Autism Association of WA: Introduction to School Age Therapy

Our School Age Team Your child has multiple skills, so naturally our program operates with an experienced multidisciplinary Therapy Team, which includes Speech Pathologists, Psychologists, Occupational Therapists and Teachers. Utilising the multidisciplinary model allows your Therapist to work holistically with your child. They get to know you and your family well and can support with functional skills across all domains, as they are not solely focusing on one aspect such as their sensory needs, behaviour or social skills. They are supporting your child as a whole. Another benefit of this model is that it allows you to have one point of contact when scheduling sessions and managing communications. Each family is given a Therapist, who is the key contact and partners with the family to develop individual therapy plans that meet the needs of your child. In addition to your key contact, there is a full team of Therapists who are accessible across the School Age Team, that can bring additional advice, consultation, and assessment based on their passion and expertise to support your child and family. These can include our Specialist Mealtime Therapists, High-Tech Communication Team, Specialist Behaviour Support Practitioners, Diagnostic Clinicians and more. Family is core to the Team and your allocated Therapists will work alongside you to identify what additional expertise is required to support you and your child at different points of time. Our Therapists use evidence-based practices to tailor interventions to best meet the needs of each child and adolescent. Our School Age Team are highly skilled and participate in ongoing intensive training throughout the year and are trained and supported in the latest research and evidence informed practice to ensure the best outcomes for each individual. Our combined approach means we use a variety of models and teaching strategies that are known to be effective for children and adolescents with Autism. All of our programs are: • Individualised • Incorporate systematic instruction and generalisation strategies • Create structured and supportive learning environments • Underpinned by an Autism-specific curriculum • Provide intensive transition support across environments and contexts • Have a functional approach to behaviour

3 | Introduction to School Age Therapy

Our Therapists also work in collaboration with other services within the organisation to create seamless service delivery for individuals accessing multiple programs across the Autism Association. Our Team are passionate and dedicated to creating a difference for each individual and their family, and are able to provide specialist consultation in school and community environments to create a more inclusive environment to maximise participation for each individual.

www.autism.org.au | Registered NDIS Provider