Make the Connection Speech Pathology & Occupational Therapy Consultants

Looking forward to learning lots at the summit

summit.quantum-way.com

We're super excited to share our 2024 Summer Holiday Programs everything from dance, gaming, the out doors and even cooking!!!

Please fb message or email [email protected] for more information.

Please note all programs can be taken with a current NDIS plan.

We think this says it all!

This is so lovely and true. We hope everyone has had a great start to this wonderful spring break.

The way we see it!

So great to see our families enjoying the new clinic space. Special thanks to Zoe for her special drawing of our little tree house!

What's the difference between neurological and learning disability?

The terms “learning disability” and “learning disorder” are often used interchangeably, but there is a subtle distinction between the two. https://ilslearningcorner.com/2016-02-types-of-learning-disorders-how-to-know-the-difference-in-learning-delays/

WAYS TO BUILD CONFIDENCE IN CHILDREN

Great suggestions for building confident children!

We love this!

WAYS TO CALM AN ANXIOUS OR EMOTIONAL CHILD

Kids who are prone to anxiousness, meltdowns, emotional grounding issues or behavior struggles can really benefit from a few of these methods.

https://messymotherhood.com/50-calm-down-tips-for-parents/

We're super excited to welcome Celina our newest Speech Pathologist to the team.

Get to know her a little better on our team page:

https://www.maketheconnection.net.au/who-we-are

What progress really looks like!

💦💦💦

Now that your child is in school how can you keep up with a positive transition.

1. Speak positively about the change
We often want to find out whats not going well, however its important to celebrate what and reflect positively about school

2. Acknowledge and discuss your child’s concerns
Your child’s concerns are real so by acknowledging them we communicate that we understand and are there to support and work through concerns

3. Involve your child as much as possible
By involving your child you share challenge and work collaboratively towards a solution that is comfortable for them

4. Pay a visit to the new school
Its worthwhile setting a time with your child's teacher a month into school to gain their insights and bring everyone on the same page

5. Help your child stay in touch with old friends
Don’t let old connections go by the wayside, friendships take time to grow and nurture and humans of all ages thrive with connection!

Installed by local artist Paolo Puddu, the poetic railing allows those who understand braille to read the words of famous Italian author Giuseppe de Lorenzo and picture the view.

So nice to see curious thinkers working their magic in connecting people!

MTC now offer Expressive Art Therapy

Art Therapy provides an opportunity to explore emotions, thoughts and perceptions that we often can not define in words. It is within the process of creating, that we can find insights and language to communicate our needs and wants.

Email [email protected] to learn more and don't forget to share if you know someone who might find this interesting.

This is so lovely, Repetition to some might be dull, but this certainly is not!

Many of us don't or can not find the same level of pleasures through doing the same thing over a long period of time. Its a common thread in neurotypical individuals. Children and individuals with autism thrive in routine, They maintain the same levels of pleasure in almost all actives be it the type of clothes, breakfast an afternoon tv show or in this case cuddles with Dad.

With my sons autism there is a lot of repetition and routine he uses to find comfort. This is one of my favorite. He has snuggled the same way for 19 years. https://ift.tt/3m3wuuA

We can't wait to see our children and families now that the restrictions have eased. Its been so long and whilst we will continue to provide telehealth we can also see you in the clinic, at home, school, kinder or even in a park!

See everyone soon.
MTC

Christmas in winter is a fantastic day out for the family, we think the Eynesbury Winter Festival sounds fun. Its free to enter and undercover!

We suggest you book to ensure entry and check their activities for the day.

https://eynesbury.com.au/winter-festival/

Winter Festival - Eynesbury With the homestead at its heart, Eynesbury Quarter is a series of welcoming spaces and places for people to come together.

With this freezing weather and an easing of lockdown restrictions, we thought why not get out next weekend to the Myer Mega Playground - ITS FREE AND FUN!



https://whatson.melbourne.vic.gov.au/things-to-do/myer-mega-playroom

Myer Mega Playroom - What's On Get the kids ready for a weekend of fun with Myer's mega playroom.

The magic of light and sleep - Natasha Trickey OT

The magic that happens when you stand outside in the sun for 10 minutes before 9am is that it triggers the release of serotonin and regulates our melatonin levels which makes sure our circadian rhythms aren’t being disrupted from working from home during winter.

Research shows that this makes a huge difference to our sleep cycles and the families that I work with really notice this too.

It is a simple, yet challenging thing to do when it’s freezing cold, but for neurodiverse kids it can make all the difference at bedtime and you can even turn it onto a game in the mornings to also get the blood pumping and help to wake up.

find out more here.
https://www.sleepfoundation.org/bedroom-environment/light-and-sleep

Light & Sleep: Effects on Sleep Quality | Sleep Foundation Light and sleep are closely intertwined. Learn about how different types of light exposure affects circadian rhythm, melatonin, and overall sleep quality.

Holidays provide a wonderful break, however for families with children on the autism spectrum the change in routine can be unsettling and overwhelming.

The latest lockdown had us thinking about weekend getaways and we found the BIG4 Ballarat Goldfields has a Sensory Room developed for families with a child or children on the autism spectrum.

Share any other great finds that you might know of within Victoria!



https://www.big4.com.au/caravan-parks/vic/goldfields/ballarat-goldfields-holiday-park/facilities-and-activities

Facilities and Activities | BIG4 Ballarat Goldfields Holiday Park | BIG4 BIG4 Ballarat Goldfields Holiday Park is a multi-award winning boutique holiday park catering exclusively to tourists and holiday makers. The park facilities centre around young children and families with the indoor tiny tot's playland and kids activities. There is also a meeting room (subject to av...

Wishing all the wonderful, Mothers, Carers, and Grandmothers a fantastic Mothers Day.

Your work is often unnoticed, behind the scenes and all consuming. However without your determination and will to see everyone do well, we'd be lost!

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY from MTC.

Our aim is to improve quality of life and the enjoyment of daily living for both children and families.

This article supports our belief that we (families, teachers, professional supports) impact the trajectories of our children from a very early age.

We truely believe Autism traits are variable over time with the ability to understand, decipher, communicate and connect.

https://www.spectrumnews.org/news/autism-traits-in-children-more-variable-than-previously-thought/

Autism traits in children more variable than previously thought | Spectrum | Autism Research News Nearly half of autistic children may show substantial changes in the severity of their autism traits from ages 3 to 6, according to a new study.

We’re often asked how should I approach the management of my NDIS plan and funds.

The reality is it’s different for each family however we thought we'd provide an overview as a service provider to help your decision making.

Self managed
Essentially you're in control of the of your choice of provider in line with your funding and planned goals. You are also responsible to pay providers and keep track of financial reporting.

Plan Managed
The NDIA will provide funding in your plan to pay for a Plan Manager who pays the providers of your choice, helps keep track of funds and takes care of your financial reporting. You do however have to select from a preferred list of providers

NDIA Managed
The NDIA pays your providers on your behalf, you have access to view what providers are claiming against your fund on the my place portal

MTC as NDIS accredited and can work with any of the above options. We recommend as a family you assess your ability to advocate for your child, their funding and the time you can attribute to funds management. In most cases our families opt for Self Managed and Plan Managed, however there is no right or wrong approach.

Hope this helps, feel free to reach out or leave a comment if you would like to discuss anything further.

Happy world Downs Syndrome Day! Sunday March 21st

We love this beautiful message from you Lea, this animation clearly communicates the fundamental human right we all have to inclusive education and full participation in the communities with which we choose to live, play, socialise and work in.

It is strong, powerful voices like yours who continue to empower us as allied health professionals to strive to continue to establish better academic and social outcomes for all children in general education school classrooms.



https://youtu.be/l_QGlbwwCy4

Have a great week
Amanda

LEA GOES TO SCHOOL | March 21 – World Down Syndrome Day | #IncludeUsFromTheStart Let our story begin the right way. Check out http://www.includeusfromthestart.com to learn more about inclusive education.

Covid-19 has changed our lives, as we transition through the ups and downs of outbreaks and vaccines its important to support our children at this time. The Royal Children's Hospital is a great resource and we found the following list a great reminder of what our kid might need support with.

1. Children look to adults as a guide about how to react in stressful situations
2. Stay calm, positive and hopeful when talking with your child about coronavirus
3. Keep information clear, honest and age-appropriate
Limit media exposure about coronavirus
4. Give children practical things to do, like good hand hygiene, to help them feel in control
5. Make sure you and your child stay physically active
6. If you or your child are feeling overwhelmed or stressed seek help from friends, family or your GP
7. Try to make time to answer your child’s questions and keep the communication channels open

See RCH online support for more information and factsheets
https://www.rch.org.au/kidsinfo/fact_sheets/Supporting_your_child_to_cope_with_the_COVID-19_pandemic/

Kids Health Information : Supporting your child to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic If you are concerned your child has COVID-19 please call the dedicated hotline on 1800 675 398 or visit https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus for more information.

Our Speech Pathologists Caterina Veidt ask's, What happens when our language comprehension is challenged?

Imagine. You’re out with friends, you’re all talking about you’re weekends, questions asked, answers given but you’re not following. You mishear words, beach sounds like peach, questions are missed or misunderstood. You see your friends looking at you, waiting for you to respond, you try to follow but you’ve misunderstood the context and question type. Eventually your friends loose patience, continuing the conversation, leaving you 2 steps behind.

Now, imagine you are 6 years old in prep, not only trying to reach academic expectations but also developing play, language and social skills. Imagine trying to make and keep friendships when you have difficulty attending, processing and deconstructing verbal information that stops you effectively participating in social turn-taking, conversations and following directional tasks.

This is the reality for 3-5% of Australian children that struggle with a receptive or expressive language delay, or a mixture of both.
Common characteristics reported of children with receptive language difficulties include;

- Appearing not to listen when spoken to
- Lack of interest in storybooks
- Difficulty understanding meaning or words/sentences
- Difficulty remembering all words in a sentence in order to make sense of it or follow the direction
- Difficulty understanding complicated sentences.
- Difficulty following verbal instructions

Parents of children with receptive language difficulties will often report feelings of frustration that instructions aren’t being followed or completed, they feel like they have to repeat themselves and that the child is “choosing” not to listen. In reality, many of these children are missing key comprehension skills to aid them in following multiple step instructions, process vocabulary & meaning and follow story sequence & contexts.

“Put your bag away, get your red book and come sit on the big mat.”
Many of you will have heard or even given an instruction like this before with little consideration of the receptive language skills required to successfully follow this instruction.

1) First of all, there are 3 steps to this instruction (bag, book then mat). Many children with comprehension difficulties find it difficult to follow instructions with 2 or more steps.
2) Including modifiers/descriptors (red, big) can increase the difficulty as it will require the child to differentiate between objects to identify the correct target.

How to support a child:
1) Ensure focused eye contact with the child is gained, the environment in quiet and there is limited distractors before giving instruction
2) Avoid multi-step instructions and modifiers
3) Deconstruct verbal information into segments to increase comprehension
4) Provide repetitions
5) Use visuals to support understanding
6) Avoid the use of passive or negative phrases that can increase the complexity of information (e.g. “should you go get your lunch now?”, “can’t you see the board?”)

Another important aspect of receptive language difficulties is that some children can present with appropriate expressive language skills, meaning they are often able to ‘mask’ the level of their understanding difficulties by presenting as a successful talker and communicator. It is important to be aware that even if a child is able to effectively communicate with you verbally, they may have an underlying comprehension difficulty that needs addressing. Common symptoms of masking include: difficulty comprehending and retelling story narratives, preferring to ask questions & avoid responses and preference for communicating with adults rather than other children.

If you have any concerns that your child may struggle with their language comprehension, a speech-language pathologist can support this through specific assessment and treatment.

We play an integral role supporting the mental health and wellbeing of our children going back to school.

Its always great to implement and understand routines environments and support that can help make every day a positive day.

- Establish and maintain the same going to school routine by leaving on time with a check list. For example hat, lunch, bag etc.

- Have your child help in making lunch asking question about what others eat and what they do during lunch times.

- Provide reassurance that school is a safe place to be

- Support social skills by asking emotion based questions about school e.g what are you most excited about today?

- Notice any positive or negative changes in your child’s behaviour and inquire about them.

- Understand how your family and the school can support your child.

And finally recognise that each child will have a different experience and reaction to school.