Connect the dOTs has been providing Occupational Therapy services to children and their families in the Western Suburbs of Melbourne since 2014. As Occupational Therapists, our aim is to work with children to help them perform and participate in their daily occupations or activities across the areas of self-care, productivity, and leisure. Our focus is to promote independence and improve your child’s capacity to fully engage in the activities they do everyday. Our Occupational Therapists are passionate about using a family-centred, strengths-based approach when working with children and their families to reach their full potential.

Our Occupational Therapists can work on:

• Self-Care Skills including toileting, dressing, eating, personal hygiene, sleep
• Play Skill Development (pretend play, cooperative play, sharing, turn-taking)
• Fine Motor Skills including hand strength, hand dominance, pre-writing/drawing, handwriting, scissor skills
• Gross Motor Skills such as climbing, ball skills, riding a bike
• Sensory Processing
• Emotional Regulation
• Executive Functions including attention/concentration, organisation, planning
• Social Skills including making and maintaining friendships
• Community safety and awareness
• Assistive Technology trials and prescriptions

Connect the dOTs provides service to children aged 0-12 years. We are predominantly clinic-based but are flexible and can work with your child in the home, childcare, kindergarten, or school. Our Occupational Therapists work with a range of children who may have a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Intellectual Disability (ID), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Global Developmental Delay (GDD), Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), Down Syndrome or experience challenges in any area that impact their ability to engage in their daily activities.
Assessments
Our Occupational Therapists are able to complete formal assessments to assist with goal setting as well as for funding bodies such as NDIS and school funding. We offer assessments in the areas of:

• Functional Assessments
• Motor Skill Development
• Play Skill Development
• Sensory Processing

We are a Family-Centred Practice….

This means that we work alongside the families of the child to set and prioritise goals. After an assessment we develop Family Support Plans, which are an agreement between the therapist and the child stating what goals we are working on and which order. We try to involve the family in using intervention strategies in everyday routines, increasing the family’s capacity to improve the outcome of therapy. One day per fortnight of therapy with a clinician is a lot less effective than therapy being implemented into the child’s everyday life.

Therapy

At Connect the dOTs, we offer Occupational Therapy services through individual, external, Telehealth and group sessions.
Individual Occupational Therapy -
Individual sessions are usually 30 to 45 minutes and are scheduled on a fortnightly basis. The duration and frequency of these sessions are flexible. Individual sessions can be scheduled in the clinic, home, childcare, kindergarten, or school.

External Occupational Therapy -

Our Occupational Therapists understand that for the generalisation of skills, completing sessions within your child’s natural environments is highly important. This service is based on discussions with your child’s educational setting. If you would like external sessions for your child, your child’s Occupational Therapist will contact their childcare, kindergarten or school to organise sessions.
Group Occupational Therapy -
Group sessions are usually 45 to 60 minutes in duration with each group targeting goals. These can include:

• Play and Social Skills
• Self-Regulation
• Executive Functions
• Gross Motor Skills

Telehealth Occupational Therapy -

Where individual clinic-based or external sessions are not possible, our Occupational Therapists can offer Telehealth sessions via Zoom. These sessions can be 30, 45 or 60 minutes in duration and can be scheduled on a fortnightly basis.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a condition that impacts how a person thinks, feels, interacts with others, and experiences their environment. Children living with a diagnosis of ASD can experience a range of challenges impacting their engagement and performance in activities they want or need to do every day.
A diagnosis of ASD generally involves many specialists and professionals, which is referred to as a multidisciplinary team. This team can include a Paediatrician, Psychologist, Speech Pathologist and on some occasions, a Child Psychiatrist. Occupational Therapists may be involved in this process. Our Occupational Therapists do not complete ASD Assessments, however, will liaise with your child’s multidisciplinary team if an ASD Assessment is being completed.
Our Occupational Therapists understand that not all children living with a diagnosis of ASD present the same and we will work with you to set individualised goals and provide intervention that incorporate your child’s strengths.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Assessments -

How long does an assessment take?

The duration of a formal assessment can vary depending on the assessment being completed as well as the child’s level of engagement. Generally, assessments can be completed within one to two 1:1 sessions.

What happens after an assessment is completed?

After the assessment, your child’s Occupational Therapist will complete the scoring and develop a report. This report will include information about the assessment, outcomes, observations, and recommendations/strategies. Our Occupational Therapists aim to complete reports within one to two weeks after the assessment has been completed. The outcomes from the assessment also assist with identifying and setting Occupational Therapy goals.

Does every child need a report after an initial assessment?

An initial assessment with one of our Occupational Therapists involves getting to know your child and gathering information about their strengths and what they are finding challenging. We do not generally write a report after an initial assessment, however, we do put together a document that contains the goals identified that can be provided to you.

How can you assess a child that shows limited interest or engagement?

We understand that a formal assessment is not always the most appropriate option when assessing children. In these cases, our Occupational Therapists can complete informal assessments through completion of observations within the clinic, home, childcare, kindergarten, or school. We will also gather in-depth information from you about your child as well as from their educators. Our Occupational Therapists will also focus on developing rapport with your child by creating structure and consistency within their sessions to work towards completing a formal assessment.

How old can a child start therapy and is it effective?

In the first five years of a child’s life, their experiences and relationships stimulate their development and millions of connections are formed in their brain. Our Occupational Therapists can provide service for children as young as 18 months old, however early intervention can start as soon as your child’s needs are identified. These needs can be identified by yourself, or your child’s Paediatrician, GP, educators, or allied health professionals involved in their care. Early intervention has been shown to be effective towards a child’s developmental path and improve outcomes for the child and their family. Our Occupational Therapists work closely with the families they work with as research has shown that parent partnerships during Occupational Therapy intervention is effective to achieve the best outcomes.

What are the benefits of group therapy sessions?

Group sessions provide our Occupational Therapists with additional opportunities to observe your child in a group setting. This allows us to observe how children engage and interact with other children and provides more opportunities for our therapists to monitor and support the development of their social skills in a practical setting. Group sessions can be very useful for developing cooperative play and social skills such as turn-taking, sharing, and winning and losing. They can also be beneficial for encouraging children to grow in confidence to develop the skills to initiate interactions with their peers. As well, many children enjoy the fun element of playing games and interacting with other children.

What is sensory processing?

Sensory processing refers to the way in which the brain receives, organises and responds to information from the environment. The human body is very complex with eight sensory systems. The body interprets and responds to the following types of sensory information:

● Visual (vision)
● Auditory (sound)
● Olfactory (smell)
● Gustatory (taste)
● Tactile (touch)
● Vestibular (balance)
● Proprioceptive (position of the body in space)
● Interoception (internal state of the body)

Children may experience sensory dysfunction when the flow of sensation is disorganised, inefficient and not integrated. Our Occupational Therapists can work with you and your child to assess their sensory processing skills and provide recommendations to help manage their specific needs. These typically involve exploring Assistive Technology (AT) and modifying their environment and daily routines.

What does self-care involve?

Selfcare skills are those that require the child to take care of themselves. These skills commonly include getting dressed, grooming, eating, toileting, bathing, sleeping and personal hygiene. Our Occupational Therapists have experience working with children to develop independence in these areas, by assessing their current abilities and working with them to expand on their abilities so they are less reliant on support from their parents to perform these tasks. Interventions commonly include remedial skill building as well as establishing daily routines and healthy habits to support positive self-care practices.

What fine motor and gross motor skills can Occupational Therapists work on?

Occupational Therapists can help to develop your child’s motor skills, and their overall physical abilities. These motor skills are typically divided into fine and gross motor skills. Fine motor skills involve use of smaller muscles, such as grasping, object manipulation

Paediatric Speech Pathology (PSP) is a team of speech pathologist who have been operating in the western suburbs of Melbourne since 2009. We offer clinic-based services as well as support in the school or kindergarten setting.
As a team we promote purposeful intervention, which means everything we do, from team discussions to planning a session with a child, is done with a specific outcome in mind.
Clinicians who work with children with disabilities want to ensure that they are making a difference in the child’s life. This means we aim to demonstrate our value by providing specific, measurable outcomes. We believe that the call for results-driven intervention has never been greater, and we are seeing firsthand how working with purpose can positively impact a child’s intervention outcomes.
PSP specialises in the diagnoses and treatment of children with communication disorders. This may manifest as difficulties with speaking, understanding, reading, demonstrating social skills, speaking fluently, and using voice appropriately

Assessment

The Speech Pathology team use a combination of informal and standardised testing to identify the child’s strengths and areas of improvement. We can provide assessment(s) in the areas of:

• Speech sounds and articulation
• Fluency of speech
• Receptive Language
• Expressive Language
• Literacy and Phonological Awareness and Social Communication and Play

Depending on the child a formal standardised assessment may be chosen to compare their skills to same aged peers. This type of assessment can be used for PSD funding in schools or simply to gauge where a child lies in terms of their development in a particular area. If a child is not appropriate for formal assessment an informal assessment will be conducted. This can include observing the child during social interactions to playing with the child in a range of activities.
Once an assessment has been completed, a formal report will be completed within two weeks of the assessment and the therapist, along with the family, will create goals for their child centred around their developmental needs identified in the assessment.

Therapy Provisions

Our speech therapy can be conducted in a range of settings and modalities! We offer in-clinic sessions, telehealth sessions and school or kindergarten visits. Our therapists block out 45 minutes for each session – this includes 30 minutes of face-to-face time, and 15 minutes of admin and note-taking. We offer both individual or group therapy sessions to cater to your child’s needs, as well as offering group programs during school holiday periods which target conversation skills and strengthen social abilities. Our therapists also visit schools and kindergartens in the western suburbs of Melbourne. These sessions are available as 1-hour blocks, where the clinician will work with your child for 35 mins and provide 10-15 minutes of debrief time with the teacher discussing classroom management strategies. Travel time is also added onto these sessions to ensure we are catering for any time spent driving to and from the school.

How frequently does my child need to see a speech pathologist?

Each child’s needs are different, however scientific evidence suggests that therapy is effective when the child is given time to process and consolidate what is learned during speech therapy, coupled with parent involvement at home. We offer fortnightly sessions to all of our clients to ensure your child is able to learn, consolidate and apply what we teach, whilst also ensuring we can service as many children as we can.
How can you engage with a child who has little language?
Our lovely and talented speech therapists have many ways to engage with children of all abilities! When interacting with a child with low language, we encourage use of gestures, eye contact and single words to engage the child in therapy. We use strategies like singing nursery rhymes, completing simple matching activities and pretend play to engage children with low language in our
therapy sessions.

How old can a child start therapy and is it effective?​

Children can start therapy from as early as two years old. The therapy is adjusted to the child’s needs, to ensure it is as effective as possible for their age and ability.

What’s the advantage of group therapy?​

Group therapy is a great way to expand a variety of skills in your child. Our group sessions often target social communication including conversation skills, play skills and problem solving. These sessions are often used to generalise the skills learned in individual sessions, to help support the child’s ability to apply social communication to real-world scenarios with peers of a similar age.

Articulation

Speech Pathologists support children articulate speech sounds more clearly and accurately so that they are better understood by others. We start by evaluating the child’s oral cavity, teeth, tongue, and mouth shape. We will assess their range and rate of movements as well assess the child’s speech sound repertoire and identify which sounds are expected to be produced clearly by the child’s given age. We then develop a therapy plan where we target the most crucial sounds and work with the child systematically to improve their production of each sound at a level of conversational speech. In having a conversation with the parents, we identify what is the most important sound to the family and to the child. It is important to consider which sounds are most delayed as well as which sounds the child uses most frequently. These factors will most likely have the biggest outcome on the child’s intelligibility. Once we identify what we are working on first, we elicit the sound on its own, followed by producing the sound at word level, then at sentence level followed by naturalising the sound at conversation level. When working on speech sounds, the frequency the new sound is practiced has a high impact on the outcome of the child’s intelligibility.

Normal Speech Sound Development

1-2 years old: /p/, /b/, /m/, /n/, /t/, /d/

2-3 years old: /f/, /k/, /g/

3-4 years old: /s/, /y/, /h/, /kw/

5 years old: //ch/, /j/, /l/, /y/ /sh/, /bl/

6 years old: /r/ /v/ /dr/ /br/ /fl/ /fr/ /gl/ /gr//kr/ /kl/ /pl/ /st/ tr/

Literacy

Many children with speech and/or language difficulties are quite likely to experience challenges with reading and writing. This is because speech, language and literacy are intricately linked. Speech Pathologists can early identify specific challenges a child may experience, by assessing and interpreting their early literacy skills or phonological awareness. This may include identifying if a child can break down syllables, split up a word into individual parts and differentiate both consonant both vowel sounds. The provision of direct therapy may form part of your child’s Family Service Plan. During the session we will introduce new concepts and tools to your child that will help break down the fundamentals of reading and spelling. These supports include:
o Introducing your child to books and texts that align with their interests
o Exploring language, words and sounds through play-based activities to build your child’s vocabulary, comprehension, speech and language skills.
o Utilising digital resources to build letter and sound recognition, develop spelling and reading skills)
o Utilising visuals to help your child build their understanding of sentence structures and narrative skills
o Sharing stories, videos and images with your child and asking ‘wh’ questions to help them make predictions based on the information that is available to them i.e. “What do you think will happen next?”

Language Disorder

Language disorders occur when children develop language at a slower pace as well as at a different sequential order to typical language development. Language disorders can present as a receptive language disorder (understanding language) or an expressive language disorder (using language) however typically present together. Children who have language disorders may have difficulties asking and answering questions, identifying and labelling items, following instructions, telling stories and expressing thoughts and feelings. It can impact the child’s ability to learn new concepts and it can impact their engagement in school and in home environments. It is important to have regular intervention as well as home practice to address language difficulties the child may have. Speech Pathologists work by identifying goals that the child needs support in through informal and formal assessments. Speech Pathologists then include games, books and other activities in sessions to target specific language goals. They also provide parents and families with training and simple activities that can be completed in the home environment to supplement therapy. Speech Pathologists often work with the child’s teachers and other therapists to develop strategies and joint goals to ensure that the child has the best possible outcomes and supports in different environments.

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a condition that affects how a person thinks, feels, interacts with others and experiences in their environment (Autism Spectrum). Autism is a lifelong condition meaning that it is a condition they will have for life.

ASD is often related to physical and developmental challenges. This can include difficulties with receptive language (understanding) , expressive language (how they get their message across), social thinking, playing with others, emotional regulation, fine and gross motor skills.

Children with ASD may present with the following:

Difficulties with communication and language:

• Understanding spoken words and gestures
• Following directions
• Hard to understand
• Repeating what they say (echolalia)
• Talk in a monotone voice
• Talk a lot or very littl

Difficulties with social skills:

• Sharing attention with others
• Playing with others
• Making friends
• Taking turns
• Keeping friends
• Initiating conversations
• Maintaining conversations

Behaviours:

• Repetitive behaviours
• Might be interested in a few topics
• Avoiding eye contact
• Becoming very upset quickly for unknown reasons
• Only eating a limited variety of food
• Hesitant to try new food
• Choosing foods based on their texture

Many children with ASD will present vastly differently as the condition does not present the same in everyone. The term 'spectrum' to describe this difference across the different presentations. You could meet 10 people with ASD and they could all present very different from each other.

When a child receives an ASD diagnosis, they will receive the level indicating the level of support required. There are 3 levels:

Level 1: Requiring support
Level 2: Requiring substantial support
Level 3: Requiring very substantial support

FAQ'S

What causes ASD?

There is no clear evidence to determine what causes ASD although some possible conclusions are genetic or differences in brain development / function.

Does ASD have a cure?

Children can start therapy from as early as two years old. The therapy is adjusted to the child’s needs, to ensure it is as effective as possible for their age and ability.

What would speech therapy look like with my child?

As all children present differently with ASD, speech therapy will also look different for each individual child. A speech pathologist will discuss with you what your communication, language and social skills concerns are for your child and create goals around these concerns.
Speech pathologist can work on early language (engaging joint attention, saying single words), preschool language (working on answering questions, concepts such as big, little, same, different), speech sounds (ensuring your child can say all their sounds so they can communicate), fluency (ensuring your child has clear smooth speech), social skills (interacting with others), communicating emotions and pre-literacy skills.

What if my child is not talking at all?

Your speech pathologist will work with you and your child to establish the best way for your child to communicate with you. Sometimes head nods and gestures are not enough for your child to communicate their message effectively so using another additional method can create more opportunities for your child to communicate. This may include using Alternative Access Communication (AAC). AAC can include high tech and low tech AAC.

Low tech AAC is:
– Using pictures to communicate
– Communication book
– Paper and pen
– Core words board

High tech AAC is:
– Apps on the iPad designed for your child to press buttons that speak for them

Using an alternative method of speech does not replace a child’s natural communication modes. Introduction of AAC has evidence to prove it often assists develop a child’s speech faster than if no AAC was used.

Psychology at Kids’ Care Collective provides psychological services and support to young people, and their families and carers across the Western Suburbs of Melbourne. Services are provided within the clinic and home settings, as well as liaising with schools and kindergartens. This ensures that the skills that are developed in 1:1 therapy can be generalised to the young person’s social and educational environments and the wider community
Psychological services at Kids’ Care Collective are aimed at improving the mental health and wellbeing of individuals with a range of needs, as well as working toward improving their holistic functioning within all aspects of their life. In addition, the service works collaboratively with carers, educators, and families, to help the individuals thrive within each of their environments. The service prides itself on using evidence-based practice to address a client’s individualised goals. In addition to this, we pride ourselves on providing a warm, friendly and supportive approach to create a positive environment for the young people and their families.

Individual Therapy

We provide client- focused therapy to individuals based on young person’s needs and presentation. We work collaboratively with families, carers, educators, and allied-health therapists to set and work toward client-based SMART goals. Intervention strategies are evidence based, which means that all interventions are based on current research, and in line with best practice. Young people and their families often seek psychological services to provide the support in the areas of behaviour management, mental health and wellbeing, social skills, communication and language and executive functioning. The types of support provided in 1:1 individual therapy have been detailed below.

Behaviour Management:

• Utilising positive behaviour support strategies to manage challenging behaviours
• Empowering the young person to develop strategies to manage their behaviour within their home, education, and social environments
• Empowering families, carers, and educators to utilise strategies to manage the young person’s challenging behaviours.

Mental Health and wellbeing:

• Establishing strategies for managing stress and anxiety
• Developing confidence and self-esteem
• Developing strategies for emotion regulation
• Challenging negative thoughts and building a growth mindset

Social Skills:

• Developing fundamental social skills
• Teaching skills for social communication, reciprocity, and interaction with others
• Teaching problem solving
• Supporting the young person to develop and following social routines
• Developing the young person’s self-awareness and self-advocacy
• Developing the understanding of feeling and emotions within the self, and others
• Establishing strategies for managing regulation within the social context

Communication and language:

• Developing an understanding social language
• Developing the skills to Initiate and end social interactions
• Developing the ability to read cues, body language and facial expressions
• Developing functional social language
• Developing functional help seeking language

Executive functioning:

• Supporting the young person to create and follow routines and schedules
• Developing planning, organising and task management skills
• Developing strategies to manage impulse control
• Developing strategies to support attention and concentration
• Supporting the young person with self and emotion regulation

Parent/ Caregiver/ Family Support

Behind every young person is a parent, carer or family that provides intensive daily care and support. As a result of this, a large aspect of psychological services at Kids’ Care Collective is providing support and coaching for the young person’s support system. This ensures that the support system is empowered and given the skills to work collaboratively toward the young person’s goals. We provide direct support within the home, 1:1 coaching session, as well as regular support team meetings with families. This support is often provided to address the following:

• Supporting families to develop individualised strategies to support the young person’s goals
• Supporting families to create an environment that is supportive of the young person’s needs
• Empowering families to have the confidence and skills to manage challenging behaviours
• Supporting families with creating home routines and schedules
• Supporting families to address sleep, behaviour, feeding and self-care challenges
• Providing advocacy on behalf of the young persons and their families

School or kindergarten liaising

At Kids’ Care Collective we provide external visits to schools, childcares, and kindergartens to address the young person’s goals in their social and educational environments. This provides the opportunity to deliver intervention within these settings, as well as supporting educators and staff to work collaboratively with the families to achieve the young person’s goals. This support is often provided to address the following:

• Supporting educators to develop individualised strategies to support the young person’s goals
• Supporting educators to create a learning environment that is supportive of the child’s needs
• Empowering educators to have the confidence and skills to manage challenging behaviours, while utilising whole-class approaches
• Supporting educators with creating routines and schedules for learning and daily tasks
• Supporting educators to address behaviour, feeding and self-care challenges present within the environment

Assessment

We provide both formal and informal assessments for the purpose of investigating diagnosis in line with the DSM-5, school funding applications, NDIS funding applications and general therapy goal setting. We offer assessments in the areas of

• Functional behaviour
• Cognitive functioning
• Academics
• Depression, anxiety, and stress
• Behavioural challenges

Details pertaining both formal and informal assessments can be discussed with your treating therapist or upon referral. How to book

A referral for psychological services is not required by a GP or specialist, simply give us a call to make an appointment with our Psychology team. To gain insight into the young person’s presentation and needs, the initial session will involve obtaining a detailed history and relevant information, meeting the young person and the family, rapport building and goal setting. This initial consultation is just as an imperative part of the service as the therapy sessions themselves.