Sensational Kids

11/03/2026

Dear Sensational Kids families,

Sensational Kids has been using the DIR Framework to help guide and structure our multidisciplinary therapies since 2007. We were the first DIR Floortime provider in Victoria and one of a handful in Australia. We have seen thousands of our little clients grow and develop with the help of this framework. This wonderful child-led and neuroaffirming therapy framework is one of several the NDIS Evidence Advisory Committee is reviewing. We train all of our team in DIR when they join us and we are fortunate to have had several team members progress over many years of training to be expert level DIR Floortime trainers and parent coaches.

As your therapy team, we are looking reaching out on behalf of DIR Floortime advocates and trainers in Australia who are collecting real parent experiences of DIR Floortime to support an important submission to the NDIS Evidence Advisory Commitee. Your voice truly matters, and it will only take a few minutes!

All responses are completely anonymous and confidential. Please complete the short survey in the link below:

02/03/2026

We couldn’t have worded this better - thanks Kids First Children's Services.

📣 We really didn’t want families and educators to miss this.

From today, 1 March, Medicare has expanded funding for children and young people under 25 who need speech therapy.

Because this change literally starts today, many families - and even some GPs - may not have heard about it yet.

And for some children, this could make a very real difference.

If a child in your life is experiencing:

• Stuttering
• Ongoing difficulty being understood
• Persistent speech sound errors
• Childhood apraxia of speech or dysarthria
• Speech differences related to cleft lip and/or palate

There is now an expanded Medicare pathway that may help reduce the cost of assessment and therapy.

Until age 25, this includes:

✔️ Up to 8 assessment sessions
✔️ Up to 20 treatment sessions
✔️ $87.25 rebate per eligible session (March 2026)

That’s more sessions - and a higher rebate - than many families realise is available.

And we know how much this matters.

Communication shapes everything for a child.

When children can express their wants, needs and feelings clearly, they connect more easily. They make friends. They join in. They ask for help. They show what they know. They participate in learning with confidence.

When support is delayed because of cost, children don’t just “wait”. Sometimes they speak less. Hold back. Work harder than they should just to keep up. Confidence can quietly shrink.

That’s why we’re sharing this.

Not everyone will qualify - but someone in your circle might.

If you’re a parent, or if you work with children and families, it may be worth checking this update and having a conversation with your GP.

Sometimes the most powerful thing we can do is pass on information that could change a child’s trajectory 💛

Please share so families and educators don’t miss it.

17/02/2026

Book Spotlight!

At Sensational Kids, we love sharing resources that help families start meaningful conversations about difference, identity and belonging.

Our first recommendation is The Brain Forest written by Sandhya Menon.

This beautiful story follows a mother and her son as they journey through the “Brain Forest,” discovering the many different ways brains can work. If you're looking for a conversation starter at home or in the classroom, this one is a wonderful addition to your bookshelf.

It’s a warm, accessible read that:
• Encourages children to understand and appreciate differences
• Supports families to talk openly about neurodiversity
• Promotes a strengths-based mindset
• Offers practical ideas for creating more inclusive environments

Stay tuned as we continue sharing some of our favourite neurodiversity-affirming reads!

Image description: A bright illustrated cover featuring a whimsical forest where treetops are shaped like colourful, uniquely patterned brains in soft pink, yellow, blue and green tones against a lush green background.

16/02/2026

Thanks Sue Larkey for this important post. See comments for how time blindness can present in kids.

✨ COMMENT '332' ✨ and I will send you this weeks podcast and some great printouts for your staffroom.

👉 I firmly believe that making time accessible to neurodiverse students is a game-changer in our classrooms and homes. After all, time is a universal 🌎 language, and everyone deserves to speak it fluently 💖.

15/02/2026

Our team are well into the swing of 2026 and we have some availability across sites - call us today to secure your child’s 2026 therapy journey!

15/02/2026

Please read and sign! Thriving Kids is going to be catastrophic for education and early childhood - for the kids, their families and educators alike.

Teachers, Families, Allied Health & NDIS Professionals United — Say No to Thriving Kids

13/02/2026

Gwyneth has just a couple of counselling spots left—don't miss out! Call today to secure yours before they're gone. Gwyneth is alaso available for telehealth sessions if you aren't local to Bayside Melbourne.

04/02/2026

This is a brilliant response from Kids First Children's Services to the concerning Thriving Kids report delivered by Minister Butler this week. We urge you to add your voice to this discussion by writing to your local minister (template available in the previous post from the ANPA) - our kids deserve better.

Many parents have asked what the 𝙏𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙆𝙞𝙙𝙨 / 𝙉𝙤 𝘾𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙙 𝙇𝙚𝙛𝙩 𝘽𝙚𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙙 report could mean for families.

Kids First founder, Sonja Walker, has reviewed the 80,000-word document released today and below are some of the key areas we have raised with our local MP for parliamentary discussion.

It's important to note that the intention behind the report is a positive one. Everyone wants children to get the right support earlier and to see better outcomes over time.

We’re sharing our feedback because we’re concerned that some of the recommendations rely on assumptions that don’t always reflect family life on the ground, and that the real-world impact for children and parents hasn’t been fully considered.

𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘃𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁

The report recommends increasing access to information, resources and online programs to build parent capacity.
Many parents already know what their child finds hard. What’s often missing is time, energy and hands-on support to turn advice into real change at home, school and in the community. Online programs can be helpful, but they don’t replace skilled professionals working alongside children and families over time.

𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗼 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲

The report suggests that parent capacity can be expanded indefinitely through access to education and online programs.
In reality, many parents are already carrying a heavy load. Between work, siblings, appointments, school meetings and daily challenges, families are doing their best with limited reserves. Expecting parents to absorb even more responsibility without enough professional support risks burnout and could leave children without the help they need.

𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 “𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗱” 𝗼𝗿 “𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲”

The report relies on terms such as “mild to moderate” developmental delay or autism to guide decisions.
These labels don’t always match daily life, and they do not reflect clinical practice. Children described as “mild” can still struggle significantly with learning, friendships, behaviour, sleep, toileting or emotions. When decisions rely on labels rather than how a child functions day to day, some children miss early support at the point it could make the biggest difference.

𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀

The report often refers to large Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) as the primary voice of best practice and service delivery.
Many of these organisations hold charitable status, which gives them access to funding structures, tax exemptions, grants and pilot program opportunities that smaller providers simply don’t have. This allows them to trial new models, absorb financial risk and operate at scale in ways that are not possible for most local services.

However, many of these organisations no longer operate consistently within local communities. (The NGO that Sonja once served as a Board member, Lifestart, moved out of the northern beaches years ago to redirect supports to other areas of Sydney.) When this kind of thing happens, families rely heavily on smaller, local services that know their child, their school and their area, and who can respond flexibly as needs change. These relationships are built over time and are central to effective support. If local services that are dedicated to their community disappear, that trust and knowledge can’t be replaced quickly or easily.

𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲

The report implies that private or unregistered providers are more 'transactional' or higher risk than NGOs.
In reality, private practice clinicians are regulated by exactly the same professional bodies and bound by the same strict codes of conduct as NGOs. Many experienced therapists choose not to register with the NDIS because of cost and complexity, not because of poor or unethical practice. This distinction matters to families who depend on these services. We encourage the Thriving Kids committee to ask the question: 'If 92% of NDIS providers are unregistered, why is this so?'

𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

The report supports mandatory registration without clearly outlining a timeframe or how services will transition safely. There are insufficient resources in the sector to allow this to happen, even with a January 2028 floated as a 'done by date'.
If changes are introduced too quickly, some local services may be forced to close. Families won’t simply move elsewhere, because there often isn’t anywhere else to go. Once local services are lost, rebuilding them is extremely difficult.

𝗔𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀

The report focuses heavily (and rightly so) on the challenges that are experienced by families living in Australia's regional and rural areas - however it also assumes that children in metropolitan areas have enough services and capacity.
City families face the same workforce shortages, waitlists and burnout as regional areas. Many parents already ration therapy or go without support because services are stretched.

𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆

The report assumes the workforce can expand quickly to support new models of care.
Therapists take years to train, and many experienced clinicians are leaving the sector due to workload and uncertainty. New systems can’t succeed unless there are enough skilled people available to deliver care.
Switching responsibility to educators, teachers and schools is not the answer to these challenges. Educators are already stretched and are not trained or resourced to provide disability-specific assessment or intervention. Expecting them to fill workforce gaps risks pushing people beyond their scope, increasing pressure in classrooms, and leaving children without the specialised support they need.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗶𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲

Support for children isn’t just about programs or policy frameworks. 𝗜𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲, 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲. 𝗜𝗳 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗿 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘁, 𝗶𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗹𝘆.

𝗙𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 (𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲) 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁. Without careful planning, broad consultation and agreement across systems, there is a real risk that well-intentioned changes could unintentionally make things harder for the very children they aim to support.

04/02/2026

⚠️ What the government announced today about Thriving Kids - and what it actually means for your child.

Today, the federal government and state/territory governments released the final Thriving Kids report and announced a plan to roll it out.

The government says this is about “supporting children earlier” but the details show it is *actually* a replacement of the NDIS early childhood pathway for many Autistic children and children with developmental delay aged 0-8.

This is a major system change, not a minor tweak.

Here’s what it means in real life.

1. What children get now under the current NDIS early childhood pathway:

If your child is Autistic or has developmental delay and qualifies for NDIS support -

Supports your child gets now under the NDIS:

✔ Individually tailored NDIS plan

✔ An individual budget often around $18,000 to $40,000 per year

✔ Regular therapy (speech, OT, psychology, behaviour supports)

✔ Functional assistive technology (including complex AAC devices)

✔ Support that follows your child across home, ECEC, and school.

Rights your child has now under the NDIS:

✔ You can negotiate what should be in the plan

✔ You can request plan reviews

✔ You can appeal decisions

✔ Funding is legally enforceable under the NDIS Act

✔ There are procedural safeguards if decisions are wrong

This system recognises your child as an individual rights-holder with needs that must be met.

2. What children will get next under the new Thriving Kids plan

Instead of individual NDIS plans, most children will be directed into Thriving Kids programs, where there will be:

✘ No individual plan
✘ No individual budget under a rights-based scheme
✘ Parenting programs and playgroups
✘ Group-based information and support for parents
✘ Some very short blocks of therapy - limited and time-bound
✘ Only low-cost assistive tools (usually under $1,000)

Rights under Thriving Kids

✘ No individual budget to negotiate
✘ No guaranteed minimum supports
✘ No reviewable plan
✘ Decision is about what services exist, not what your child needs

Your child will be treated as part of a cohort and not as an individual whose needs are enforceable by law.

3. What this really looks like in practice

> For children

> Loss of ongoing, regular therapy tied to their needs

> Reduction or elimination of individualised allied health

> Less consistency and continuity of support

> Increased risk of regression in access to communication or regulation

> More time in classrooms without supports

> Increased distress and behaviours of concern leading to exposure to more and more frequent restrictive practices, and resulting trauma and school avoidance

> Increased risks of poor mental health over time due to loss of supports and poor outcomes on every measure.

This isn’t about “moving to schools” - it’s about removing supports children currently rely on.

What does this mean for families?

> More meetings about behaviour instead of therapy outcomes

> More conflict with schools over unmet needs

> More pressure to pay privately or go without support

> No right to appeal or review if supports are cut

> Decisions made by program rules, not your child’s needs

> Parents will effectively have less say and less protection than they do now.

What will this look like in schools?

Staff are expected to manage higher complexity with fewer supports

- More behaviour challenges in class

- More time spent on paperwork, plans, and meetings

- Higher Work Health & Safety risks for teachers and aides from kids in distress without regulation supports

- More conflict with families rather than collaboration as stress increases and exclusion inevitably increases.

This is not extra help for schools. It is less support for children, which pushes work onto teachers and education systems.

4. The $ difference - what’s actually lost in dollar terms?

Under NDIS now:

➡ Typically $25,000-$35,000 per child per year in support for eligible children

➡ Funding follows the child and supports are tailored to their needs.

Under Thriving Kids:

➡ Shared funding of about $28,000 per school per year, to be stretched across ALL students

➡ After admin costs, that’s roughly $300 to $500 per child and not tied to their individual needs

Net difference?

➡ Families lose roughly $25,000 - $30,000 per child per year in direct support.

That’s a real loss of therapy, hours, and supports children were getting under the NDIS.

Your child will get about $300 - $500 dollarbucks per year and it will be general programs you can't choose, instead of $30,000 dollarbucks.

You will pay for anything else they need.

The question on every parents lips today:

5. Can we still stop Thriving Kids?

Yes - but not without clear, organised pressure. We need to get to work.

Here’s what is true and comforting right now:

The model is not yet law!

The Thriving Kids plan requires:

> changes to administrative arrangements, and

> possibly changes to legislation if the NDIS Act criteria are to be altered.

Until it is in law, there is plenty of room to influence, modify, or halt implementation.

So, what actions are possible?

Families and allies can:

➡ Write to your federal MP, state MPs, and Ministers

➡ Participate in submissions to Parliament and inquiries

➡ Share lived experience publicly and with media

➡ Join or support advocacy campaigns focused on rights and legal protections

➡ Ask for a pause on implementation until safeguards are guaranteed

➡ Ask for continuity of the NDIS early childhood pathway unless and until an equal or better rights-based system exists

Parents and advocates are already doing lots of these things. Groups are talking to lawyers and preparing formal responses. There is hope!

6. What you can tell others today about Thriving Kids!

Copy and share this:

➡ “Thriving Kids is not just a new service. It replaces NDIS plans with pooled supports that do not follow my child, will not meet their needs, takes away their enforceable rights and choices, and leaves families without review or appeal.”

➡ “Parents need clarity: what happens if my child needs more than parenting support? What is the right of return to the NDIS? How is this in the best interests of my child?"

➡ “Children deserve support tied to their individual needs. This change moves us backwards, not forwards.”

03/02/2026

Back to school can be more than just uniforms & lunchboxes 🎒
It’s also about supporting regulation, routines & readiness 🧠

Here’s how you can help at home:

✔ Regulation
Calm, predictable mornings and opportunities for movement help children settle their nervous systems so they can focus and engage.

✔ Routines
Visual schedules, clear expectations and consistent transitions support children to know what’s coming next and feel more secure.

✔ Readiness
Sleep, nutrition, downtime and emotional support can help support children to take on school tasks and activities.

If the transition back to school feels tricky, speak with your child's treating allied health therapist or contact us to book an appointment today. Ph: 8560 4060 (Kensington) or 9578 7560 (Cheltenham).

[Image Description: A group of smiling school-aged children and a teacher standing in a classroom raising their hands in front of a chalkboard]

29/01/2026

Have you been waiting for Speech Pathology, or an assessment for far too long? Sensational Kids Kensington has immediate availability for Speech Pathology (this is unheard of!) and assessments. There is also limited availability with the rest of our team - if you are flexible you can nab some great appointments with great therapists! Call us today to book. Ph: 8560 4050 - we look forward to seeing you in clinic soon. #