Melbourne Child Development in Box Hill, Victoria | Local service

Melbourne Child Development

Locality: Box Hill, Victoria

Phone: +61 3 9890 1062

Address: 834 Canterbury Road 3128 Box Hill, VIC, Australia

Website: https://www.melbournechilddevelopment.com.au/contact-us

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25.01.2022 The More Than Words Program is a parent training program for families of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder or other Social Communication difficulties. This program teaches parents strategies to maximise learning and communication opportunities when interacting with their child, to enhance their childs ability to connect and communicate with the world. The More Than Words Program recognises the importance of the parent-child relationship and empowers parents to be the ex...perts in their childs social communication development. Melbourne Child Development is now able to offer the More Than Words Program via telehealth format, making it even more accessible for our families. Developed by the Hanen Centre, the program offered via telehealth maintains the evidence-based structure for parent coaching and video feedback that is provided in the face-to-face sessions, but with the flexibility of completing the Program from your home. The program will be offered via Zoom, which is free to download and easy to use. Our next More Than Words Program on Saturday afternoons from July 2020, with the pre-program consultations occuring in mid-June early-July 2020. We encourage you to attend our free More Than Words Information Session on Saturday the 13th of June 2020 at 1:00pm 2:30pm via Zoom. This information session will be an opportunity to learn all about the research behind the More Than Words program, what you can expect to learn in the program, and what is required for participation in the program. Registration for the More Than Words program will open after the More Than Words Information Session. Attendance to the Information Session is strongly recommended for any families interested in participating in the program. To register your attendance to the More Than Words Information Session please contact the client services team via telephone on 9890 1062 or via email at [email protected]. See more

24.01.2022 The April School Holidays are almost here, which means the team at Melbourne Child Development are getting ready for our next round of School Holiday Social Skill Programs! We are excited to be running a new look program this time around, so please click through to our website for full program details: https://www.melbournechilddevelopment.com.au/school-holida/ Registrations close on Monday 16th March - dont miss out!

24.01.2022 How can I help my child transfer their speech sounds into everyday talking? One of the most effective ways to encourage a behaviour to happen again is to give plenty of positive praise! Show your child how proud you are when they say their target sound and tell them how it helps you to understand all the fantastic things they have to tell you.

23.01.2022 Melbourne Child Development is offering weekly 30-minute mindfulness sessions for children who currently attend the practice, at no additional cost. We understand current circumstances are challenging and finding ways to keep your child both calm and entertained can be difficult. We are here to help with mindfulness sessions aimed to: Develop your childs understanding of their body and body sensations... Teach your child a range of breathing strategies to use to help them feel calmer and more relaxed Support your child to learn a range of relaxation strategies and calming techniques Provide your child with a fun and educational activity Sessions will run for 30 minutes on a weekly basis for a 6-week period, beginning Friday 28th August. Places are limited to 6 children per session and will re-open each week. Tuesday 10:30am 4-year-old kinder Grade 1 children Tuesday 2:00pm Children in Grades 2 - 4 Tuesday 3:00pm Children in Grades 5 & 6 OR Friday 10:30am 4-year-old kinder Grade 1 children Friday 2:00pm Children in Grades 2 - 4 Friday 3:00pm Children in Grades 5 & 6 Younger children will need to be supported by their parents to access these sessions. Why not join your child in a moment of relaxation, allowing yourself to reset and recharge? Parents are welcome and encouraged to join with their children reset for the beginning of the week, or recharge at the end. To find out more or to book a session, contact our Client Services team on (03) 9890 1062 send an email to [email protected]. Please note sessions will be booked weekly; this is an open program and booking a place at one session will not guarantee a place ongoing. We would like to reach as many families as we can during these challenging times, and so will be offering places on a first come, first served basis. See more

23.01.2022 Ever wondered what a telehealth session actually looks like? . We are committed to providing the highest standard of evidence-based Speech Pathology, Occupational Therapy and Psychology services for children, adolescents, and their families.... And we are delighted to advise that we have the capacity to conduct a wide range of assessment and therapy sessions using telehealth. There are a variety of reasons why that might be desirable, beneficial or advisable. Research evidence strongly supports the clinical efficacy of telehealth sessions in a wide variety of circumstances. , . We invite you to find out more about our telehealth service for Speech Pathology, Occupational Therapy, Psychology & Social Skills Groups here: https://www.melbournechilddevelopment.com.au/telehealth-se/ Or you can call us today on 9890 1062 to arrange a time to speak with a clinician about how we can best support your child via telehealth.

23.01.2022 Heavy work activities improve body awareness and motor skills and support regulation. Check out some of Talys ideas of how to incorporate heavy work into your childs day!

22.01.2022 COMMUNICATION KINGS & QUEENS Suitable for: 7 - 11 year olds This engaging 8-week Telehealth program provides the perfect opportunity for children to sharpen their social skills sword. The Communication Kings and Queens program has been custom designed by our Speech Pathologists who have years of experience providing therapy targeted towards social skills, communication development and pragmatic language in both group and individual settings.... Children will click on, connect, and converse with their therapist and each other through our secure Telehealth platform. This exciting program is available now and we are currently accepting registrations. To find out more, visit: https://www.melbournechilddevelopment.com.au/communication/ See more

21.01.2022 For many children who have difficulty with language, social skills or play, joint attention will be one of the first things a Speech Pathologist considers when deciding on therapy goals, and one of the first goals that will be targeted if required. https://www.melbournechilddevelopment.com.au/what-is-joint/

21.01.2022 Did you ever stop to wonder why Speechies LOVE games so much? There are 5 very good reasons for all the frivolity! https://www.melbournechilddevelopment.com.au/ask-a-speechi/

21.01.2022 ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A WAY TO WORK WITH YOUR CHILD TO IMPROVE THEIR SOCIAL COMMUNICATION? The More Than Words Program is a parent training program for families of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder or other Social Communication difficulties. This program teaches parents strategies to maximise learning and communication opportunities when interacting with their child, to enhance their childs ability to connect and communicate with the world. The More Than Words Program ...recognises the importance of the parent-child relationship and empowers parents to be the experts in their childs social communication development. : : . This information session will be an opportunity to learn all about the research behind the More Than Words program, what you can expect to learn in the program, and what is required for participation in the program. The More Than Words Program, facilitated by two of our experienced, Hanen-certified Speech Pathologists, is now available via telehealth format, making it even more accessible for our families. Developed by the Hanen Centre, the program offered via telehealth maintains the evidence-based structure for parent coaching and video feedback that is provided in the face-to-face sessions, but with the flexibility of completing the Program from your home. The program will be offered via Zoom, which is free to download and easy to use. Registration for the More Than Words program will open after the More Than Words Information Session. Attendance to the Information Session is strongly recommended for any families interested in participating in the program. To register your attendance to the More Than Words Information Session please contact the client services team via telephone on 03 9890 1062 or via email at [email protected]. See more

18.01.2022 We are looking for an experienced Speech Pathologist or Occupational Therapist to work with our Clinical Manager and Management Team. The Deputy Clinical Manager has their own caseload with time allocated to mentor and supervise clinicians, attend management meetings and work on projects and contribute ideas to the running of the business. The goal is to support clinicians to develop self leadership in fulfilling their roles whilst taking care of themselves and facilitating... the business processes to enable this to happen. The team at Melbourne Child Development is looking for a Speech Pathologist or Occupational Therapist with at least 5 years experience. Work in a paediatric private practice and/or management is an advantage. Proof of relevant qualifications and profession specific memberships are required. We would like you to have good self-awareness and self -management skills, be in tune with your work colleagues in order to support them, have a positive perspective and be open to learning. The Deputy Clinical Manager has many opportunities to develop management and leadership skills through mentoring from experienced Directors and managers and on the job experience. We are respectful of your work/life balance and our days are 7.6 hours . We share early starts with mid morning starts so you can shop, exercise or sleep-in before you start work. Because we value our staff so much we have a generous parental leave program after two years of employment with Melbourne Child Development. To find out more and apply, visit our Careers page: https://www.melbournechilddevelopment.com.au/careers/

18.01.2022 ": " Written by Aunty Joy Murphy & Andrew Kelly, Illustrated by Lisa Kennedy Wilam, a Birrarung Story is filled with brilliant pictures telling the story of Birrarung, (also known as The Yarra River). Wilam means home in Woiwurrung, the language of the Wurundjeri clan. Wurundjeri Elder Aunty Joy Murphy and illustrator Lisa Kennedy, a Trawlwoolway descendant, collaborated with Andrew Kelly, who is a Yarra Riverkeeper to write and illustrate this bo...ok. The book follows Birrarung and reveals the beautiful native wildlife that calls the river home. As you turn the pages you will see detailed large double page spreads of illustrations. Children (and adults) can learn about the diverse wildlife who live along the riverbank. Dulai wurrung (platypus) stays hidden in her burrow with newly hatched babies while waa (the crow) flies high in the sky calling out with his brothers. The book contains a glossary, with Woiwurrung words, which are included in the English text. Click here to watch the book being read online: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jm2YhpsECX0 This book was recommended by our Speech Pathologist Genevieve Ackland. Please note: Melbourne Child Development is in no way affiliated with this book and we do not receive any financial incentive to promote it (we just love this book!). See more

17.01.2022 . ? A fantastic collaboration from our Psychologist Lisa Jones and Speech Pathologist Genevieve Ward, this article delves into How to foster your childs emotional security during challenging times. https://www.melbournechilddevelopment.com.au/childrens-emo/

16.01.2022 Do you sometimes get stuck for ideas of how to encourage creativity in your kids? Speech Pathologist Genevieve Ward shares some great tips backed up by the latest research in this article. Check out these ideas - and more in the link! https://buff.ly/2UXftoM Only talk with your hands Play Charades Make a one-word story each taking it in turns to say a word ... Draw a picture taking it in turns with each pencil stroke Make up a story with figurines and film it on the iPad Make up a new recipe from scratch See more

14.01.2022 The recent announcement of a minimum 6 week lock down to slow the spread of coronavirus in Melbourne has triggered anxiety in us all. The dramatic media headlines about the community transfer numbers leave us weak at the knees. The thought of returning to the stressful balance of work and home-schooling children without the physical support of extended family and friends seems overwhelming. One of my peers aptly remarked that readjusting our businesses for another lockdow...n has felt like she has just fallen out of a tumble dryer. We all understand that dizzy nauseated, ruffled feeling! We are all looking for inspiration to help us get through these demanding times. A recent Ted Talk provided me with such an anchor. It is called the Three Secrets of Resilient People by Lucy Hone https://www.ted.com//lucy_hone_the_three_secrets_of_resili. Lucy was a professional working in resilience research who had to face a tragic personal loss. After trying to apply her research to her own trauma she instead found what really worked; 1. Accepting that life is difficult and that difficulties happen to everyone 2. Finding what is good and what you can be grateful for in your life and 3. Reflecting on the way you are responding; is it helpful or harmful to you and stop what is harmful and do more of what is helpful to you. At Melbourne Child Development we are very grateful that despite these challenging times Lisa Jones has joined the practice as our psychologist. Lisa has started with great enthusiasm. She has experience across the spectrum of child development including autism and in education and has availability for new clients. For the next 6 weeks Melbourne Child Development will conduct all sessions by telehealth and hopefully after that time, stage our return to face to face once again. See more

14.01.2022 We are very excited to introduce Lisa Jones who is Melbourne Child Developments new Psychologist. Lisa joins us with considerable experience in childrens education and development having worked as a psychologist in a wide variety of settings including private practice, early childhood intervention and primary schools. Lisa comes highly qualified to the position with us. She has a Bachelor of Applied Science (Psychology) Hons and Masters of Psychology (Education and Devel...opment). Lisa has had experience in providing individual and group therapy to children using a wide range of interventions including CBT, Emotional coaching, Social learning and Person centred counselling. Lisa is qualified and experienced in administering all major psychology tests including WISC-IV, WPPSI-VI, Vineland-II, WIAT-II and CBCL. Lisas experience and qualifications make an ideal match to add to our existing multidisciplinary team. We look forward to working in a truly inter professional model to develop optimal client and family centered goals and progress for you all. Lisa is able to provide both assessment and ongoing therapy to support you and your family, and is able to conduct all types of sessions via Telehealth as needed. Lisas appointments are now open and filling quickly so feel free to speak to reception staff who will explain the assessment process and bookings. See more

13.01.2022 We support our children to look after their personal hygiene, including brushing their teeth and having a bath, however do you know how to help look after your childs voice? https://www.melbournechilddevelopment.com.au/what-is-vocal/

13.01.2022 : TELEHEATH EDITION Information Session for Parents : Saturday 13th June 2020... : 1:00pm - 2:30pm : Online Zoom Meeting Following the success of the first More Than Words program of 2020, we are thrilled to be able to offer this program once more this year, entirely over teleheath! To learn more, click here: https://www.melbournechilddevelopment.com.au/more-than-wor/ This engaging 8-week Telehealth program provides the perfect opportunity for children aged 7-12 years to sharpen their social skills sword. The Communication Kings and Queens program has been custom designed by our Speech Pathologists and is available as a group or individual program. Children will click on, connect, and converse with their therapist and each other through our secure Telehealth platform. This exciting program is available from May 2020, and we are currently accepting registrations. To learn more, click here: https://www.melbournechilddevelopment.com.au/communication/

12.01.2022 After a short time back at school for most children, the June/July School Holidays are almost upon us, which means the team at Melbourne Child Development are getting ready for our next round of School Holiday Social Skill Programs! Each school holidays Melbourne Child Development offers a variety of programs for children to work on social interaction skills and communication goals in a unique one-on-one or small group environment with the specialised guidance of our Speec...h Pathologists and Occupational Therapist. The Programs are designed to be fun, while helping your child to improve their communication and develop important social interaction skills typical of everyday playground and classroom interactions. With the health and safety of our clients, families and staff as our utmost priority, we will be running the June/July School Holiday Program as a Telehealth Program. Last school holidays, in April, we quickly adapted our programs to be run as one-on-one Telehealth sessions and were so pleased with how receptive you and your children were to this new mode of delivery. Now that we have had a full term to adapt to Telehealth, along with one-on-one sessions we are also able to offer small group or dyad sessions with 2-3 children working with one of our clinicians via Telehealth. The availability of small group/dyad sessions is dependent on children being suitably matched. If no suitable match can be found, we will offer individual sessions for your child. We are committed to ensuring that children are suitably matched to work together to practice responses to real life social situations with their peers. The Programs run over four days (45 or 60 minutes per day) and you can select a preference for either Week 1 or Week 2 of the School Holidays. Full program fees and details can be found on our website: www.melbournechilddevelopment.com.au/school-holiday-progra/. Please also head to our website to complete your online Registration Form to secure your childs place. For more information please feel free to call (03) 9890 1062 or email [email protected] We cant wait to welcome you to the Program! See more

11.01.2022 As we enter into our 10th week of telehealth with you, we appreciate that many of you are entering the 6th week of educating your children at home. What an amazing job you are doing not only teaching your children but also preventing the virus moving through the community. You are surrounded by a melting pot of emotions at the moment and likely supporting several generations in your family who are feeling anxiety and isolation however we hope you have also seen thoughtfulness..., creativity, kindness, humour and bravery during this time. The next phase of enabling people to get back together needs to be slow and steady. This is to make sure that everyone remains safe with correct physical distancing between adults, continued handwashing and children and adults staying at home in quarantine if they have any symptoms of any illness. We are delighted that telehealth sessions are proving to be so effective and practical for families. Telehealth will now be an ongoing service available for everyone at any time. At Melbourne Child Development we plan to start a gradual introduction of face to face sessions. This will involve staggering the number of staff at the Practice rooms at one time, temperature checks on arrival, handwashing on arrival, physical distancing of adults, room and equipment cleaning between sessions and segregation of families. Sessions will be limited to staff and families free of any symptoms of illness of any kind. The reintroduction of face to face appointments may take some tweaking so we thank you in advance for your patience. Your Speech Pathologist and Occupational Therapist will listen to your wishes and work with you to make decisions about continuing telehealth and /or mixing telehealth with face to face sessions as we gradually re - open the practice rooms. We will continue to communicate with you regularly as the details of our plans develop. We thank you for your support as we work to look after you, your children, and our staff. Please speak to your Speech Pathologist or Occupational Therapist if you have any questions or concerns or you can speak to client services staff at [email protected] or by calling 03 9890 1062. Kind regards, Robyn Stephen Practice Principal

09.01.2022 Did you get a chance to read our February Newsletter? Its jam packed with great articles from our team, as well as some community updates to share with our families Didnt receive your copy? Click through to have a read, and hit subscribe at the top left of the page to make sure you stay up to date with our monthly news (no spam, we promise!)

09.01.2022 If addressing your childs feeding problems is on your list for 2020, watch this introduction to the Sequential Oral Sensory approach to feeding by its founder Dr Kay Toomey - then give us a call on 9890 1062 to get in touch with our SOS Trained Feeding Therapist.

06.01.2022 Looking for book recommendations for a particular speech or language target? Or maybe youre after a book with a particular story plot or narrative structure? This is one of our favourite online resources!

05.01.2022 Whether its a small box of mixed pieces or a large expert level construction pack, LEGO or block play is one resource that has become a staple in many therapy sessions. And for a good reason not only is LEGO highly motivating, but it can allow us to target so many different goals! LEGO and Play this one might go without saying, but LEGO inspires the imagination, perfect for those working on expanding their play (Im going to teach you to build a rocket), adding ...sequences to their play (Where should the boy go after the shops? Lets build that!) or playing more flexibly (You chose the colour of the head, so Ill choose the colour of the body). LEGO and Communication almost all LEGO play can be manipulated so that the child has to communicate to request something of you (be it the next piece or the next instruction), plus LEGO can also lead to communicating to share something of interest (Look at my cool house!). LEGO and Expressive Language think adjectives (I want the red/small/flat/round/weird-looking block), nouns (Lets build a door/car/tree/spaceship next!), verbs (this little man is swimming/running/throwing/falling/crying), or even just extending the length of phrases. LEGO and Receptive Language many packets of LEGO come with their own instructions, so there is no reason why these cant be read out by a peer or adult and provide an opportunity to practice any number of receptive language goals. These might include understanding 2-step instructions (Find a flat piece and put it on the ground), prepositions (This piece goes inside/under/beside the bush) or sequential language (First you put the blue piece, and then the red piece). LEGO and Speech Sounds say the target sound/word/phrase 5 times, you get the next piece: easy-peasy! LEGO and Social Skills one of my personal favourite goals to work on. Play with a partner can often allow the child to practice so many different social skills. These might include turn-taking, negotiating, problem solving, sharing, conversational skills, self-regulation, reading face and body clues the list goes on! http://www.melbournechilddevelopment.com.au/featured-resou/

04.01.2022 In our work as Speech Pathologists and Occupational Therapists we frequently are guided by the principles outlined in the DIR Model and Greenspan Floortime approach. These principles advocate more effective learning outcomes for toddlers, and some older children, could be achieved by parents/caregivers engaging in high quality play with their children instead of adult-led table-top activities. Click the link to continue reading... https://www.melbournechilddevelopment.com.au/ask-a-speechi/

03.01.2022 During this time, one of the biggest challenges families have faced is being forced to stay apart, which has led to big emotions such as grief, loss and uncertainty. Loved ones have compensated by arranging regular face times, zoom sessions or speaking to loved ones via the phone. The question I pose is, Is this enough for our young to build their sense of belonging?. Just recently, I had a family ask me, what can I do so my children wont forget their family? It sparke...d an immediate flame. How do our children understand they are still part of a larger network of loved ones when they have reduced interactions and time spent with them? Here are some ideas to support your childs sense of belonging during isolation: regularly talk about them in lots of different ways look at pictures of loves ones and talk about them make a little book about who is in your family tree try copying or drawing pictures of family create stick characters and act out a family dinner with them all coming over cook recipes from loved ones and talking about how Aunty Susan makes the best apple crumble! dress up like Grandma do similar activities that our extended family does. You might say, Lets do some gardening like Uncle Rex does. He likes to grow his own vegetables. We can do this too? Always remember that nurturing your childs emotional development and their sense of belonging helps to build their confidence in trying new things and ability to learn about their world! Good luck building on this concept and we would love to hear how you go. - Written by Speech Pathologist Genevieve Ward

02.01.2022 Feeding is the most challenging sensory activity that children do, as it simultaneously requires integrating information across each one of our 8 senses each time we are presented with food and chew. In order to eat well, a child must be able to process and then simultaneously manage multi-sensory inputs.

02.01.2022 As the COVID-19 (coronavirus) situation continues to change throughout the world and locally we wanted to reassure you that we are watching closely and reacting sensibly. We are keeping up to date with the guidelines and best practice from The Australian Department of Health, Speech Pathology Australia and Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency. At the moment our service delivery is focused on telehealth which has proved to be both highly effective and popular with ...our families. As we all continue to navigate the challenges this pandemic brings, our focus is clear; to support you with your families allied health needs in any way we can. Rest assured, Melbourne Child Development is open for business. We have been a successful small business for nearly 25 years, so understand working with our clients to survive the ups and downs. We are delighted to advise that our clinicians have the capacity to conduct a wide range of Occupational Therapy and Speech Pathology sessions using Telehealth. Research evidence strongly supports the clinical efficacy of telehealth sessions in a wide variety of circumstances. We use Coviu, an Australian CSIRO developed platform specifically designed for health applications, so it has capabilities and protections that meet the Australian requirements for data security and privacy in the health industry. To find out more about our Telehealth Sessions, please visit https://www.melbournechilddevelopment.com.au/telehealth-se/ or call 9890 1062 to speak with one of our experienced clinicians. As our leaders begin to discuss the easing of restrictions and the possible reopening of schools, we understand our families are keen to hear about a return to in-clinic sessions. The safety and wellbeing of our clients and team is our priority. With this in mind, were following the advice of Australias Chief Medical Officer. Were also closely monitoring Federal and State Government authorities as we put in place measures to support and protect our families and team. We will be continuing to communicate with our families about the procedures we are putting into place to ensure that when we do return, the practice will be a safe environment for all. In the meantime please join our many families taking advantage of telehealth.

01.01.2022 As we all come to terms with the growing challenges of the Coronavirus pandemic, our focus is clear, to support you with your families allied health needs in any way we can. Rest assured, Melbourne Child Development is open for business. We have been a successful small business for nearly 25 years, so understand working with our clients to survive the ups and downs. Our significant investment over the past 12 months enabling our capacity to deliver services remotely via best ...practice Telehealth is testament to this. The safety and wellbeing of our clients and team is our priority. With this in mind, were following the advice of Australias Chief Medical Officer and the World Health Organisation. Were also closely monitoring Federal and State Government authorities as we put in place measures to support and protect our families and team. Weve stepped up preventative hygiene measures at our offices in Canterbury Road, which remains open for business. And weve able to deliver, today, many services remotely via Telehealth. Were monitoring developments and adapting our processes in response every day. You can stay updated by visiting https://www.melbournechilddevelopment.com.au/telehealth-se/ Do not hesitate to reach out to client services team at any time on 03 9890 1062, or [email protected], and for more of our latest news you can also read our March newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/a0ccdf6b6a27/mcd-march20-newsletter

01.01.2022 Mr. Potato Head is a fun and exciting game that many of us will remember from our own childhood! This toy is a fan favourite and is a priceless resource in any Speech Pathologists toolbox. Some fun ways to use Mr. Potato Head: - : Mr. Potato Head is great for learning and labelling parts of the body, clothing, and colours. For example, eyes, nose, shoes, green, etc. It can also be used to learn about the function of body parts and clothing e.g.... what do we smell with?, what do we put on our feet before we go outside? - : Pronouns are words like he, she, his, hers, etc. For example, make two potato heads- labelling one a girl and one a boy and take turns deciding what each would like e.g. she wants the purple lips!, he wants the orange shoes!. You can also ask questions: who has orange shoes? he does. - Whole Body Listening: Mr. Potato Head is helpful for teaching children how they can listen with their whole body. For example: Mr. Potato head uses his ears to listen to me, he keeps his arms resting by his sides and uses his eyes to look at me. - Prepositions: Prepositions are words that describe location e.g. under, on, next to. Hide Mr. Potato Head pieces around the room and find where the parts have been placed: for example, next to the door or on the table. : Focus on following directions using the language first, next, last etc. For example, First put the hat on, then put the ears on. The best part about the game is that it can be learnt while playing and does not require a huge explanation. My clients request to play this game often! Please note: Melbourne Child Development is in no way affiliated with this resource and we do not receive any financial incentive to promote it (we just love it!). See more