Emerge Allied Health

03/05/2026

Connect 💞 Create 🎨 Communicate 💬

During the school holidays, Lisa A (AAC Support Specialist) and Krystal (Allied Health Assistant) ran our first Connect, Create, Communicate group for AAC users. These amazing young people came together to create, chat, and share their ideas using a range of communication methods, including eye gaze, PODD books, switches, and more. From choosing colours and designs to commenting, joking, and connecting with each other, every session was full of meaningful interaction. The integration of assistive technology meant that everyone could participate in a way that suited their skills and access needs.

Across five sessions, participants worked on their own unique art pieces, building confidence using their AAC systems in a fun, social environment. Together we:

👕 Dyed shirts using a water pistol
💫 Played Celebrity Heads
💩 Used remote control poos to paint on canvases
🎳 Had a game of 10 pin bowling
🧵 Used a sewing machine to decorate tote bags
🎮 Played Mario Kart
📷 Became photographers and photo editers
✨ ️Created a collaborative art piece using a leaf blower and glitter
❤️ Had an amazing time!

The highlight was our final exhibition, where they proudly shared their creations (and their voices!) with family and the Emerge team.

This group was all about:
💬 expressing opinions and self-advocacy
🎨 making creative choices
👯 building friendships
✨ being seen and heard

We are so proud of this group - for the effort they put in, as well as the way they showed that there are many ways to communicate and participate.

03/05/2026

Often, the need for support is identified before any formal diagnosis is in place.
It begins with recognising that a child may be finding everyday expectations more difficult to meet — whether in transitions, communication, or engagement.

Support at this stage focuses on understanding what may be contributing to that difficulty and adjusting the environment, expectations, and support around the child.

This approach supports more consistent and sustainable outcomes across home, school, and community settings.

If this reflects a child you are supporting, it may be a good time to seek support.

To make a referral, visit:
👉 https://emergealliedhealth.com/referral-form

Families are welcome to self refer.

Our waitlist is open.

30/04/2026

Showed up in the same outfit as my coworker… clearly the team is in sync 🔥👯‍♀️ 🤝

28/04/2026

We’re not saying this anymore:
“Sit down.”
“Listen.”
“Use your words.”
These are phrases most of us have used and heard — for years.
But in moments where a child is already overwhelmed, this kind of language can unintentionally increase pressure and escalate the situation.
When that happens, the child’s capacity to listen, process, and respond actually reduces.
So in sessions at Emerge, we take a different approach.
We use language that lowers demand, supports regulation, and keeps the relationship intact.
You’ll often hear:
• “We’ve got time”
• “I’m wondering if…”
• “Let’s figure it out together”
Because when a child feels safe and supported,
they’re far more able to engage and build skills over time.

26/04/2026

It can be difficult to picture what Early Childhood Practitioner support looks like in practice.
Rather than focusing on changing behaviour, the focus is on understanding what is making things hard and adjusting the environment, expectations, and support around the child.
This approach leads to things feeling more manageable and sustainable over time, both for the child and the people supporting them.
If this sounds familiar, it may be a good time to seek support.
To make a referral, visit:
👉 https://emergealliedhealth.com
Families are welcome to self refer.
Our waitlist is open.

21/04/2026

Supporting children can be approached in different ways.
Many people have been taught to respond to behaviour by increasing expectations, focusing on compliance, or trying to correct what is happening in the moment.
We take a different approach.
We look at what is making things hard for a child and focus on supporting regulation, reducing overwhelm, and responding in a way that helps them cope.
This is what leads to more meaningful and lasting change.

19/04/2026

You may hear different titles used in this space, but the focus of our work remains the same.
We support children by looking beyond what we see on the surface and asking what is making things difficult for them in that moment.
From there, we work with the child and the adults around them to reduce pressure, support regulation, and create environments where they can participate more comfortably in everyday life.
This is not about changing the child.
It is about understanding them and adjusting the supports around them.
If things are feeling harder than they should, it's a good time to seek help.
To make a referral visit: https://emergealliedhealth.com/referral-form
Families are welcome to self refer.
Our waitlist is open.

18/04/2026

Truth!! Thanks Diversity Kids

14/04/2026

One strategy won’t work in every state.
We all move through different states across the day. Calm, engaged, overwhelmed, anxious, tired. These states require different kinds of support.
What works when a child is calm often won’t work when they are overwhelmed.
Same child, different state, different support needed.
When we continue with the same approach regardless of state, we often see escalation, resistance, and increased distress.
When we adjust in response to the moment, we support regulation, safety, and connection.
This might mean reducing demands, changing how we communicate, allowing space, or pausing before trying to teach or problem solve.
Support needs to flex with energy, stress, and context.
That is not inconsistency. That is responsive practice.

12/04/2026

11/04/2026

Tasmania is our home, and supporting Tasmanians is our purpose.

Every day we are reflecting on our mission and today we take a moment to feel proud and humbled to have grown from local roots to statewide impact, every day in the community as fellow Tasmanians helping other Tasmanians to live healthier, happier lives, today and into the future.

Emerge Allied Health has grown to become one of the state’s largest allied health providers, delivering services within the communities that we live and know.

Thank you to you, the families, community partners, and our incredible team for helping us strengthen the health and wellbeing of our island state. We are all in it together!!

10/04/2026

We believe playgrounds and parks should be welcoming and accessible to everyone. That’s why we’re so inspired by one of our future changemakers, 12 year old Addie. She has launched a Change.org petition advocating for communication boards in local playgrounds.

If you’d like to support Addie and this important initiative, here’s the petition: 🔗 https://c.org/JGWW8XjBX7

[Visual description: A bright cartoon image shows three children at a playground pointing to a large communication chat board with simple symbol icons.]