Sarika Bharath-Punchoo
SaLT
Hello my name is Sarika.
I studied at the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal, in South Africa and graduated in 2006. I have over 15 years’ experience working as a Speech and Language Therapist in a variety of settings; however, working as a school-based therapist and being part of a multidisciplinary team has been my passion and area of experience.
I began my career completing my Community Service at a rural hospital in South Africa and thereafter I joined a Remedial School. I soon realised that my interests lay with Paediatrics and the desire to work and travel. This led me to England in 2009. In England, I worked at various settings including hospitals, schools and early child centres. The growth I experienced as a therapist was phenomenal. I returned to South Africa in 2010 where I joined another remedial school for 2 years.
Following my marriage, I moved to a different province (Gauteng) and joined Crossroads School, where I have worked as part of a multidisciplinary team for 10 years. I have a keen interest in working with language-based learning difficulties in children and early intervention to support children’s language and literacy development.
The decision to emigrate to England with my family has given me the privilege to join the Words First team and I am very excited to be part of a multidisciplinary team again. I believe that the multidisciplinary team approach benefits both the child and the professionals on the team, as the combined knowledge and expertise ensures the best possible outcome for the child, helping shape their unique education, health and care plan.
In addition to working, you will find me making special memories with my husband and two children, enjoying yoga, reading and Asian food. If you had to call my friends and ask them to describe me, I think they’d describe me as “fun, dependable and loyal”
