Educate

What now? Coming to terms with a developmental delay diagnosis

So, your child has recently been diagnosed with developmental delay… what do you do now? Regardless of how a parent reacts or feels, a diagnosis can actually be a positive turn in a child’s life. Here are some tips from I Can Jump Puddles Director, Sam Boag on dealing with a developmental delay diagnosis.

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Connection through Community: Nazareth Catholic College

Families are at the heart of Nazareth. When you choose to enter into the vibrant Catholic community, you’re choosing to enrich your family life with support, guidance, acceptance and encouragement, across not only your child’s educational opportunities but also your whole family experience.

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The wonderful world of Teletherapy

Words: Lauren Jones, Senior Speech Language Pathologist, Spot Paediatrics It’s likely that most of us have heard the term “teletherapy” much more in recent months, and while teletherapy or telehealth is not new in the therapy space, this is the first time we have seen these services used on such a wide scale. For those of us in the paediatric allied health sector, teletherapy has not only changed the therapy realm but it has also allowed us to continue to support our clients in this upside-down world. But for many the question still remains: what is teletherapy and what does it actually look like? What is teletherapy? Teletherapy is therapy that is delivered via video conference – something we’ve all become quite familiar with! While professionals may use different programs to deliver the service (e.g. Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Skype) it all looks relatively similar. Teletherapy sessions are also essentially the same as when clients are face to face in the clinic – we target our goals, complete activities, have conversations, and even still manage to have a lot of fun! The effectiveness of teletherapy is also well documented, and studies have shown that children continue to show improved outcomes. It’s also supported by Speech Pathology Australia, Occupational Therapy Australia, and the Allied Health Practitioner Regulation Agency. So how easy is it for families to actually get started with Teletherapy? Well, if you have a device with microphone and webcam, and an internet connection you’ll be up and running within minutes! While computers and tablets seem to work best, many have even managed successful sessions via smartphone. Once the device is set up, children just need a quiet environment, or limited distractions, and support from an adult to ensure everything runs smoothly. What have many of us learned from Teletherapy? Our kiddos are amazing and resilient! Despite the reservations that professionals and parents alike have felt, there are an abundance of telehealth success stories with children of diverse ages and needs. What’s more, while many clinicians may have felt like fish out of water as we navigated new resources and technical glitches, it’s been exciting for therapists to upskill, learn new techniques, and connect more readily with other professionals. We have also been inspired by observing our children in their own environments and that we continue to see parents unwavering in their commitment to therapy, even in these crazy times. While we don’t know what the next few months has in store for us, the world of telehealth is here to stay! Why not give it a try?

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13 ideas to reduce constant sibling fighting

Whether it’s fighting over the TV remote, or who is using what colour texta, or bigger issues like power dynamics between older and younger siblings, sibling rivalry affects all of us at one point or another in our lives, and as parents it can drive us crazy when all our kids seem to do is fight. We asked Developing Minds to talk us through some ideas on how to encourage our kids to get along and what to do and say when we need to intervene.

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What is Separation Anxiety and how can we help?

Separation anxiety is the most commonly diagnosed anxiety disorder in children with approximately 4-5% of children ‘meeting the criteria’ for a separation anxiety disorder. We asked Developing Minds to talk us through possible causes and how to help children who feel anxious when apart from their parents or care givers.

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Adelaide’s Best Kids Cooking Classes

Stressed about too much egg shell in the batter, or just don’t know where to start with teaching the kids how to cook simple, easy recipes? Check out Adelaide’s best kids cooking classes and get the professionals involved! (Pssst… and you won’t have to do the clean up!!)

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Decoding the secret to reading and writing at St Peter’s Woodlands

St Peter’s Woodlands has introduced a new literacy program for its ELC, Reception, Year 1 and 2 classes, Let’s Decode. As the only Independent school in SA running the evidence-based program, after just five months, they are already seeing some remarkable results. Typically, students who attend schools running the Let’s Decode program are reading proficiently by the end of Year 2.

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Getting the low down on unhealthy foods

National surveys show that kids are currently eating up to 8 times the recommended daily intake of unhealthy foods. Try these tips for families to see how you can make small changes to reduce unhealthy food in your household!

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STAY INFORMED AND GO BEHIND THE NEWS WITH BTN CLASSROOM!

BTN is creating even more education focused content this term… Still national and still all made in SA! Our favourite news source BTN now has a Teachers tab and a Subjects tab on their homepage and YouTube Explainers on all sorts of different topics as well as their weekly show and BTN Newsbreak every weeknight. Check out one of their latest episodes on how Covid-19 is effecting kids below! There’s also content on how to deal with upsetting news, BTN Investigations and how to get your voice heard on the news: abc.net.au/btn/ They’ve also got a page all about COVID-19 for kids: abc.net.au/btn/newsbreak/coronavirus-covid-19/12137268

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