Early Start Australia ACT - previously Therapy 4 Kids

11/08/2021

Early Start Australia employs speech pathologists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and psychologists as part of their new graduate program. Check out graduate careers webinar to find out if we would be a good fit to start off your career in children's therapy.

27/04/2021

With winter netball almost upon us, it is a great time for injury prevention!

The anterior cruiciate ligament (ACL) is the most common site of injury in amateur netballers, responsible for 33% of all injuries in the sport.

The young knee is especially vulnerable to injury during periods of growth or fluctuating hormones. An injury doesn't just hurt and end a season, but it can cause ongoing problems with mobility and engagement in sport in the future.

The KNEE Program is an evidence based program to reduce ACL injuries. It was written by Netball Australia and is delivered by KNEE certified physiotherapists (US!).
It focuses on strengthening and safe movements when changing direction, landing and stopping.

Have a look at the program and it's importance for your budding netballer.

https://knee.netball.com.au/

Knees and ankles are the most commonly injured body parts of netballers. The KNEE Program is an on court warm up program designed to enhance movement efficiency and prevent injury through easy-to-follow exercises. Designed for physios, coaches, parents and players.

17/01/2021

Hypermobility

Disclaimer: This article is for education only. Please consult with your doctor or health professional to make sure this information is right for your child.

What is hypermobility?
Hypermobility is when various joint moves beyond normal limits. Its what many people used to call double jointed. And for most people, it’s a variant of normal and doesn’t cause any problems. It even means they might excel at sports that require flexibility like dance or gymnastics.

Types of hypermobility:
• Hypermobility can be associated with medical condition like Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and Marfan Syndrome. If your child has other symptoms besides excess joint range you should talk to your doctor.
• Up to 35% of children have a condition called benign joint hypermobility syndrome. This means that some of their joints move beyond normal but this isn’t associated with another medical condition.
• Swelling and joint asymmetry is not part of the normal presentation of benign joint hypermobility syndrome. If your child has these symptoms you should see a doctor.

Hypermobility throughout childhood:

Hypermobility in infants can make it harder for them to control their joints to learn to crawl and walk. The good news is, if your child is bendy but is meeting all their milestones (like crawling and walking), they will likely continue to do so and be able to fully participate in activities with other children. If your child is not meeting their gross motor milestones (or if you are not sure that they are) it is important that you have them checked by a doctor or a physiotherapist.

In preschool aged children, you may notice that your child has difficulty gripping and manipulating fine objects. They might have trouble sitting on the floor with their legs crossed or on a chair and instead choose to lie on their tummy, W-sit (with their bottom on the floor and legs tucked behind in a W) or slide forward in the seat.

In school aged children, you may notice difficulties with handwriting, fatigue, complaining of aches and pains or difficulty keeping up with walking and running.

Is my child more likely to get injured?

Most children with hypermobility do not get pain or increased injuries. However, some children do get pain in hypermobile joints, particularly when they have used the joint a lot. They may also be susceptible to sprains and other soft tissue injuries because the ligaments around their joints allow so much movement.

What should I do about it?

It is shown that children with hypermobility who stay active and strong have very few problems with their hypermobility as they grow up. Swimming, riding a bike and participating in school sports are all part of an active and healthy childhood. If your child has trouble participating in these activities you should see a physiotherapist or an occupational therapist to discuss ways to work toward your child being able to safely participate.

References:

Tirosh, E., Jaffe, M., Marmur, R., Taub, Y., & Rosenberg, Z. (1991). Prognosis of motor development and joint hypermobility. Archives of disease in childhood, 66(8), 931–933. https://doi.org/10.1136/adc.66.8.931

Reuter, P. R., & Fichthorn, K. R. (2019). Prevalence of generalized joint hypermobility, musculoskeletal injuries, and chronic musculoskeletal pain among American university students. PeerJ, 7, e7625. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.7625

12/01/2021

Sticky, Salty, Sandy, Summer.

Does your child love or hate the beach? For kids with sensory sensitivities, the beach can be a tricky place to visit. There's gloopy sunscreen, sand that mysteriously gets into everything and sticky salt water, not to mention that bright sunlight glinting off the water!

To make beach visits sensory-friendly, invest in long-sleeved sun shirts, broad brimmed hats and sunnies, to reduce the amount of sunscreen needed and reduce the glare (this also increases sun safety, so it's a win-win!). For little people who hate sand sticking to their skin, consider trying a microfibre or tesalate towel, as these don't hold onto sand like standard towels do.

For more ideas head to: https://earlystartaustralia.com.au/2020/02/11/sticky-salty-and-sandy-summer-six-tips-for-your-sensory-sensitive-child-to-enjoy-the-beach/

11/12/2020

The school holidays are a great time to unwind and relax, but for children with autism spectrum disorder, the holidays can be stressful, as usual routines and predictability fall away, allowing anxiety about what will happen next to creep in.

To ensure a successful, stress free break, chat with your child about what will happen on the Christmas break, and write events on a calendar that the whole family can refer to as needed. If your child can't read yet, draw little pictures representing events and let your child know what the pictures mean in simple language that they will understand. Letting your child know what might happen and how long events will go for can also be helpful to increasing predictability and decreasing meltdowns during the festive season.

Happy planning!

24/11/2020

We had a great physiotherapy in service on learning to skip thanks to Nicole!

Here's her tips:

Skipping is a fun playground skill that many children struggle to pick up. Being able to skip is important for those who are feeling left out at school watching other children do something that completely eludes them. Luckily, it’s easy to teach. All you need is a willing and patient adult, an enthusiastic child, and a skipping rope. (The pointers for this skill are based around teaching a child to skip with the rope spun by other people).

Skipping progressions: Assumes that the child can jump more than 30cm
Aim: 20x jumps when playing jump rope in a sequence
1. Start by practicing jumping on the spot
2. Jumping over hurdles that are close together
3. Jumping over a line on the ground facing forwards, then facing sideways
4. Jumping over a rope 15cm off the floor facing forwards, then facing sideways
5. Jumping over line/rope x10 in sequence to a clap or rhyme e.g. teddy bear teddy bear
6. Jump with skipping rope. 1,2,3 count down. Start by intentionally getting the rope under their feet so that they can develop a rhythm
7. Jump, wait, jump wait
8. Games with skipping to encourage the child to attempt to beat their previous score
Common problems:
- Jumping too high and landing in squat instead of on feet
- Jumping twice as fast instead of pausing as rope swings overhead
- Not jumping high enough or fatiguing early on in the skipping
- Jumping out of time/ varying speed of jump and not developing rhythm
- Difficulty with the first jump

If your child has a disability or development delay and you would like help teaching them to skip our physiotherapists are happy to help.

18/11/2020

Happy 🍕 day, Lyndsay! Aka 1st anniversary with ESA.

13/11/2020