Kites therapy services focus on supporting children’s learning and development in the early years, from birth to school age.
Therapy works best when it is embedded into daily family life. It’s even better when other family members, child care workers and teachers do the same activities with children to help them learn and develop.
Therapy can occur during play, or family home and community activities such as household tasks and shopping. This means that you are doing things you normally do at home or out and about, but you pick up on opportunities where you can say or do something that will encourage your child to develop and use new skills.
Setting therapy goals
One of the first things you will be asked by your therapist is what your goals are for your child. This means talking together about what areas of life are going well, and what areas your child needs help to develop.
- What can your child do now?
- What would make a difference to your child’s life and to your family experience right now?
- What will help your child to take part in family and community activities more easily?
Your child’s goals might focus on:
- Life and family experiences
- Developmental and learning needs
- Health and wellbeing
- Balancing your child’s needs with the rest of the family
- Inclusion in community settings
How will Kites therapists work with my family?
The Kites team works closely with parents, caregivers and early childhood teachers to support children’s development, to give every child the best possible start.
At your first Kites session, time is spent focusing on getting to know each other. The more therapists know your child, you and your family, and what’s important to you, the better they are able to provide services which suit your child’s needs and your family’s needs. This is known as family-centred practice.
The solutions we develop are as unique as the kids and families we work with, and as diverse as the disabilities and developmental difficulties they live with.
Key Worker Model
At Kites we use a Key Worker Model, based on the National Guidelines on Best Practice in Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) (link opens in new tab).
A key worker is a member of your child’s therapy team who works closely with you as a parent to:
- Develop goals for your child and family
- Support your child’s development in everyday activities and
- Monitor your child’s progress with you.
The Key Worker – generally matched based on your child’s goals – is the therapist you work with most closely.
Kites Therapy Team
The Kites therapy team includes:
- Key workers
- Exercise Physiologists
- Occupational Therapists
- Speech Pathologists
- Physiotherapist
- Psychologists
- Dietitians
- Social Workers
Best practice approaches
Kites use a range of approaches based on best practice:
- Family-centered – understanding you are the expert on your child
- Strengths and interests based – to aid your child’s everyday learning
- Working in natural learning environments – where your child learns
- Coaching – building the capacity of families and educators to learn skills that promote child learning
Your key worker and therapy team will work with you in places your child learns such as home, daycare or school.