SEED Paediatric Services

27/09/2025

PAEDIATRIC OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY ||

Last week I, Michelle, travelled to Ubud Bali joining 30 other OTs for a week of immersive learning about the SPiRIT Clinical Reasoning Tool and engaging with the beautiful children who attend the community established school Bali volunteering - Yayasan Widya Guna
The experience absolutely blew my mind, heart and spirit. It was simultaneously gloriously rewarding and challenging, inspiring and uncomfortable, heart warming and sad, and like all extraordinary experiences will take some time to process and integrate.
I'm eternally grateful and inspired by my dear friend and brilliant, compassionate and gracious leader from Developmental FX - The Developmental & Fragile X Resource CentreCentre who took us on the incredible journey, meeting us all where we were at, holding us when we wobbled and reminding us to be kind to ourselves as we learn.
Huge thanks to Linda and Hannah for dreaming up the idea and bringing it to fruition, and Ange for being our right hand woman.
Massive thanks to all the phenomenally clever and generous OT's who I had the pleasure of learning from and treating with, especially Hannah Melinda and Sara.
It was an absolute honour and I cannot wait to do it again in February.

12/09/2025

PAEDIATRIC OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY ||

Sarah and Michelle spent 3 days immersed in Polyvagal Theory and sensory affective and movement strategies that support an embodied sense of safety, connection and ultimately health and wellbeing.
Thank you to the brilliant and generous OT’s and Hannah Burke for sharing your wealth of knowledge and wisdom with us.
Thank you also to for hosting the event in Australia.

Sarah and Michelle also loved catching up with dear OT friends and meeting lots of new ones. Food for our OT soul 🫶

12/09/2025

LEARN WITH US ||

I’m thrilled to be heading home to Trundle on the 10th October to spend a day with the early childhood educators at Trundle Children's Centre We will learn about child development, behaviours of concern, underlying reasons for dysregulation including sensory processing or emotional or social skills, and evidenced based ways to support children.

As always the Trundle community ethos is: everyone is welcome, the more the merrier.

Contact Sarah Kilby, Director for more information on 6892 1022 or Director@trundlecc.com.au

I hope to see you there,

Michelle

01/09/2025

LEARN WITH US ||

Mentoring other Paediatric Occupational Therapists' is an absolute honour.

We find it deeply meaningful to connect with other OT's who are committed to their professional development and delivering child centred, developmentally informed and effective OT intervention.

We are also very conscious of the impact our clinical conversations have on each child and family they work with.
It's a win - win - win relationship between child and family - their OT and OT mentor.
Happy days!

Tune into podcast to hear the flavour of clinical conversations with Michelle.

Learn more by emailing: Michelle@seedpaediatricservices.com

12/08/2025

PAEDIATRIC OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY ||

Next month Michelle will travel to Bali to participate in an immersive learning experience led by Tracy Stackhouse, Colleen Hacker, Hannah Burke and Lynette Burke, hosted by What a chance of a lifetime, sure to be a career highlight.

As part of the preparations, she is completing the SpIRiT Model online course offered through Developmental FX - The Developmental & Fragile X Resource Centre. The course has such depth that she continues to learn despite it being her forth time through.

It was a lovely surprise to receive a personalised gift today. Such a lovely gesture thanks Linda and Hannah.

See you in Ubud in 29 days 🌴🌸

10/08/2025

PAEDIATRIC OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS SUPPORT INCLUSION ||

SEED is proudly neuro-affirming and committed to inclusion.

We believe every child, regardless of neurotype; sensory and physical needs, communication style, social and play preferences, learning style, ability, culture, gender is capable, valued and belongs.

OT’s support inclusion in countless ways:

🌱 Celebrating each childs’ individual strengths, interests and goals
🌱 Accepting and advocating for all communication modes and play preferences
🌱 Assessing environments to ensure sensory and physical needs are understood and supported
🌱 Learning ability and preferences are supported
🌱 Advocating for each child to feel safe and free to be their authentic selves.

Let's build inclusive communities together.

Sarah and Michelle consult with Principals, Directors and Educators at schools, early childhood settings, and community spaces creating inclusive environments where neurodivergent children can thrive.

🌟 Contact Sarah and Michelle to start the conversation.

29/07/2025

Secure attachment || If you are a working mum like us or in a role of supporting mothers and children with attachment differences, you're in good company! Being emotionally in sync and attuned with our children is what we strive for, however having the presence and mindfulness to foster secure attachment, especially when time and energy feel scarce is challenging, however not impossible.

If you're interested in learning more Kim Barthel is offering her latest course 'Attachment Matters' in Sydney 20th and 21st November. You can find further details here: https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1386814

28/07/2025

PAEDIATRIC OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY ||

Early Intervention has long been considered best practice from the perspective of research evidence, clinicians experience and most importantly the child and families lived experience.

We continue to be strong advocates for early intervention and applaud the ‘identify and act’ philosophy advocated by Professor Andrew Whitehouse.

Advocacy is critically important at this time, when the NDIA is dismantling Early Childhood Supports and the new strategy ‘Foundational Supports’ is not yet constructed.

How early can we support children who might have autism?

"What happens if we listen to parents at that six to 18 months of age when they know their baby's developing differently? And provided a therapy support that helps babies learn in the way that's best for them. Not the way that's the best for everyone else.”

Andrew Whitehouse says getting a diagnosis or help for your child with autism used to be like ‘the wild west’. After the professor helped write the national guidelines in 2018, the world of autism assessment in Australia has radically changed.

Now parts of Australia are also running early intervention programs for babies as young as young as six months who are showing early differences in their social and communication skills.

🎧 Hear the story on ABC Radio National Breakfast on the ABC listen app: https://bit.ly/4lGhZcr

19/07/2025

PAEDIATRIC OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS ||

We are often asked what Paediatric OT's do, in part because it can look a bit different for each child and family. And that is the point, OT at it's best, is tailored to each child and families unique situation.

At the heart of Paediatric OT is an eagerness to support children to reach their potential, to be understood and to facilitate their inclusion in all areas of their life.

Our assessments and interventions support each child to reach the goals that are most meaningful to them.

We know this sounds broad and a bit loosey goosey so we thought we would provide a bit more clarity for those new, or early, in their OT journey. Let us know if this description is helpful.

Paediatric OT's support children with meaningful engagement, independence, and inclusive participation in all areas of life. We take a holistic approach and consider a child's function across a range of areas including activities of daily living, play and learning, leisure, sleep, and rest.
OT assessment and intervention is guided by an understanding of the child’s developmental foundations and performance components, which include their physical, sensory-motor, cognitive, emotional, and social development.
As a child’s performance is influenced by their family, social and cultural context, and physical environment, we also consider these factors.

OT's support development of:
1. Independence in self-care including dressing, toileting, sleeping, eating and daily routines
2. Social and emotional skills including emotional regulation and interpersonal engagement
3. Play skills including sensory-motor play, collaborative play, construction play and imaginary play
4. Physical skills including gross motor and fine motor skills
5. Sensory integration including visual, hearing, smell, taste, touch, proprioception, vestibular, and interoceptive processing
6. Academic and school-related skills including handwriting, visual perception, problem solving, following instructions, organisation, and sequencing.

Let us know if this is helpful.

15/07/2025

ATTACHMENT MATTERS || Say hello to Kim Barthel's brand new course Attachment Matters in Sydney on November 20th to November 21st. 💛

If you would like an insight into what will be shared you can listen to our conversation at https://www.kimbarthel.ca/reflections/sydney-2025-attachment-matters OR you can register at https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1386814.