FUNction First Therapy Services in Townsville, Queensland | Speech pathologist

FUNction First Therapy Services

Locality: Townsville, Queensland

Phone: +61 448 510 553

Address: Shop 1, 237 Riverside Boulevard, Douglas 4814 Townsville, QLD, Australia

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

Likes: 727

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• Medical and health
• Speech pathologist
• Occupational therapist

25.01.2022 To all the toddlers out there - we thank you

24.01.2022 We often get asked whether or not a weighted item would be suitable for clients, so here are the facts:... - weighted items can be very helpful for calming and organising oneself, almost like getting a nice, firm hug This is called proprioception. -For many children, this can be very beneficial, but it is not recommended for everyone. -Some children and adults simply do not like this sensation, and for some children, this has the opposite effect -instead of calming them, it arouses them! -weighted products used incorrectly could also harm a child, so its very important to speak to your OT before using one with your child! R

24.01.2022 The nerve Happy Friday!!!

22.01.2022 Who can relate? When kiddos come to FUNction food school, we try to change the way they think about and perceive new or non-preferred foods. One of my go to phrases when a child says they dont like whichever food is presented is to say in a calm, neutral voice Youve never eaten peas/tomato/jelly. You dont know if you like it yet.... This helps them to feel validated and understood, while also gently challenging their beliefs that they can only eat their preferred foods. Try using this at home and let me know how it goes! R

22.01.2022 Today I am grateful to work in a team that just keeps going, even when Im not there ( I am finally back after a week off sick). I am also grateful for our families that have adapted to our new guidelines and have been so flexible and supportive to us during this time. "Look how much youve already managed to adapt to. Look how resilient youve already been. Theres no right way to respond to this because its never, ever happened before. Give yourself some credit. Theres no one in this whole world who has this figured out yet. So its absolutely okay if you dont either". Keep safe x

21.01.2022 FUNction would like to let you all know that our last day of work before the Christmas holidays is Friday, 18th of December ( this Friday). We will be back on Monday, 11th January. We will have access to our emails and messages during this time, but we may not be able to respond to any queries until we re-open in 2021. We would like to take this time to extend our sincere thanks to all our families for letting us be part of your child's journey. 2020 has been far from smooth ...and we couldn't have survived as a business without your loyalty and support. We would also like to say a big thank you to Damien for the last 3 months. Damien will be finishing up with us on Friday and we wish him all the best on his next career path as a radiographer! From our family to yours, thank you, and we hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

21.01.2022 Food for thought x

20.01.2022 Why I care about how your child looks ( and why you should, too!) How a child looks can often give us clues about what could be going on in their life. Our face, as well as our posture and even how we breathe and speak can sometimes help us put the puzzle pieces together, in terms of a childs overall health and development. Ill explain below...... I recently saw a young girl who was having a hard time. She was referred to me primarily for difficulties with her morning routine, difficulties with participating in some sports and tricky behaviour. A comprehensive movement assessment found that this child was in the normal limits for her gross motor skills and coordination. We tried all the standard tricks and tools for her behaviours such as reward charts, structured routines, ignoring poor behaviours, only giving attention to positive behaviour, providing additional sensory input, decreasing unwanted sensory input, zones of regulation, triggers, parent and teacher education. Pretty much every textbook OT trick and tool, we tried. And tried. And then tried some more. I saw this sweet girl for a period of around 6 months and despite my and her familys best efforts, things did not improve. In fact they got worse. I dont like accepting that sometimes I cant help every family I meet ( although I am learning to!) and I needed to put this puzzle together. So I went right back to basics...(Part 2 tomorrow)

20.01.2022 Who guessed correctly?!

20.01.2022 For anyone wondering what the heck we do

19.01.2022 One of the simplest things you can do right now to help your child learn to eat is ensure all meals are eaten at the table. As well as being highly sensory, eating is a motor task and your childs body needs to be well supported. Eating = work. Your child should be tucked in close to the table with their bottom all the way back in the chair Feet should be placed flat on the floor. Use an old box or phone book if needed. #foodforthought

18.01.2022 It’s OT week, hooray!!! To celebrate this awesome profession, FUNction would like you to get acquainted with our 3 awesome OTs Rachael ... Years of practice: almost 13 Role: OT/ Director Tea or coffee: Coffee!! Sunrise or sunset : sunset Chocolate in the fridge or pantry: Fridge, it would melt otherwise Pineapple on pizza? No, but I would still eat it Cat person or dog lover: Definitely dog lover, cats seem to hate me Secret Celebrity Crush: Jason Bateman Special interest areas: picky eating and meal time management Finish this sentence: OT is the best career in the world because: I get to meet the most amazing little souls and make a difference every single day. I could not imagine doing anything else #otweek2020 See more

18.01.2022 Happy Monday everyone!! Hope everybody survived the first day of school holidays!

17.01.2022 Happy Wednesday!! To all the teenagers out there, thank you for your service

17.01.2022 At the going down of the sun And the morning, we will remember them. Lest we forget.

17.01.2022 ***Important Update*** Dear valued families, The current crisis of COVID-19 is rapidly impacting upon how we function as a society. As health professionals, we feel it is our duty to do our bit and stop the spread of this disease as much as we possibly can. ...Continue reading

17.01.2022 This just in!!!!!! The Easter bunny has made it to FUNction!! Hes on his way!

17.01.2022 Were hiring!! FUNction is searching for our next team member! We are on the hunt for an allied health assistant ( final year OT, speech or physiotherapy student) who is passionate about working with children and families and committed to growing their skills. We anticipate that this would then lead to ongoing employment in 2021!... Attributes: - Current allied health student ( final year) who is looking for ongoing work in Townsville. - Excellent written and verbal communication skills. -The ability to work as a team and be a team player is a MUST! -Current blue card. Hours would be flexible, with the successful candidate ideally building up to a full time caseload in 2021. Please contact Rachael for more information about this great opportunity! 0422564817

17.01.2022 The FUNction team are gearing up for an intense 3 days of remote learning on all things feeding! When you make an appointment with one of our dedicated speech pathologists or occupational therapists, you can rest assured that our team are always improving our skills and knowledge with the most up to date, evidence based practice

16.01.2022 And thats a wrap!! The FUNction team has just completed 2 intense days of auditing and we are very happy to announce that we passed!!!! Woohoo!! We would like to take this time to thank each and every one of our FUNction families for your continued support and loyalty, especially those clients that volunteered to be interviewed as part of the audit I was very humbled and proud to hear the lovely feedback from our clients.... Another massive thank you to our team of dedicated staff - it hasnt always been easy but we did it! So, what does this change?? Essentially nothing! All it really means is that we can continue to provide a great service to our NDIS families Thank you again!! R

16.01.2022 Meet Shai! Position: Senior OT Sunset or sunrise: Sunrise Chocolate or cake: Chocolate ... Does pineapple belong on pizza: Yes it does! One of my favourite toppings! Favourite OT tool: Beading, you can work on so many different skills. Binge worthy show: Younger Most used emoji: Special interest areas: Fine motor development and social skills 3 things you couldn't FUNction without: Netflix, breakfast dates and chocolate! #OTWeek2020 See more

16.01.2022 Hello!! Im sure everyone is closely following the COVID-19 news. As we have already mentioned, we are now offering ZOOM appts for families who are more comfortable with this option rather than coming the clinic. We are closely monitoring the situation and in the event that we are ONLY able to offer sessions via Telehealth we will make contact with each of our families.... Please continue to practice good hygiene by washing your hands thoroughly, avoiding contact with those unwell and remaining home if youre unwell. In the mean time, now would be a great time to teach your kiddos about personal space ( if not already doing so), not just for COVID-19 but for every day social skills. This is the method I like to use with my kiddos: - stand about 1m apart from your child, facing them. - ask them to fully extend their arms at shoulder height ( demonstrate if needed), while you do the same. - if there is space between you and your childs arms- great! -If your arms touch - this is too close - get your child to take a step back until your arms no longer touch. Show your child that this is how far they should be from another peer. Let me know how this goes for you! Stay safe x R

15.01.2022 Is it bad that I find this brilliant??

15.01.2022 You are your childs soft place to fall

14.01.2022 Exciting News! FUNction will be resuming home visits from Monday, 25th May! We love seeing clients get the most out of therapy in their homes and we are very much looking forward to seeing many of our clients who have been unable to participate in our Telehealth sessions or attend the clinic.... Strict safety and infection control guidelines WILL still apply. Please contact us to re-schedule your childs appointment if: - Your child/anyone in the house is/ has been unwell ( in the last 48 hours). - Your child/anyone in the house has recently returned from overseas. - Your child/anyone in the house has had recent contact with anyone with a confirmed case of COVID-19 or someone suspected of having COVID-19. **For those families who we usually see at home but have opted for Telehealth sessions, these will still be available if you would prefer this option instead of home visits for the time being.** Cant wait to see you!

12.01.2022 We are waiting to meet our next team member! Full, part time or casual speech pathologist, awesome environment, amazing team and flexible conditions. We are proud to offer above award salary and generous professional development package. Make contact today! https://www.seek.com.au/job/50839203

11.01.2022 Meet Emma! Chocolate in the fridge or pantry? : pantry Dog or cat lover? Dog 3 things you couldn’t FUNction without? Coffee, friends and family!... White choc or dark choc? Dark chocolate The best binge worthy Netflix series is: Gossip Girl Favourite OT resource: Playdough! OT is the best job in the world because: Everyday is different, and I get to work with awesome kids and their families! #OTWeek2020 See more

10.01.2022 I’m hungryyyy! Find out why it’s ok for your child to be hungry tomorrow with The Feeding Clinic

10.01.2022 Good morning to all our FUNction families! As most of you are aware, FUNction is resuming home visits from today! This is very exciting news for us, not only because we get to see all our lovely families again, but because this is one step closer to getting a sense or normalcy back into our lives since COVID-19. Strict health and safety guidelines will still apply for home visits, such as hand washing before the session and ensuring everyone in the house is well. ... We would also like to acknowledge and thank each of our families who have persisted with us during this time and continued to attend Zoom sessions and clinic sessions On a personal note, I would like to thank my team for making this stressful time as easy as possible not just for our families - but also for me! I am very lucky to work with such a flexible, skilled and all-round great team I will see you all next week! Most of my families are aware that I am taking a week of family leave this week to welcome my 4th little niece and spend some quality time with my family. From our family to yours, thank you for the support! X R

09.01.2022 Happiest of birthdays to our superstar Miss Shai! Have an awesome birthday!!

09.01.2022 Rachael gives us the 411 on hunger

09.01.2022 Happy Fathers Day!!!

07.01.2022 Dear valued families, To ensure we are complying with the most recent social distancing measures, we kindly ask the following: ***Effective Tuesday, 31st March 2020***... - Only one person to accompany your child to their clinic appointment ( including siblings). - Please wait in your car until it is time for your appointment. One of our staff members will call or send a text when our therapists are ready to begin the session. -Upon entering the clinic, hands are to be washed/sanitised. -Please cancel your childs appointment should your child or the person attending with them be unwell. Please do not attend therapy if: 1) You/your child is unwell/has recently been unwell ( in last 48 hours) 2) Youve had recent contact with someone who has recently returned from overseas. 3) Youve had contact with anyone who has tested positive to COVID-19 4) Youve have had contact with someone suspected of having COVID-19. We understand these measures may seem extreme, but our first priority is ensuring the safety of our clients, staff and the wider community. We would also encourage all families to consider making the transition from face to face therapy to Telehealth during this time. We know this would not be suitable for some children and may not be your preferred option, but as health professionals we feel we have a duty of care to help flatten the curve by limiting face to face contact unless there is no alternative. Your childs therapist can guide you through this process and we have information available for those wishing to pursue this option. All of our staff have been using Telehealth over the last few weeks and the results have been very positive! Please contact one of our friendly staff member should you have any concerns about our latest social distancing measures at FUNction. #safetyfirst#flattenthecurve <3

06.01.2022 Are you a short order cook? #foodforthought

06.01.2022 On Friday, we said goodbye to our fabulous speech pathologist Miss Jess, who has left us for the big smoke in Brisbane! We wish her all the very best on her new adventure! We also said see you soon to another one of our amazing speechies, Miss Mandy, who has left us ( temporarily) for her new role as a mumma! We wish her all the best and cant wait to hear about her new little arrival. Miss Mandy will be returning to the FUNction family in February 2021. Finally, we would l...ike to welcome back Damien! Damien is a speech pathologist who worked with FUNction in 2016 and 2017. Damien has worked with both children and adults and spent 2 years working in a range of hospital settings in the United Kingdom before returning home to Townsville. Damien and Rachael have also worked together previously as clinical educators at James Cook University. Damien has a wealth of knowledge and is very excited to be part of the FUNction family again. Damien will be with us from October 6th till the end of the year!

06.01.2022 Who thinks the salad is easier to eat???

04.01.2022 This is a ( literal) snapshot of the steps required for eating. The very first step is your child being able to tolerate the food in the room. There are 25 steps after that ( yep, 25!) which means in total, there are 26 steps we have to achieve in order to eat safely and effectively.... What this means is that we have to allow children the opportunity and support to go through the remaining 25 steps at their pace. This is why forcing and bribing children who have very restricted diets rarely works effectively long term- they dont have the skills for the underlying steps and components for effective eating. We cannot expect our children to start at say, step 9, then suddenly arrive at step 26 ( although this would be wonderful if they did!). There are no short cuts <3 #foodforthought

04.01.2022 Our experiences with food shape our perceptions of food. Read how Rachael still cant eat Dunkeroos

04.01.2022 Hi all. We hope all our amazing families (both new to the FUNction family and those who have been with us since we started) are managing well in this stressful and uncertain time. We wanted to let you know that FUNction will continue to provide the highest level of services we can to all our families, provided it is safe to do so, and at this stage we are remaining OPEN. We are closely monitoring the situation and should the safety of our families and staff become compromise...d, we will act accordingly. Clients who can safely continue with face to face therapy are encouraged to keep their regular appointments. If clients would prefer the option of Zoom or Skype sessions this can be arranged, please just let us know. Please do not attend therapy ( in the clinic) and let us know if: - your child is/has recently been unwell - you have had recent contact with anyone who has recently returned from overseas ( past 14 days). - you have had direct contact with anyone who has tested positive to the coronavirus. In the mean time, FUNction will continue with our infection control guidelines and monitor the situation closely. Please reach out if needed and continue to stay safe! From our family to yours, we would like to thank you for continued support! R xx

04.01.2022 Coming soon! ( hopefully )

02.01.2022 A sea of beige for my first feeding kiddo today . In here, we have 2 fruits, a veg, protein and carbs, as well as a safe food to begin with

01.01.2022 Where would be be without teachers?

01.01.2022 We all know that sleep is crucial for our health. We are often asked how much sleep we get. But would you know the signs of a sleep disorder? I didnt. When we meet a family for the first time, part of our process is to ask thousands of questions about the pregnancy, birth, development and current function so we can best help your child. We will also ask about your childs sleep. Questions we might ask are:... - Does your child snore? - Is your child difficult to rouse in the morning? - Does your child fall asleep or seem fatigued during the day (outside of nap time, for example in the car on the way home from school) - Does your child have difficulties concentrating? - Does your child ever get quite irritable or have meltdowns? - Is there any family history of sleep disorders? These are all red flags of a sleep disorder. I had every single one of these signs. No one ever asked me these questions. No one ever told me that this was not normal. I probably see my GP 3-4 times a year for scripts and skin checks and I was never asked about my sleep, nor did I bring it up. I guess I always thought it was "normal." What I have now realised is that common does not equal normal. I am not for one second bagging out GPs. GPs are absolutely fantastic ( well, mine is anyway!) and they honestly have one of the toughest jobs in the world. Did you know the average time we spend with our GP per visit is around 7 minutes? In those 7 minutes, they have to develop a rapport, get a thorough history of your problem, conduct an examination, make a diagnosis/order tests/complete referrals/scripts/plan for follow up and then close the relationship. All in 7 minutes. Its no wonder that sleep disorders are overlooked. I found out about my sleep issue from a stranger whilst attending a course in Adelaide last year. Until that point, I had no idea that it was not normal to take an hour to fall asleep, to not wake feeling refreshed and to need naps after work. I thought this was just how my body operated my normal. I was still functioning- surely this was normal! I was otherwise healthy and active- surely this was normal! As a health professional, Im a little embarrassed to admit I didnt know this wasnt normal. My body had just done a really good job of adapting and holding on until the weekend when I could take my 4 hour naps and fall asleep on the couch without showering because I was just too tired. Dont let this be your childs normal. If your child has any of the above red flags, speak with your GP! #sleep#sleepdisorder#commondoesnotmeannormal#theforgottenoccupation (Pic- take home sleep test)

01.01.2022 Happy Wednesday!

01.01.2022 Be a detective!