Dr Paulina Stedall

Background and Experience

Paulina has practiced as a neuropsychologist at the Child and Adolescent Neuropsychology Group since obtaining her doctorate degree at Monash University. She also has experience in clinical research roles at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, working with various paediatric populations, including those born preterm, children with genetic conditions and childhood cancer (leukaemia and brain tumours). Previously, Paulina worked as a swimming instructor with children and adults of all ages spanning from infancy, which included private lessons with neurodivergent children.​

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Clinical Interests

Within clinical practice, Paulina is specifically interested in working with neurodivergent children and adolescents, including those who have been diagnosed with autism, ADHD, learning difficulties, or an intellectual disability. Mental health is closely intertwined with the experience of many neurodivergent people, so Paulina is also interested in other challenges that her clients may be experiencing, such as anxiety, obsessive-compulsive traits, depressed mood and low self-esteem. Due to her research background, Paulina often enquires about the perinatal period and considers any potential long-term impacts from this period on children and their families.

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Research Interests

Paulina’s research focused on the well-being of children who were born very preterm and their families. She has worked to understand how very preterm birth affects brain development and later thinking skills, mental health and behaviour. Her work also focused on learning more about how specific parenting behaviours can help to facilitate development in infants and young children born very preterm, with long-term impacts spanning into adolescence.

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Practice Philosophies

Paulina’s goal in both assessments and therapy is to help young people feel comfortable, at ease, and to create a space where their opinions and voices can be freely expressed. She adopts a client- and family-centred approach, meaning that she works collaboratively with her clients and caregivers, believing that they are often the experts of their own lives. Since family structure plays one of the biggest roles in childhood development, Paulina enjoys working with parents as they go through the assessment process to discover more about their children’s needs in the classroom and at home. Paulina believes that she will never stop learning throughout her career and she learns most by listening to her clients’ stories about their lived experiences. She is open to any feedback from families to keep developing her skills.​

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Extra About Me

Paulina is European and grew up in South Africa, before spending her final years of high school and beyond acclimatising to the ever-changing weather systems of Melbourne and becoming a Melbournian foodie.  In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and energetic golden retriever, Willow. She also enjoys swimming at her local pool or at the beach on weekends. Paulina is always happy to be challenged to a game of UNO by children and teens who visit the clinic.​

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Latest Publications 

Brown, R. N., Pascoe, L., Treyvaud, K., Mcmahon, G., Nguyen, N., Ellis, R., Stedall, P., Haebich, K., Simonne, E., Cheong, J., Doyle, L. W., Thompson, D. K., Burnett, A., Anderson, P. J., Brown, R. N., Pascoe, L., Treyvaud, K., Mcmahon, G., Nguyen, N., … Anderson, P. J. (2022). Early parenting behaviour is associated with complex attention outcomes in middle to late childhood in children born very preterm. Child Neuropsychology, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/09297049.2022.2075334

 

McMahon, G. E., Spencer-Smith, M. M., Pace, C. C., Spittle, A. J., Stedall, P. M., Richardson, K., Cheong, J. L. Y., Doyle, L. W., Anderson, P. J., & Treyvaud, K. (2019). Influence of fathers’ early parenting on the development of children born very preterm and full term. The Journal of Pediatrics, 205, 195–201. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2018.09.073

 

Rosetti, L., Pascoe, L., Piazza, C., Mills, T., Stedall, P., Cheong, J. L. Y., & Anderson, P. J. (2024). Executive function in children born moderate-to-late preterm: A meta-analysis. Pediatrics, 154(6). https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2024-067382

 

Stedall, P. M., Spencer-Smith, M. M., Lah, S., Doyle, L. W., Spittle, A. J., Burnett, A. C., & Anderson, P. J. (2022). Episodic and prospective memory difficulties in 13-year-old children born very preterm. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1017/s1355617722000170

 

Stedall, P. M., Spencer-smith, M. M., Mainzer, R. M., Treyvaud, K., Burnett, A. C., Doyle, L. W., Spittle, A. J., & Anderson, P. J. (2022). Thirteen-year outcomes of a randomized clinical trial of early preventive care for very preterm infants and their parents. The Journal of Pediatrics, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2022.03.013