TAASC

13/11/2025

Join us for our next CPD Café at TAASC!
Our monthly meet-up for therapists, educators, and childcare professionals to learn, share insights, and connect.
🗓 Wednesday 26th November 2025 | 🕖 19:00 – 20:00
📍 Remedies Clinic, Birkirkara – 3rd Floor

This Month’s Topic:
“Talk in Two – Supporting Bilingual Development in the Early Years”
Delivered by Speech and Language Pathologist, Michelle Mifsud

Is one language “easier”? Does bilingualism cause confusion? How can we best support children learning both Maltese, English and other languages? This session unpacks current research, debunks common myths, and offers hands-on strategies to foster bilingual development in preschool and early primary contexts. Designed for therapists working with young children, childcare staff and early years educators to help nurture the development of both Maltese and English.

🔗 Register here: https://forms.gle/xYnxDRCGRPbN5FyB7

🎟 FREE for TAASC & MOVE associates
💶 €10 for external participants (pay online upon registration or on the day)
💳 Pay online:https://checkout.revolut.com/payment-link/dbb4d13c-2f3b-4a55-a940-7a30e8d5e0cf

⚠️ Places are limited!
We’d greatly appreciate your support in sharing this opportunity with your colleagues.
📧 Questions? Reach us at info@taascmalta.com

12/11/2025

Congratulations to Yasmine Briffa, Speech and Language Pathologist, and Martina Cassar, Occupational Therapist, who recently attended their graduation mass at St John’s Co-Cathedral, a proud moment marking the beginning of their professional journey.

We are truly privileged to have them both starting their careers with us at TAASC. Their dedication, compassion, and enthusiasm will undoubtedly make a difference in such a valuable and much-needed field.

We wish Yasmine and Martina every success as they begin this exciting new chapter. we have no doubt they will continue to do great things! 🎓🌟

Yasmine Briffa Martina Cassar

11/11/2025

11/11/2025

🌐 Beyond the Screen: Cyberbullying Across Work and Learning Environments
Hosted by bBrave as part of Anti-Bullying Week 2025

Today’s session on “Support in Action”, facilitated by Prof. Nigel Camilleri, shared powerful insights on how we can all make a difference

💻 Cyberbullying vs. Schoolyard Bullying 🏫
Both are deeply harmful but they differ in how and where they happen.
🔹 Cyberbullying happens online, can reach a wide audience, and often follows victims 24/7.
🔹 Schoolyard bullying is face-to-face, limited to certain spaces, and easier for others to see and stop.

💬 Key Takeaways:
1️⃣ Educate & raise awareness – It’s common and can happen to anyone.
2️⃣ Talk & connect – Keep open communication; encourage real friendships.
3️⃣ Discuss regulation – Weighing the pros and cons of social media limits for under-16s.
4️⃣ Prevention through purpose – Build confidence beyond the screen through sports, education, music & community.
5️⃣ Legal action in Malta 🇲🇹 – The new cyberbullying law means reports now lead to police action - https://legislation.mt/eli/act/2025/27
6️⃣ Empathy matters – Support victims with compassion and act fast to remove harmful content.

Let’s keep working beyond the screen to build safer, kinder spaces for everyone, online and off.

07/11/2025

This week, we held a parental introductory meeting for our upcoming 6-week Alert Programme at Verdala International School. It was a wonderful opportunity to share insights into how we can support children in recognising and managing their levels of alertness throughout the day.

The Alert Program®, created by occupational therapists, helps students become more aware of their sensory needs and teaches practical strategies to help them stay focused, calm, and ready to learn.

Over the next six weeks, our sessions will guide students through exploring their five senses and understanding how these influence their energy and emotions. Using fun, interactive activities, they’ll learn to identify when their “engine” is running too high, too low, or just right, and discover tools to help self-regulate effectively.

A big thank you to all the parents who joined the session and showed such enthusiasm for supporting their children’s self-regulation journey!

30/10/2025

Yesterday, we hosted our October CPD Café, featuring an engaging session led by Martina Aquilina on “Symbolic Play and the Inner World of the Child: Understanding through Play Therapy.”
Martina delivered an excellent presentation—clear, insightful, and packed with practical strategies for professionals working with children.

A heartfelt thank you to Martina for sharing her expertise and equipping us with valuable new knowledge. We also extend our gratitude to all participants, whose thoughtful questions and contributions brought the discussion to life and enriched the learning experience.

As a Play Therapist at TAASC, Martina supports children through therapeutic play, helping them explore and process their emotions in a safe and nurturing environment. She uses a variety of techniques—including role-playing, storytelling, and sand play—tailored to each child’s individual needs. Her sessions encourage self-expression, develop coping strategies, and address challenging behaviors and internalized conflicts.

Stay tuned for our next CPD Café in November!

27/10/2025

🌟 Happy Occupational Therapy Day! 🌟

Today we celebrate the incredible field of Occupational Therapy — a profession dedicated to helping people of all ages live life to the fullest 💙
OTs empower individuals to develop everyday skills, build confidence, and achieve greater independence through creativity, care, and compassion. Their work truly changes lives!
Here at TAASC, we’re especially grateful for our amazing OTs — Ms. Sarah Bianco and Ms. Martina Cassar — for the passion and dedication they bring to supporting our clients every single day.
Thank you for all that you do and for inspiring us with your commitment to helping others thrive!

25/10/2025

“Emotional distress among adolescents cannot be seen in isolation; it is shaped by family dynamics, cultural expectations and wider systemic pressures such as school demands and social media influence,” said Professor Nigel Camilleri, Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, Clinical Lead at TAASC. .

In a recent article, published by the Times of Malta, Professor Camilleri emphasised the importance of distinguishing between normal stress, which can foster resilience, and toxic stress, which manifests as trauma and requires therapeutic intervention.

He also highlighted that professionals should receive high-quality training to recognise and accurately assess mental health disorders during this critical stage of development.

“By involving families in the therapeutic process, support can move beyond symptom management towards meaningful change and growth for the family as a whole.”

TAASC continues to promote a systemic and preventative approach to mental health, ensuring that young people and their families receive comprehensive, evidence-based care.



Times of Malta Nigel Camilleri

More than one in seven report prescribed use, in 'very worrying' trend