Individual Therapy

Helping your child gain the building blocks for inclusion is the very heart of Gateways’ early years therapy services.

For children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and other developmental concerns, early intervention can help build skills, promote development, support inclusion in social groups and preschool programs and work towards school readiness.

Gateways’ early years therapy services can begin with children as young as 12 months, with services and programs designed to support children. Our team has expertise in ASD, development delay, intellectual disabilities and complex behaviours.

Our early intervention services are currently available in Werribee, Footscray and Western Melbourne.

The aim of these services is to help develop your child’s:

  • Communication
  • Learning skills
  • Self-help skills
  • Sensory awareness
  • Social skills, and
  • Positive behaviour.

Gateways early childhood intervention team

First, it starts with you. We understand and respect that no one knows your child like you do. That’s why all our early years therapy services and programs have families as their focus.

We spend time getting to know your child and your family to gain a thorough understanding of what you want and how best to achieve that in a way that flexibly meets your needs and expectations.

We also educate families, carers and early years educators, explaining therapy options and benefits and equipping the many people in your child’s life with the skills and knowledge to keep supporting your child outside formal therapy sessions.

Working closely with you and your family is our multi-disciplinary early childhood intervention team, made up of:

  • Speech Pathologist to assess and provide strategies to promote communication development and eating skills. This may include understanding and using spoken language, alternative communication methods and social stories to promote understanding.
  • Occupational Therapist to assist by assessing needs and developing strategies in the areas of independence skills (eg dressing, toileting, using utensils), fine motor skills, sensory issues, and advice about appropriate equipment.
  • Key Worker to provide information about the range of services available to families, empowering them to make informed choices. The Key Worker is the main professional providing early intervention support to children with an ECEI NDIS package.

Where can I access these services?

Formal therapy sessions make up a small part of your child’s week. That’s why the best results lie in creating a coordinated program that ties in with your home life, as well as kinder or childcare settings. Services can be provided at:

  • The family home
  • The child’s kindergarten
  • A childcare centre
  • Family Day Care
  • Gateways offices, and
  • Other locations requested by the family.

Who is eligible?

Therapy services can be provided using funding through the National Disability Insurance Scheme Early Childhood Early Intervention (ECEI) for children aged up to 9 years. Learn more about NDIS funding

To find out more, please contact Central Intake on 5221 2984 or email intake@gateways.com.au

Whether your child is in a mainstream or special needs school setting, the school years bring a unique set of opportunities and challenges for children with developmental delay, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or a diagnosed disability.

Gateways’ school age therapy team is experienced and qualified to support children with ASD, intellectual disability and complex behaviours and their families. We are passionate about fostering your child’s physical, communication, self-help and intellectual development, while nurturing their self-esteem, confidence and ability to develop relationships and engage in social activities.

Our individual therapy services are designed to help develop areas including:

  • Communication
  • Learning skills
  • Self help skills
  • Sensory awareness, and
  • Behaviour.

Gateways school age therapy

Your child and family are front and centre for the therapists who work with you.

For many children with a development delay, school presents challenges inside and outside of the classroom as these students try to keep up with routines, behaviour expectations and academic learning, as well as the social rules of the playground. We know how exhausting this can be for the child and the entire family.

Gateways’ school age therapy team understands and respects that no one knows your child as well as you. That’s why we spend time getting to know your child and family, learning about your specific goals – not just in terms of your child’s NDIS package, but also your vision and dreams for their future.

We take time to help you understand therapy options, empowering you to make choices and working together to create an individually tailored plan of supports that flexibly meets the needs of your family.

Where can I access therapy services?

Families can choose the services that best suit their situation. These services can be provided at:

  • The family home
  • Other locations requested by the family, and
  • Gateways offices.

Some children’s NDIS funding allows them to choose to have a Gateways therapist provide this service at their school. The parent must seek permission from the school principal prior to this service commencing. The school principal has the right to decline this request. Please note that individual therapy services cannot take place at either Barwon Valley School or Nelson Park School, Geelong.

To find out more, please contact Central Intake on 5221 2984 or email intake@gateways.com.au

We offer a specialist program dedicated to supporting young people with developmental disabilities as they transition through adolescence and into adulthood. The program is designed to develop and maintain skills that ready each person to live their best life.

Please note that this service is currently only available in the Western Melbourne area.

Our multidisciplinary team includes occupational therapists and speech pathologists with extensive clinical experience working with adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), intellectual disability and other developmental disabilities.

With a focus on young people aged 12 years and over, our therapists are passionate about helping people with disabilities navigate this important time as they strive to achieve what they need or want to do in their lives.

What we do

We promote a ‘Journey Approach’ to better support adolescents and adults not only through their current milestones, but also with a clear focus on understanding and planning for their future supports and needs.

Our team recognises that every journey is unique and offers an equally unique suite of evidence-based therapeutic interventions to support the specific needs, aspirations and life goals of each individual.

Occupational Therapy can help adolescents and adults with disabilities develop and maintain skills to improve their quality of life at home, school, group program and in the workplace.

Our team can help with:

  • Independent living skills assessments and planning
  • Transitioning to employment
  • Social understanding, emotional regulation and complex behaviour support
  • Addressing sensory processing challenges
  • Assessment reports, equipment prescriptions, customised resource development
  • Basic home modifications, community access, risk assessment
  • Family/carer training and education
  • Cognitive and executive functioning challenges such as time management, organisation, initiation and self-direction
  • Customised therapy programs
  • Routines, organisation and self-management support
  • Life transition support, such as school and accommodation transitions
  • Collaborative Care Team planning
  • Puberty and sexuality support
  • Mental health wellbeing and resilience building, and
  • Develop and maintain skills to prepare participants for the workplace and improve their quality of life.

To find out more, please contact Central Intake on 5221 2984 or email intake@gateways.com.au