Capacity to deliver services
This Clinic operates 6 days per week, in Ashfield with physical access easily available from the street. It comprises three full-time and one part-time speech pathologists and clerical support, to ensure each therapist’s time is spent in client contact, not on administrative tasks.
We also operate a mobile service to ensure clients are able to be seen in the comfort of their own home. We understand that some people prefer to receive services in a familiar environment to maximise their opportunity to improve skills.
Braithwaite Speech & Learning like to welcome parents to access the following additional services now being provided for their children on the Autism Spectrum.
Improve overall wellbeing for child on the Autism Spectrum: Our service provides direct assessment of the needs of the child and implements intervention plans in those areas, as well as providing strategies and support for parents, educational staff and care givers, thus improving the wellbeing of the children and their families.
Improve strategies and skills of parents to meet child’s needs: Our service offers full support to parents. Those parents will see demonstrated and have the opportunity to implement, with professional guidance and feedback, the strategies taught in their therapy sessions. This empowers parents so they feel they can better handle the day-to-day challenges of living with Autism.
Improve capacity of children to attend formal school & participate in everyday life: Our program in its diversity and educational, home and parental support, improves the chances of children with Autism attending school and participating in everyday life, because targeted intervention from an early age helps enable these children to cope with their environment and to be understood by those in their immediate environment. When parents/care givers understand life from the child’s perspective, behaviours can be better managed and the child can operate in the world with less stress.
Many children do not respond well to office based therapy. Therefore, as part of our team and service, depending on the needs of the child, home programming may be more appropriate.
Assessment of social, cognitive & adaptive functioning:
Social interaction and adaptive functioning can be affected by both verbal and non-verbal abilities. Regardless of the verbal skills of the child, on assessment their social skills can be measured. Formal testing, if suitable will be performed. If this is not possible, informal assessment, parent interview and clinical observation will provide a picture of the child’s parenting skills.
Cognitive functioning can be evaluated by referral to an appropriate psychologist in the area. We have a number of such specialists who are happy to take referrals in this area.
Value, quality & quantity of service:
By providing follow-up support at home or in the child’s educational setting, our service aims to reduce the relatively more expensive cost to parents of only seeing the speech pathologist or occupational therapy professional. While the speech pathologist and/or occupational therapist will oversee the programme, treatment costs are reduced to allow longer-term intervention and support to take place.
Delivery of services in a home environment is a more natural situation that facilitates the generalization of desired language and behavioural learning. Children are more relaxed and are able to see the link between improved expression and desired goals. Parents/carers can also appreciate the ease of incorporating therapy goals within normal daily interactions.
We can also provide a service to train teachers and early childhood professionals so that they are more able to implement the recommendations of the speech and occupational therapists. She also provides in-services to teachers, parents and early childhood professionals on the nature of autism and on generally useful behavioural strategies. Follow up visits can be made to provide support and to ensure successful inclusion. Timely intervention in this low cost model should reduce recourse to more expensive psychological and other interventions.
This model allows for the established best practice service delivery which includes embedded intervention and the active participation of parents/ caregivers, as well as individualized planning, according to the priorities and concerns of the particular families. It empowers families to gain greater confidence and knowledge and improves their sense of agency.
Skills & qualifications of staff – number of specialists & qualifications:
All Speech Pathologists are fully qualified and members of Speech Pathology Australia. Barbara Braithwaite is the Principal Speech Pathologist with 30 years experience in working with children. While not able to see very child at the Practice, she oversees all work done with every the Practice sees.
Each staff member…
- Has had clinical experience in the assessment and treatment of Autism, as well as training in their courses and with post graduate studies.
- Are trained in working with ASD, have knowledge & skills for their special needs.
- Has been approved to deliver services by their relevant associations: As well, all speech pathologists and our occupational therapist are Medicare registered, to allow clients to claim visits through the Medicare Enhanced Primary Care Programme.
Capacity to provide training & support and professional supervision:
Barbara Braithwaite is an experienced clinical educator for Sydney University, having supervised students over the last several years of clinical practice.
Strategies employed & outcomes achieved:
Each therapist endeavours to come from a place of non-judgement and understanding from both her own professional standpoint and from the parents’ perspective in understanding the challenges they face on a day to day basis. With an understanding of cultural bias, each therapist seeks to gently guide an understanding of this complex disorder through consultation, if necessary with ASPECT and translated materials for parents to read or refer to.
Often when a client can converse and have answered questions in their own language, understanding this complex issue can be easier and less stressful. If we cannot provide support in a client’s first language, we will access an interpreter service and ensure we discuss Autism with the interpreter prior to the client’s appointment, to better gauge the cultural background to disability and Autism.
This Practice has been operating in the Ashfield area for the last 30 years and as such, has developed relationships with community based allied health service professionals, not just at our local centre at Croydon Health Centre, but from the greater west as far as Fairfield, Westmead Hospital and towards the city at Forest Lodge.
Call our office now on (02) 9797 1880 to check your eligibility for this funding and to access these services for your child.
AUTISM ASSIST PROVIDERS for DSS funding for Helping Children with Autism and Better Start Programmes and NDIS
Antonia Canaris – NeuroSensory
F10 Palm Grove Business Park,
13-15 Forrester St Kingsgrove 2208
Tel: 0291 506 630
Alan Dennes – ABC Speech pathology
26 Speare St Moorebank 2170
Tel: 0412 336 371
Katherine Lawrence – Carlingford Speech Pathology
73 Orchard Rd Carlingford North 2118
Tel: 9871 0088
Robyne Cottee – Childworks
36/276 New Line Dural NSW 2158
Tel: 90981635
