Occupational Therapy
Here are some links to information about Indicators that a child needs OT in Infancy , Toddlerhood , Kindy / Preschool aged , and School Aged
Our OT’s address needs around the following areas:
- Sensory Processing
- Emotional regulation and social emotional development
- Sensory Integration – balance, coordination, and using two hands together
- Motor planning and sequencing
- Fine motor hand skills
- Visual perceptual skills
- Gross motor skills
- Handwriting abilities
- Daily living activities including self care such as toileting, dressing.
- Preparation for going to school
- Eating and feeding
- Attention and organisational challenges
- Learning and Academic Abilities
- Play skills
- Peer play skills
- Dealing with daily challenges for example staying calm while transitioning, tricky behaviours.
- Advice regarding therapy equipment and resources
Therapy is provided through a range of individual and peer consultations. We provide parent coaching and family support programs. We can set up home and school programs.
Our therapists are trained in providing a range of individualised OT interventions using a relationship and developmentally based approach.
These include such tools as Floortime, Social Thinking, Sensory Motor Integration Therapies, Auditory therapies such as Listening Programs, Interactive Metronome,.and the SOS Approach to Mealtimes
We also incorporate concepts and strategies from approaches such as the Zones of Regulation and Self Regulation Approach
Speech and Language Pathology
Here are some links to information about Indicators that a child needs Speech and Language Pathology in Infancy , Toddlerhood , Preschool / Kindy or when School Aged
We address needs around the following areas:
- Developmental precursors which are the building blocks for language development
- Specific language disorders or delays across understanding and using language
- Auditory processing difficulties
- Childhood Apraxia of speech
- Speech sound disorders
- Symbolic Play development
- Social skills support
- Social emotional developmental skills
- Thinking and reasoning capacities
- Preparation for transition to school
Our therapists use a range of different interventions informed by relationship and developmentally based approaches including:
- Individual and Peer speech and language therapies targeting a range of speech, communication and language challenges
- Specific assessments when required
- Social skills
- Parent coaching and family support programs
- Parent education sessions and provision of information on a range of developmental issues
- School & Kindergarten Visits
- Phonological awareness challenges and literacy difficulties (reading, reading comprehension and spelling).
Therapists are trained in a range of intervention tools including Floortime, Hanen, Prompt, Social Thinking, SOS Approach to Mealtimes, and Augmentative Communication,
Peer Social Skills Programs
We run an intensive multidisciplinary early intervention program, Little Steps Preparatory Program and other term based peer programs. We run January Intensive Summer Programs We also run holiday programs during the year during school term breaks. Outside of these programs we provide opportunities for peer based sessions through the matching of children into social peer sessions according to their developmental levels and goal areas.
Funding Options
Health Scheme Rebates Available
Our therapists are all registered as Medicare Allied Health providers, and with all the Private Health Insurance Funds for delivery of individual allied health services under the Enhanced Primary Care (EPC), also called Chronic Disease Management (CDM, referral by GP), and Helping Children with Autism (HCA, referral by Paediatrician) initiatives. These provide rebates towards the cost of therapy services.
Most of our senior Occupational therapists are also accredited by OT Australia as providers under the Initiative in Mental Health Scheme (MHCP or BAMH, referral by GP).
Department of Social Services Programs
Sensory Connections Occupational Therapy Services is an authorised lead agency on the Early Intervention Service Provider Panel under Dept. of Social Services (DSS) Helping Children with Autism Package (HCWA) and Better Start Initiative (BSI) program. Families who have a child who meets the eligibility criteria can use this funding support to access Sensory Connections Occupational Therapy Services.
National Disability Insurance Scheme
Sensory Connections Occupational Therapy Services is a registered Disability Services Organisation (DSO) with both NDIS and WA NDIS programs. Families who have a person with disability or developmental delay that meets the eligibility criteria for either of these schemes can use their individual or self managed plan funding to access Sensory Connections Occupational Therapy Services, for supports and Therapy.
As the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is rolled out across Western Australia, children supported through HCWA or Better Start will transition to the NDIS