Bright FACES Pty Ltd in Melton, Victoria | Occupational therapist

Bright FACES Pty Ltd

Locality: Melton, Victoria

Phone: +61 410 207 995

Address: 3/21 Reserve Road 3337 Melton, VIC, Australia

Website: http://www.brightfaces.com.au/

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• Medical and health
• Speech pathologist
• Psychologist
• Occupational therapist

25.01.2022 Today is R U OK? Day - a national day which aims to remind us all that every day is a good time to ask, Are you OK? if someone you know might be struggling with lifes ups & downs. This year more than ever we are all feeling added stress and worry - not just adults, but children too. It is important for us to stay connected and reach out to help each other through lifes many challenges. While we might think of reaching out to other adults, it is important to check in with ...our children too, to set aside some time to listen to how they are feeling and what worries they may be having. Here are two storybooks (converted into e-books on Youtube) which can be read with your child to start a conversation about any worries or concerns they may have. The Huge Bag of Worries https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QwEOSBjOt8 Dont Feed The Worry Bug https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TykKdv_OUZA Remember, you dont have to have a quick solution to fix your childs worries - being a good listener and validating their feelings (I understand why you feel worried about that!) is a great start. And as a reminder, some additional helpful support hotlines for adults & children can be found at: https://parentline.com.au/ https://kidshelpline.com.au/ https://www.beyondblue.org.au/ https://www.lifeline.org.au/

25.01.2022 Thank you to all our supporters; were so glad youve joined us, so we can keep supporting you. Stay safe and well :)

24.01.2022 So far we have covered different types of communication and have even provided examples on what we can use to support communication. Today we will be going through some techniques that might help you with supporting your child with communication. When giving information or an instruction, check with the person that they have understood you. Ask them to repeat back the information or instruction. If you feel as if they dont understand, repeat what you said or say it in a dif...ferent way. E.g. Set up everything for school can be reworded to Turn on the computer and sign in, so you are ready for school. If someone is giving you information or an instruction, repeat what they said back to them or check with them. E.g. Just to make sure, you said you wanted to have chocolate cake? Sometimes asking questions with a million possible answers can get overwhelming. We can try rewording it so it is a yes/no question. E.g. Instead of asking What do you think about the elephants? we can ask Did you like the elephants? and expand from there. We should also give ample time for someone to respond. It might feel awkward at times but some people need extra time to process what is being said to them. We recommend waiting about 10-20 seconds. Hopefully the information above helps encourage everyone to Communicate with Confidence!

23.01.2022 Wishing all the fathers and significant men in our lives a very Happy Fathers Day. Although we are not able to celebrate this day with those special to us outside our households, trust that you are honoured and we shall celebrate one day soon. But for today enjoy, as today is yours.

22.01.2022 We have an exciting announcement!!

22.01.2022 Math Tips- PRIMARY AGE The last tip sheet we would like to share for primary age students is on Math. These tips will give you some ideas on how you can get creative with math and point out some ways that we use math every day, even without noticing. Being creative will keep your child interested for longer. https://www.psychology.org.au//APS-CCN-IS-LD-Primary-Schoo

22.01.2022 Yesterday we had the pleasure of listening and learning from Exercise Physiologist/Massage Practitioner, Matthew Scott, all about workplace ergonomics. Thank you to @mcrpowerhouse for allowing us to adapt our environment and daily practices to best suit our needs at the workplace and everyday lives.

21.01.2022 Executive Functioning Tips- PRIMARY AGE. Some of the information included in this PDF are: - How to work with your child to complete their learning tasks - Creating structure - Learning opportunities at home and how to demonstrate... https://www.psychology.org.au//APS-CCN-IS-Primary-School-A

18.01.2022 November 8-14 is Psychology Week. If you or someone you know just aren't feeling right or you're finding that coping with everyday life seems a little bit hard, please reach out and book a time with a Psychologist. To find a Psychologist local to you, please click on the following link: https://psychweek.org.au/find-a-psychologist/

17.01.2022 Due to the recent announcement from Daniel Andrews on 12.2.2021- As of 11:59pm tonight, Victoria will be going into stage 4 lockdown. We will be providing your sessions via video conferencing links as of Monday 15th February 2021 until further notice, these links will be in your appointment reminders. Thank you for understanding, The team at Bright FACES

16.01.2022 Literacy Tips- SECONDARY AGE Altered circumstances may lead to some anxiety, especially for young people with learning difficulties. This brochure highlights some areas that students may struggle. It also gives some helpful tips on setting realistic goals and anticipating roadblocks. https://www.psychology.org.au//APS-CCN-IS-Secondary-school

16.01.2022 A bit of food play for our School Readiness kids this promoted sensory play, cutting and spreading and so many other skills! #toast #banana #peanutbutter #foodplay #animal #faces #schoolreadiness #brightfaces

16.01.2022 2020: An incredible year. This year, has with no doubt, been a challenging year for all of us. Who would have thought as we commenced the year 2020, a pandemic would soon be upon us and virtually stop the world from turning? As I reflect on the year that was 2020, I can simply sum it up as being the most incredible year I have ever known to be. Incredible in the sense of unbelievable stories of tragedy and triumph that perhaps we will one day share with our grandchildren or ...Continue reading

16.01.2022 Over the next coming days, we will be posting some very helpful brochures on our page from the Australian Psychological Society (APS). These tips are very beneficial especially during the current times with home schooling. The information will be based around Literacy, Math and Executive Functioning and are specific for either Primary or Secondary age- which will be stated in each post. We hope these posts will help you and your child/ children.

16.01.2022 What an uplifting story depicting how one boys obsession with cubing was used as a medium to learn new skills. #interests #cubing #autism #therapyoutsideofthebox #brightfaces

16.01.2022 Todays teletherapy School Readiness activity! We worked on so many skills during this cootie-catching task, and the kids were super proud of their achievements #schoolreadiness #group #telehealth #pig #cootiecatcher #finemotor #listening #followinginstructions #hardwork

15.01.2022 We all know the current times can be quite challenging for everyone with the change of our routines, the loss of physical connection with others, stress and uncertainty. The following link provides us with some very useful tips on supporting children with ASD and how to manage our time better in the COVID-19 environment. Please have a look and remember to seek help if you feel the need to. https://www.psychology.org.au//20APS-CCN-IS-COVID-19-suppo

15.01.2022 Yesterday we talked about the different types of communication and went through some different methods of communication. Today we would like to go through some points to encourage good communication. Avoid loud noises Such as waiting for the loud truck to drive past before speaking. Remove distractions Such as turning off the T.V. Have visual prompts When giving instructions, having the steps listed along with corresponding pictures.... If you dont understand, let the person know youre having difficulty. Take your time to listen. Attached to this post is a free visual schedule the clinicians here at Bright FACES like to use. Going through first then next and last with your child, is a great way to communicate the plan for the morning/afternoon/day. For example, you could set it up and go through First: breakfast Next: Read book Last: Play time. It provides a clear indication of whats coming and so nothing is a surprise. Once a task is done, go back to the visual schedule and cross it out together and look at the next thing in the schedule.

15.01.2022 Please note: Our staff will be unavailable today (Friday January 29th) due to a staff conference day. We will be returning to normal business as of Monday February 1st. If today falls into your child's appointment sequence, these appointments were removed from your list when the rollover was completed.

15.01.2022 Its that time of year again, its Speech Pathology Week! During this week (23 29th August) speech pathologists around the country will be celebrating and promoting Communicating with Confidence! Communication is a vital part of all of our lives. The current situation with the pandemic has only highlighted how essential communication is. Despite being physically apart, we still reach out to one another. Whether it is through a phone call, a video chat, text messages, a Fa...cebook post, a tweet or even an Instagram post, it is all forms of communication! Communication helps unite us together. Sharing our thoughts and ideas is something many of us do on the daily. But for some people, they have difficulty. There are 1.2 million Australians with a communication disability/disorder. Communication disorders differ between people as it can range from mild to profound. It can also be temporary or last a lifetime. Throughout the week, the speech pathology team at Bright FACES will be posting different ways on how we can help improve our communication with the people around us!

14.01.2022 Our Bright FACES team completed some mindfulness training during last weeks very important R U OK day. Mental health plays a major role in our daily lives, particularly during this time. Below is a video of an example of mindfulness that you and your family can use for self-regulation and calming.

13.01.2022 To our valued clients and staff (both past and present), We are grateful how you have supported our small business over the years. Doing so allows us to do what we do best, and keep supporting children with special needs and their family. Without question, this has been a challenging year for all. Nevertheless, I want to acknowledge our team and families who worked so hard to improve the quality of life of so many children during the COVID-19 restrictions. I am very proud to report that in Term 2, Bright FACES supported over 160 families through TeleHealth consultations. This was a new experience for all of us but together we made it a success. Thank you. Stay safe, well, and united. Michelle Jimeno (Director) #covid19 #united #autism #allinthistogether #telehealth

13.01.2022 Literacy Tips- PRIMARY AGE The below link gives you some hints and tips on spelling, handwriting, written expression and more. https://www.psychology.org.au//APS-CCN-IS-PrimarySchool-Li

13.01.2022 Looking for a change? Were hiring. FT/PT positions available for a dedicated Child Psychologist. Make a difference with us. #hiring #childpsychologist #worklifebalance #autismspectrumdisorder #workfromhome #clinics #children #adolescents #recruiting #career

13.01.2022 Who knew you could create such masterpieces using a fork and a bit of paint?! Children in the School Readiness Group experimented with this yesterday, and followed it up with practicing Rr for Rooster

12.01.2022 We're hiring! Are you a registered psychologist with a passionate interest in working with children and adolescents? Click on the link to see if we are what you've been looking for. Any questions, just inbox us.

12.01.2022 Fun Facts about Communication: There are many ways to communicate and we can categorise them into 3 types. 1. Verbal Talking 2. Nonverbal Body language, facial expressions, gestures 3. Visual Pictures, photos ... Without even knowing, we use many of these aspects to communicate. We often think communication is just talking when its actually a number of things happening! We often rely on someones tone when theyre speaking to us, as well as taking in their facial expressions and body language to tell us what the other person might be thinking. Sometimes we even use gestures when speaking to further explain something or to perhaps emphasise! Another way of communication is sign. In Australia those in the deaf and hearing impaired community, communicate through Auslan. Auslan is short for Australian Sign Language. Did you know Auslan is recognised as a language? It was recognised as its own language in Australia in 1991. Another means of communication is through Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). Those with communication disorders can use AAC to help communicate with those around them. There are many types of AAC, which is often categorised into low tech (such as communication boards or books, alphabet boards etc) and high tech (such as electronic devices such as iPads or apps like Proloquo2Go).

12.01.2022 Math Tips- Secondary AGE Math Tips- Secondary AGE The last tip sheet we would like to share for secondary age students is on Math. In this tip sheet, you will find some ways on how you can help with your childs/ childrens math in a creative way. You may notice that this information is more curriculum-focused. If you find that the tips may be a bit difficult, please refer back to the Math tips for primary age where you can go through some of the basics. https://www.psychology.org.au//20APS-CCN-IS-Secondary-Math

12.01.2022 Owl mosaics made by our wonderful School Readiness kids! #finemotor #tearing #pasting #focus #creativity #schoolreadiness #brightfaces

10.01.2022 A great little article for when children see things online that cant be unseen. https://www.abc.net.au//what-to-do-if-your-child-/10915842

09.01.2022 Executive Functioning Tips- SECONDARY AGE. Included in these tips are some very helpful ways that can assist with: - Getting organised - Staying motivated - Minimising procrastination... - Goal setting https://www.psychology.org.au//20APS-CCN-IS-Secondary-Scho

08.01.2022 Happy OT week everyone!

08.01.2022 Todays School Readiness theme: Our kiddos worked on pencil grip, cutting and gluing skills, and following step-by-step instructions to make these cute cow faces out of paper plates! #crafts #cutting #pasting #listening #colouring #followinginstructions #finemotor #group #brightfaces

07.01.2022 Well that’s a wrap on our 2021 Staff Retreat! And what a weekend this was! Team building, goal setting and skill building done in the best way possible.. along the beach We were lucky enough to be part of this before the lockdown and we are super happy to put into practice what we’ve learnt with all of our children and families.

07.01.2022 **Attention NDIS participants ** NDIS have recently announced some temporary changes to funding arrangements. This change allows NDIS participants in Victoria and New South Wales, who have face-to-face assisted daily living supports to use their existing NDIS funds to cover the cost of the PPE (including face masks) that they need to keep themselves safe. To read more about the temporary changes, please click the link below.https://www.ndis.gov.au//5048-delivering-nd...is-during-covid *Please keep in mind, if you or anyone in your family are feeling unwell, have a temperature, runny nose or any other cold or flu-like symptom, you need to stay home. If you have been in contact with someone that has tested positive for COVID-19, please go and get tested and self-isolate.

06.01.2022 On Friday, Priscilla our OT Team Leader had her last day before going on maternity leave. Priscilla, We wish you all the best for your journey through parenthood and we cannot wait to meet your little bundle.

06.01.2022 As of 11:59pm tonight (Sunday 2nd August), ALL Victorians will be required to wear a mask or face covering when they leave their home unless they have a recognised exemption by DHHS. -The Victorian Government understand that this may not always be a realistic option for some autistic people, especially those with sensory sensitivities and communication differences. - Children under 12 are not required to wear a face covering, but can do so if they choose to.... - Children who are 2 years old or younger must not wear face coverings as they are a choking and suffocation risk. The below link from Amaze will give you further information surrounding the expectations and exemptions of face coverings. https://www.amaze.org.au/2020/07/masks/

06.01.2022 Are you running out of fun activity ideas during lockdown? Ferguson Plarre Bakehouses have gingerbread decorating kits, order online and collect from your local store when you are out collecting groceries. https://www.fergusonplarre.com.au/gingerbread (Jump over to their facebook page for some funny, clever parodies from Steve Plarre) ... We would love to see some photos!

06.01.2022 Just a few simple steps from Calm the Chaos to help children with following directions

05.01.2022 Teach your kiddo to take slower and deeper breaths by using ghost breaths, in order to help self regulate and calm down. All youll need is a paper/foam cup that fits into a regular cup or mug, which allows some wiggle room

05.01.2022 As of 11:59pm tonight (Wednesday 22nd July), Anyone that is 12 years or older in the Metropolitan Melbourne or Mitchell Shire area are to wear a face covering when leaving their home. Due to this announcement, masks are currently in high demand. If you would like to have a go at making one, we have provided the link below from the DHHS with some easy to follow steps. https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au//Design%20and%20preparation%20 If you do decide to make some, we would love to see photos!

05.01.2022 Due to the current pandemic, All staff at Bright FACES are required to wear PPE. We understand that this can be distressing for some children. If you feel that your child would benefit from a social story, please contact our clinic and we can email one through. Our clinic is open Monday-Friday 9am -5pm (Except public holidays). Stay Safe, We can't wait to see you all!

04.01.2022 Therapy for our clients is a little bit different at the moment but we can assure you that ALL of our staff care about, not only the children we provide therapy to directly, but also their families! Every child makes progress in their own time and it is so rewarding to see. Keep up the good work everyone!

04.01.2022 Hope youre having a special day.

04.01.2022 Dysregulation and the 3s #bright faces #sensory #brain #responses #calming

03.01.2022 Did you know that special arrangements have been included in NDIS Plans to purchase technology to the value of $1500? Great way to get the most out of your childs online therapy and use a suitable screen to focus and interact with your therapists (e.g. laptop, iPad). Check out this animation or speak to us for more information. https://ndis.us6.list-manage.com/track/click

03.01.2022 Our teletherapy School Readiness Group schedule! #schoolreadiness #schedule #group #teletherapy #occupationaltherapy #psychology #speechpathology #brightfaces

02.01.2022 Its the end of the week and we would like to thank you all for taking your time reading our posts about communication the last few days. As a quick summary of what weve covered. On Monday we talked about how important communication is and how many around the country are impacted by communication disorders. On Tuesday we talked about the types of communication and ways people can communicate. On Wednesday we gave some tips to encourage good communication. And on Thursday we... gave some tips on how we can all improve our communication. Hope you all enjoy the rest of the term and remember that the most important aspect of communication is to give each other respect and dignity. And dont forget to Communicate with Confidence!