Child Development

Child development is a therapy based service.

Provided are assessment and therapy services to babies, children and adolescents (birth – 16 years) who have developmental or ongoing disability needs.

Referrals come from many sources including Pediatricians, General Practitioners, and other professionals involved with children’s health, for example Plunket and Iwi Providers.

The Child Development service links with preschools, schools and educational organisations. Often it is necessary to share information (with your agreement)
with these organisations in order to provide therapy for your child.

Who is in the Child Development Service Team?

The team is comprised of allied health professionals working in a multidisciplinary way.

Children referred may be seen by only one team member or by several, depending upon the needs identified. Each family will be offered the opportunity to meet with a social worker as part of the service. Referrals are accepted if they meet the specific entry criteria developed by the service. Any waiting times will be identified when the referral is acknowledged.

Speech Language Therapist
Psychologist
Social Worker
Occupational Therapist
Physiotherapist
Visiting Neuro-developmental therapists
Coordinator
How the service works

Aims of the service:

• A coordinated service which liaises with the family and other providers.
• To collaborate with parents and families when setting goals and reviewing progress.
• To inform and educate as to the reasons why therapy programmes are undertaken and what role the family or others have with therapy.
• To provide the most appropriate therapy to each child when it is needed.

Speech Language Therapist

Addresses feeding and/or speech and language concerns. Assessment results in the development of an appropriate therapy programme which may include home or clinic based therapy. If your child is referred to the speech language therapist with concerns regarding feeding and/or swallowing, the primary aim of intervention will be to ensure that your child receives adequate nutrition safely.

Psychologist

Key tasks for the psychologist are working with and supporting children, their families and staff to develop and implement strategies to manage behavioral concerns and the impact of physical disability.  The service will undertake assessments and from these findings, develop therapy and strategy plans. The service works closely with the whole child development service team sharing in interventions.

Social Worker

A social worker advises and assists parents and caregivers with day-to-day concerns. Also assesses the environmental factors which may impact upon the family, and, is available to support families from birth to the education interface and beyond, when the need continues.

Occupational Therapist

The occupational therapist provides assessment and therapy for children aged 2–16 years that are experiencing difficulties in activities of daily living (self care, play, productivity).  Concerns often addressed by occupational therapy include sensory, motor, perceptual, cognition and social skills. Intervention programmes, which encompass a holistic approach, can be in the form of therapy,consultation/education or the provision of necessary equipment.

Physiotherapist

A physiotherapist will provide assessments of physical skills for those children aged from 2–16 years. Follow up therapy is dependent on the needs identified from the assessment. The Physiotherapist will also provide intensive therapy programmes for those children who have undergone surgery which impacts upon their mobility.

Visiting Neuro-Developmental Therapists

Neuro-developmental therapists are registered occupational therapists or physiotherapists who focus on the assessment of a baby’s muscles and movements and how this impacts on the baby’s achievement of developmental skills. They are able to show caregivers handling skills to encourage normal development and provide therapy recommendations to promote learning, skills and independence in tasks of daily living. As they visit the child at home, they will develop a home programme for parents and caregivers to carry out, that maximises everyday opportunities for learning.

Coordinator

A cordinator will coordinate the therapists and help solve issues for the parents and caregivers when they arise. They will also help facilitate referrals to other services as required.

How the Service Works

Your health provider may refer your child at any time for an assessment by the child development service team. Every referral accepted is measured against specific entry criteria developed for each therapy group eg physiotherapy, occupational therapy.

Referrals are sent either directly to MidCentral Health’s central referral team, or to the child development service.   Each child referred is discussed by the team and a key worker is allocated to the child.  Contact is made by the service and appointment details are agreed between the caregiver and the health professional. An assessment is completed by the team member. These findings are then discussed with the family/caregiver(s).

Goals for interventions are agreed and a plan is developed and undertaken. If you have been a client of the service, you may ring into the coordinator at any time if you are concerned about your child’s progress, and further interventions may be planned from there.

Contact Child Health

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