Karen Levin, Ph.D Speech Therapist, Johannesburg

I qualified at Wits University as a Speech Therapist and Audiologist, obtained my Masters degree in Speech Pathology at Wits, and my Doctoral degree (PhD) in Psychology at Stellenbosch University. My PhD was conducted in a department of psychology - that's why it is a PhD in psychology - because I chose to be supervised by a professor of psychology who is a leading authority in the field of critical disability, but the topic of my dissertation was about the communication of adults with cerebral palsy. I am a speech-language therapist, not a psychologist. I am registered with the Health Professionals Council of South Africa as a Speech-Language Therapist and Audiologist.

 

I began my professional career with a year as a junior lecturer in the Department of Logopaedics at the University of Cape Town, and then as a speech therapist and audiologist in the state hospital system in Johannesburg. For almost a decade I worked at Forest Town School where I gained invaluable experience working with children with cerebral palsy, learning difficulties, and intellectual disability. I then took on a position at the University of the Witwatersrand where, for 17 years, I lectured, supervised students providing speech-language therapy and audiology, and conducted research. I was the Head of the Division of Speech Pathology for a few years, and for a period of time  was the Head of the Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology at Wits.  I left Wits to start a private speech-language therapy practice in Victory Park, Johannesburg.

​

I have attended a number of professional development courses (e.g. PROMPT; Talk Tools; Tiny Handz; CVI Range) and completed the 8-week basic Neurodevelopmental Therapy course as well as numerous refresher courses. In 2018 I completed a 6-month course through The University of Cape Town in association with the South African Medico-Legal Association (SAMLA) and obtained a postgraduate certificate in "Foundations of Medico-Legal Practice". In 2022 I completed a 2-week course on cerebral visual impairment taught by Christine Roman Lantzy and was trained in using the CVI Range.

 

I am  on the editorial board of the international journal, Developmental Neurorehabilitation, and review articles for a number of local and international journals.

 

I was the Communications Director of the South African Medico-Legal Association 2021/2, and am a registered Medico-Legal Practitioner. 

​

I am a member of The South African Speech-Language and Hearing Association and The South African Medico Legal Association

 

When I was very young, I did 'speech and drama' and went on to qualify as a speech and drama teacher by earning two diplomas, an, ATCL and LTCL through the Trinity College of Music, London. 

 

In my practice I see children with a range of communication impairments, and I also see adults, but I restrict my daily work with adults to those who have sustained traumatic head injuries and those who have cerebral palsy. I prefer to refer all other adults to my colleagues where appropriate. Because of my lifelong interest in communication disorders of a neurological nature (such as cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury and genetic syndromes), I carry out assessments for medico-legal purposes as well. I refer to local audiologists for hearing tests when required