Meet your Certified Speech Pathologist – Aisling Killen

With over 15 years of experience across multiple international healthcare systems, Aisling Killen is a senior speech pathologist specialising in the assessment and management of complex swallowing disorders and upper airway conditions.

Aisling completed her speech pathology training in Ireland in 2008, beginning her career in neurological rehabilitation before transitioning to acute care, where she developed advanced skills in dysphagia management.

Her career has spanned Ireland, New Zealand, the UK, and Australia, giving her a broad and deeply informed perspective on delivering high-quality, person-centred care.

International Clinical Expertise

In 2012, Aisling moved to Auckland City Hospital, working in acute neurological services to support patients with complex neurological and neurosurgical conditions. She relocated to England in 2015, where she held both clinical and operational leadership roles in head and neck cancer and acute speech pathology services.

In 2022, Aisling and her family moved to South Australia, where she continues to provide care in both the public health system and specialist clinical practice.

Clinical Focus Areas

Aisling is highly skilled in:

• Instrumental swallowing assessments, including VFSS and FEES
• Swallowing rehabilitation following surgery, radiation, or neurological injury
• Tracheostomy and laryngectomy management
• Voice and airway therapy in collaboration with ENT and maxillofacial teams

She has worked closely with ENT surgeons, oncology teams, and maxillofacial units, providing pre-treatment counselling, rehabilitation, and long-term support for patients undergoing treatment for head and neck cancer.

Leadership, Teaching & Advocacy

Aisling played a key role in developing national clinical guidance in the UK as a contributing expert on laryngectomy care during COVID-19, commissioned by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT).

She has taught FEES courses and contributed as faculty to an ENT Core Skills training program, helping junior doctors develop foundational clinical skills through cadaveric workshops. From 2019 to 2021, she served as Chair of the RCSLT Head and Neck Clinical Excellence Network for the North of England.

During the early waves of the COVID-19 pandemic, Aisling worked in Intensive Care as part of a specialist tracheostomy multidisciplinary team, helping critically ill patients regain safe swallowing and communication function.

A Patient-Centred Approach

Aisling brings a compassionate, evidence-based approach to every clinical interaction. She understands how significantly changes to swallowing, voice, or breathing can affect a person’s quality of life, and is dedicated to working closely with clients and their care teams to achieve meaningful, lasting outcomes.