Adults and Adolescents need PLAY too...
Explore the ways our Team of Occupational Therapists and healthcare partners can support your articipation in LIFE.
Did you know that Occupational Therapists can support a range of mental and physical health concerns, including anxiety, post traumatic stress, balance disorders, and complex chronic health issues? Most of the adults and adolescents we work with have tried almost everything else, but their daily life remains unfulfilling, if this is you too, then let's chat... No commitment to do therapy, just a quick chat on the phone to find out if our practical strategies may help make daily life easier for you.
How can we help you?
Do you know your health currently a challenge for you to manage?
Do you think your goals need more support?
Do you worry your child or yourself are not coping with daily expectations at school or work?
Are you stuck for practical strategies or an explanation for what else can support your recovery or performance?
... then let's have a "Quick Chat" and explore your personal story; privately on a phone call, which is 100% free.
What's the theory behind Occupational Therapy?
Occupational Therapy is the art of applying human sciences through practical strategies to make daily life easier. Our aim, is to provide you with tools, techniques, and teamwork that identify the underlying issues and provide support, while building your abilities and skills. Essentially, we "Improve Performance" (WFOT President, OTA Conference 2015)
To learn more about the OT models and theories used at Early Links...Read More.
Which Interventions are offered?
Early Link Occupational Therapy services are registered as a Better Access to Mental Healthcare provider and our team have done additional trainings in mental healthcare, including; stress management, anxiety, and trauma. We work closely with psychologists, psychiatrists and general practiciners. Our serivce also works with adults and adolescents who are having difficulties with day-to-day activities such as social skills, balance/movement, handwriting, and managing complex and chronic health concerns.
Sensory integration has been used in Occupational Therapy practice for over 40-year, as presented by Jean Aryes in her 1973 book called "Sensory Integration and Learning Disorders". With improvements in neuro-physiology and functional imaging, the degree of accuracy and predictability in this type of practice has evolved. The initial principles of Sensory Integration; the art of therapy, adaptive response and multi-sensory activities, have been used with children with significant learning and movement disorders in clinics for many years.
Many health professionals can assist with creating positive changes in the physical, psychological, emotional, or acute recovery, that is required for day-to-day participation. The one system that is often not addressed is processes within the sensory system - which are responsible for our most basic (primitive) reflexes, our survival mechanisms, and input for decision making and planning. With advancements in specific input/output testing for reactions and central brain structures; including the reactivity of the vestibular (balance) system, and links to primary emotion patterns, the ReBOOT program aims to add an additional treatment/therapy option to support people living with heighten stress responses or difficulties with memory, concentration, movement, emotions, planning, or social skills.
Read the full list of intervention available through the Early Links Team. Click Here.
What can I expect from Therapy?
First, our "Quick Chat" is your opportunity to speak with our clinical team leader who will actively listen to your story, and privately ask you questions about your situation, what are the main challenges, and consider your expectations.
Then, if you choose to book an initial appointment, we will send you a Welcome Pack and start preparing to meet you. We will also speak with anyone in your support network who you think can add important information into our understanding before we meet.
In the initial appointment, the Occupational Therapist will get to know you, explore your strengths, discover your difficulties through assessment and observation, and most importantly discuss AND demonstrate some practical strategies you can implement at home which will make daily life easier - sometimes this will be exercises aimed to fill-in the underlying ability gaps, or specific coping strategies which will reduce the frequency, intensity, or duration of challenging situations.
The follow-up includes; a summary letter, any discussed correspondence to other people in your support network or healthcare team, and an open communication with your OT for any questions or comments you have.
Ongoing sessions take many different formats depending on your situation, your needs, and best clinical practice guidelines for the difficulties/diagnosis you experience. Your Occupational Therapist will these options either at the end of the initial appointment or the first follow-up session. These formats may include one or more of the following options -
FREQUENCY - Weekly, fortnightly, monthly, 6-weekly, or as skills emerge
LOCATION - Home, clinic, school, community
DURATION - 40-45mins (weekly session), 50-60mins (standard session), 75mins (review session)
Early Links has developed the S-PaCe Goal Setting Method, and presented the first version of this method at the National OT Australia Conference in Melbourne in 2015. Since then, it has evolved to act as a template for discussing achievement goals and recording current performance. The S-PaCe Goal Setting Method is explained in geater detail here.
Meet our Team Members
Learn more about their past experiences, additional training and strengths...Read More.
