HealthCarePlus’s Grants for Good recipient Teddie van Pelt is using her funding to create inclusive classrooms for students with communication needs.
After a five-year career break to raise her children, speech and language therapist (SLT) Teddie van Pelt was ready to return to her professional calling. But balancing single-income family life with part-time work and postgraduate studies seemed financially daunting – until a HealthCarePlus Grant for Good changed everything.
Teddie now works at a specialist school, supporting students with complex communication needs (CCN) through augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems. Her current role reignited a passion that led her to pursue a Master of Speech and Language Therapy at Massey University, focusing on a critical gap she’d observed in her workplace.
“I’ve had success in providing a voice for students with CCN, but I’ve noticed the challenges teachers face in managing various AAC systems in the classroom,” Teddie explains. “With limited capacity for intensive intervention, I reflected on how best to support both students and staff."
This reflection sparked her research focus: coaching classroom staff in communication partner skills through shared storybook reading. This simple yet powerful approach to creating inclusive learning environments has proved highly successful..
When Teddie found out about the HealthCarePlus Grants for Good funding in a newsletter, she initially hesitated. “I wasn’t sure I’d qualify, but I reminded myself that there was nothing to lose by trying,” she reflects. The straightforward application process became an unexpected gift in itself, helping her clarify her research goals and professional direction.
The grant’s impact has been about more than just covering her study costs.
"It removed the financial worry that otherwise weighed on me, allowing me to focus on my study without juggling priorities or feeling overwhelmed,” Teddie says. “I could be more present with my family and spend time with my children without thinking of limited finances.”
Teddie’s research explores how coaching can empower educators to build communication-rich environments through everyday routines. “My goal is to promote truly inclusive classrooms where every student’s voice is recognised and supported as part of everyday routines, not as an added task.” By equipping teachers with practical strategies that reduce workload while strengthening inclusive practice, Teddie’s research promises to improve learning outcomes and foster deeper connections between students, staff and families.
Through the HealthCarePlus Grant for Good, Teddie has found her professional voice again, and now she’s ensuring every student finds theirs, too.
If you are interested and want to know more this year's Grants for Good and how to apply for one, then click below to find out more.