Lizzy Dawson

Lizzy Dawson Mum - AEP - Entrepreneur - Emotional - Passionate - Determined.

Lizzy brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise in the field of paediatric exercise and development, making her an invaluable resource for professionals and parents alike. As a sought-after speaker, Lizzy is passionate about sharing her insights and empowering others to make a positive impact on children's health and well-being. Whether it's a conference, seminar, or educational event, Liz's engaging speaking style captivates audiences as she delves into topics such as child development, paediatric exercise, sensory integration, and more. Her presentations are informative, inspiring, and provide practical strategies that can be implemented immediately.

When I started working in paediatrics, I would like to say I never imagined we would be expanding nationally. But it has...
12/04/2026

When I started working in paediatrics, I would like to say I never imagined we would be expanding nationally. But it has been on my goals for, I would safely say, at least 5 years. ⁠

But the more I worked alongside educators and families, the clearer it became.⁠

The need is growing.⁠
And early childhood is one of the most important spaces to focus on.⁠

Now, through Kids Heart Pilates and Proactive Health, we’re expanding nationally and working towards supporting more children across Australia.⁠

It’s exciting.⁠
It’s challenging.⁠
And it’s just the beginning.

In a leadership session last month with  we talked about empowred leadership. ⁠⁠As we went we started to talk about lead...
12/04/2026

In a leadership session last month with we talked about empowred leadership. ⁠

As we went we started to talk about leadership across differnt generations. And it was fascinating. My main take away is that leadership is not about us. Leadership is being flexible and adaptable depending on who you are leading. ⁠

This is why it pushes us. There is no system, no set way, we need to respond. ⁠

Not dissimilar to my work as a paediatric practitioner.

Advocacy isn’t always comfortable, but it’s necessary.⁠⁠I’m actively involved in advocacy work with the NDIS Professiona...
10/04/2026

Advocacy isn’t always comfortable, but it’s necessary.⁠

I’m actively involved in advocacy work with the NDIS Professionals Australia union because the future of allied health, clinicians, and families deserves a big voice. One that relies on many voices joined together⁠

If this matters to you too, I’d love to connect. Please reach out and I will let you know what is going on. I am meeting so many amazing, smart and impressive practitioners through this work.

Because good mentoring takes time, honesty, and energy from both sides.⁠⁠I’m offering limited mentoring this year, prima...
09/04/2026

Because good mentoring takes time, honesty, and energy from both sides.⁠

I’m offering limited mentoring this year, primarily through my role with the Proactive network.⁠

It’s for clinicians who want clarity, sustainability, and a long view of their careers.⁠

I am LOVING this work. Teaching others is one of the greatest gifts I have stumbled upon. Seeing when it all starts to make sense and they feel empowered to help children. It is truly special.

One of the biggest things I’ve learned working with children is this:⁠⁠Confidence doesn’t come from being told.⁠⁠It come...
08/04/2026

One of the biggest things I’ve learned working with children is this:⁠

Confidence doesn’t come from being told.⁠

It comes from experiencing.⁠
Trying⁠
Succeeding⁠
Feeling capable⁠

This is why movement plays such a powerful role in development.⁠

When children feel confident in their bodies, they engage more, try more and participate more.⁠

This is something I dive deeper into in my Child Development and Paediatric Programming course.⁠

Because when practitioners and educators understand development, they can support children more effectively.⁠

And that’s where real change happens.

When I started Kids Heart Pilates, I thought we would just run movement sessions.⁠⁠But over time, something bigger start...
06/04/2026

When I started Kids Heart Pilates, I thought we would just run movement sessions.⁠

But over time, something bigger started to happen.⁠
Educators started asking questions.⁠

Directors wanted more support.⁠

Families wanted clarity.⁠
And I realised this wasn’t just about movement.⁠
It was about understanding children.⁠

That’s when everything shifted.⁠

Now we’re working alongside centres, supporting educators and building something much bigger than I originally imagined.⁠

And honestly, we’re just getting started.

Over the past 16 years working in paediatrics, I’ve seen gradual change.⁠But the last few years have felt different.⁠⁠Mo...
06/04/2026

Over the past 16 years working in paediatrics, I’ve seen gradual change.⁠
But the last few years have felt different.⁠

More children needing support.⁠

More pressure on educators.⁠
More families unsure where to start.⁠

And yet, I’m also seeing something really positive.⁠
Educators asking for more support.⁠

Centres looking for partnerships.⁠

Practitioners wanting to work differently.⁠

Early childhood is evolving.⁠
And I believe this is one of the most important spaces to focus on.⁠

Because when we support children early, everything changes.⁠

This is why I’m so passionate about the work we’re building right now.

I’ve been reflecting recently on my mini moment last year. The moment I realised I was operating completely in fight or ...
04/04/2026

I’ve been reflecting recently on my mini moment last year. The moment I realised I was operating completely in fight or flight, stuck in my sympathetic nervous system.

I jokingly thought to myself, “Oh… my nervous breakdown.”

Then I realised…

Yes. That’s exactly what it was.

My nervous system had been so completely overloaded, overstimulated, and pushed for so long that it simply broke down.

I had to completely reset.

In October, I went on medication, which honestly changed my life. Not long after, the extreme fatigue hit. This wasn’t something that came on overnight. It had been creeping in for two years, poor sleep, work stress, underlying anxiety.

It wasn’t until March that I felt my energy truly return.

Now I feel great again. But a huge reset had to take place first.

This is bigger than one clinic.⁠⁠Bigger than one program.⁠⁠Bigger than one state.⁠⁠We’re building something much bigger....
03/04/2026

This is bigger than one clinic.⁠

Bigger than one program.⁠

Bigger than one state.⁠

We’re building something much bigger.⁠

Through Kids Heart Pilates and Proactive Health, we’re working to support children, educators and families across Australia.⁠

We’re expanding nationally.⁠
We’re partnering with centres.⁠
We’re building research.⁠
We’re supporting educators in real time.⁠

Because early childhood is one of the most important spaces to support children.⁠

And when we support educators, we support children.⁠

This is just the beginning. And I am so incredibly excited.

Over the past few years, something has shifted in early childhood.⁠⁠Educators are noticing it.⁠Directors are feeling it....
01/04/2026

Over the past few years, something has shifted in early childhood.⁠

Educators are noticing it.⁠
Directors are feeling it.⁠
Families are searching for answers.⁠
More children are needing support.⁠
More regulation challenges.⁠
More fatigue.⁠
More difficulty with participation.⁠

After 16 years working alongside early childhood educators, this is one of the biggest shifts I’ve seen.⁠

This is why we’re evolving how we support children, educators and centres.⁠

We're expanding nationally, collaborating with The University of Queensland and building scalable support for early learning environments.⁠

I’ve written more about this in my latest blog.⁠

Read the full article:⁠

https://www.lizzydawson.com.au/blog/early-childhood-is-changing

31/03/2026

New on ✨

I’m diving into a topic every clinician has experienced… when therapy looks like it’s working in the clinic, but somehow isn’t translating at home or school.

In this episode, I unpack the real reason behind this disconnect and why in-session success is not always the full picture.

Because the goal of therapy isn’t just progress in a controlled environment.

It’s creating strategies that actually work in real life.

I share what clinicians often miss when designing interventions, the gap between clinic and everyday environments, and how to create therapy that truly carries over beyond sessions.

It’s practical, eye-opening, and a must-listen for anyone working with children and families. 💛

Now streaming on Spotify, Apple & YouTube. 🎧

29/03/2026

Hi, I’m Lizzy Dawson.⁠

I’m the founder of Kids Heart Pilates, Accredited Exercise Physiologist and now Paediatric Project Lead for Proactive Health.⁠

For the past 16 years, I’ve worked alongside children, families and early childhood educators. ⁠

And over that time, I’ve seen a shift.⁠
More children are needing support.⁠
More regulation challenges.⁠
More difficulty with participation.⁠

And educators are doing an incredible job navigating this complexity.⁠
But what I kept seeing was this: Amazing practitioners ready to support⁠
Educators needing support⁠
Families searching for answers⁠
And yet, these worlds weren’t always connecting.⁠

That’s what I’m working to change.⁠
Through Kids Heart Pilates and now my role with Proactive Health, we’re expanding nationally to support more centres, more educators and more families.⁠

We’re also collaborating on research with The University of Queensland to strengthen the evidence behind movement-based support in early childhood.⁠

Because early childhood is changing.⁠
And I believe the way we support children needs to change with it.⁠
This is just the beginning.

Address

Brisbane City, QLD

Website

https://www.lizzydawson.com.au/Paed-assessement-protocol-join

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