Your Way Occupational Therapy

25/07/2025

Your Way Occupational Therapy is delighted to welcome Madeline who will be spending some time with Helen over the next few months. Madeline is currently completing a Cert 3 in Allied Health Assistance as part of her SACE studies. Madeline has ambitions to study allied health at university next year. Madeline is busy developing social media and therapy resources for Your Way Occupational Therapy. Welcome Madeline!

20/06/2024

Pretty great day yesterday as I had the pleasure of delivering and setting up some new AT for Shane. Shane has cerebral palsy and he relies of using assistive technology for all aspects of his life. He loves his X-box, and with his adapted Xbox controller and an array of switches he’ll challenge anyone to beat him at his latest car racing game. This year we had a new goal to develop independence with eating. We trialled a few options which led us to the Obi-feeder. Using 2 switches Shane can now feed himself completely independently; something he has never been able to do. Lots of smiles and a few tears too…

17/05/2024

Love this little article from Driving Well Occupational Therapy about driving with Autism with a short clip from Young Sheldon!

Have you watched “Young Sheldon”? Prequel of “The Big Bang Theory”, 9 year old Sheldon is gifted and demonstrates traits of autism (although it is never formally mentioned); Sheldon’s mentor and physics professor Dr John Sturgis (also gifted and demonstrating traits of autism) doesn’t dr...

12/05/2024

Is my teen/young person ready to learn to drive?

There is currently high demand for driving assessment services for pre-learner and learner drivers. Your Way Occupational Therapy offers driving assessments for people with disabilities or medical conditions that may impact on their ability to drive. However, traditional OT driver assessment processes were developed for experienced drivers who are ageing or have an acquired disability or medical condition, and they aren’t always appropriate for learner drivers.

Recently I spent two days learning about the “potential the drive” assessment for learner drivers, with a particular focus on learner drivers who have intellectual disability, autism, ADHD, anxiety or other cognitive and/or mental health challenges.

The “potential to drive” assessment aims to determine whether a person is ready for driving, or has sufficient skills to be able to participate in a learn to drive program. The program involves:
• Clinical assessments that are valid and reliable for neurodivergent learners,
• Life-skills review,
• Passenger learning activities, and
• “Behind the wheel” activities.

A potential to drive assessment can be commenced before a young person even has their learner’s permit. It is great to get started early because there are lots of opportunities to start learning skills for driving before getting behind the wheel.
I look forward to applying new insights, resources and processes to give everyone the best chance of learning to be a safe and independent driver.

22/11/2023

What a pleasure it has been spending my day at the Murraylands Skills Centre. As a mobile therapist, I spend the majority of my time in clients’ homes and in my travelling office (my car), but sometimes I need an alternative location to meet. This office space is perfect. I look forward to visiting again.

25/10/2023

During the past year I have had the privilege of meeting some new young people and we have been working together on some self-chosen goals:
"I want to be able to write so that my teacher can read it"
"I want to be able to write a whole page in 1 lesson"
"I want to be able to tie my shoelaces"
and from one very honest and awesome young ADHDer:
"I want to be able to actually read in silent reading, not just pretend to be reading".
The CO-OP approach offers me and my clients a way to reach these goals. And we have. (But still working on the silent reading).
The CO-OP approach has a strong evidence base and research continues to show how CO-OP can be an effective approach for children and adults who live with a wide range of disabilities and functional challenges. This research involved young people with cerebral palsy.

11/06/2023

As a mother and an Occupational Therapist, the activities involved in ‘doing’ parenting and being a parent interest me greatly. For parents who have a child with a disability, the experience of parenting has more levels of complexity and challenge. Here is a brief summary of some occupational therapy research that seeks to explore Mothers’ experiences of parenting a child with ASD.

22/05/2023

OT Availability.
Does your child have a goal that they want to meet? Perhaps they want to learn to ride a bike, tie their shoes, kick a ball, write neatly, be more organised with school work?

Your Way Occupational Therapy can now offer weekly therapy sessions using the CO-OP approach. Helen is an internationally certified CO-OP therapist and has availability for primary or high school aged children who are motivated to work on their goals in relation to self care, life-skills, school participation, play or leisure.

The CO-OP approach is a client centred problem solving and collaborative approach to skill acquisition. Research has shown that it is an effective intervention for children and adults with coordination disorders, cerebral palsy, ADHD, Autism, Acquired Brain Injury and many conditions that impact on a person’s ability to carry out daily activities. Enquire now to find out more about CO-OP.

06/04/2023

I first met Mary late in 2021, and what a pleasure it has been to work with her! Mary was really struggling with her mobility and mental health. At the end of our first meeting we had identified and clarified some problems and I had discovered that her greatest love was her animals. Turning problems into goals gave me a long to-do list of assistive technology trials and assessments to action. Fast forward 18 months and Mary can access her bathroom, bedroom and get in and out of her house. She can mobilise independently in the community. But most importantly for Mary, everyday she can care for her horses and chickens. There is nothing more satisfying for this occupation focussed OT!

31/10/2022

ℹ️ We love how the ethos of OT is captured in this image by (Instagram)! For more graphics, quotes and videos: theOThub.com/occupationaltherapy.