic. There is no better reward than seeing the positive impact of our work.”
Read more about Binh’s story and his approach to speech pathology in his new book ‘The Speakable Child’ (Balboa Press, published July 2024).
