Our Therapists and Teachers are available to see children and families in individual sessions. We see children from birth to the end of their primary school years.

Bridges for Learning therapists are highly experienced and have a specialised knowledge and interest in paediatrics. Their areas of expertise are in early childhood development, school readiness, and primary school integration. They can offer:

• Standardised assessments
• Individual sessions and reports
• Home programs
• Consultation with schools
• Communication aides
• Training in the use of special equipment

Speech Pathology

Why might a child need Speech Pathology?

• Delay in speech development
• Difficulty articulating certain sounds
• Recovery after surgeries which affect speech
• Language difficulties
• Oral motor difficulties
• Behaviour challenges due to communication difficulites

Speech Pathology can help children:

• To assess and identify speech or language needs in children
• Progress with their speech or language skills
• Interact more with their family and friends
• Communicate their needs and wants
• Transition into new situations or new schools
• Enjoy learning

Occupational Therapy

Why might a child need Occupational Therapy?

A child's 'occupation' is to perform their daily tasks and life skills at home and school. This can include a range of skills – fine motor, gross motor, visual, sensory, and behaviour management.

Occupational Therapy can help children:

• By assessing and identifying their occupational needs
• Progressing with fine motor skills, such as gripping a spoon or using a pencil
• Progressing with sensory integration, such as becoming less sensitive and more resiliant to certain noises, textures, or visual cues.
• Develop fine and gross motor coordination together, such as dressing, toileting, and playing.
• Develop better visual motor integration, such as keeping their balance, sitting and posture.
• Increase their abiity to use muscles to learn new tasks

Physiotherapy

Why might a child need Physiotherapy?

• When they have difficulty or delay in normal activities, such as crawling, standing or walking.
• When they have difficulty wtih normal movement, such as running, catching, or jumping.
• When they have muscle weakness or problems with muscle tone.

Physiotherapy can help children:

• To assess and identify their physiotherapy needs.
• Improve their motor control and strength.
• Progress with their gross motor skills.
• Develop coordination and balance to hel movement and posture.
• Use the appropriate equipment to assist them to move more independently.

Early Childhood Intervention Teacher

Why might a child need a Teacher for extra help?

• To prepare for pre-school or school.
• To support them in adapting to their pre-school or school.
• Behaviour Management issues.
• To help their school teacher integrate them into class activities with individualised strategies or adaptations for the classroon.
• To support their parents or carers in preparing the child for school.

An Early Childhood Intervention Teacher can help children:

• Progress in their reading, writing and numberacy skills.
• Learn specific school skills, such as using scissors, cooperating with others, enjoying activities in a group.
• Pay attention and follow directions.
• Implement behaviour management programs.

Psychologist

Why might a child or family need a Psychologist?

• Child has a new diagnosis and parents need to know - what does this mean for us?
• Child's additional needs impact on other family members – physically, emotionally, socially, financially, and/or spiritually.
• Family has complex challenges which impact the child.
• Behaviour problems.

A psychologist can help:

• To assess and diagnose intellectual, behavioural, emotional, developmental and adaptive and/or social functioning in all children presenting to the program including the administration of instruments that particular relevance to the diagnosis of ASD.
• To assess and identify parental stress and provide support to the family.
• Develop tailored intervention programs to overcome identified difficulties.
• Work with parents, other allied health professionals and teachers to provide them with strategies to assist their child function better in the home, school and other environments.

Family Support / Counselling

Why might a parent or carer need family support or counselling?

Parents and carers of children with additional needs can have a very high degree of stress with even day to day activities. Their situation is challenging for the whole family, including siblings. Parents can commonly feel under-resourced, exhausted and invisible trying to parent a child with a disability.

Parents have a wealth of internal resources already present that they may not be utilising. To empower parents with their internal strengths and increase their external resources can make a big difference in the well-being of the entire family. When parents are well resourced and their thinking reframed, the same circumstances can be considered a gift.

A Family Worker or Counsellor can:

• give assistance with particular family challenges
• support, listen, or encourage during difficult times
• be someone you can chat to if you have a question or concern
• suggest possible resources and information
• educate families on special parenting skills
• facilitate families in meeting and networking with other families in similar circumstances
• assist with behaviour management programs for the child and family