Evidence based, goal directed therapy is central to the services provided at Kidiotherapy. We have a fully accessible and equiped clinic based in Sutherland, which is fun, child friendly and suited to children aged 0-18 years. The focus of children’s physiotherapy sessions is to make it engaging and fun using play and game based activities. We also aim to enable families to incorporate ongoing programs into a child’s daily life and community participation. All our therapists work solely in paediatrics.

Aquatic physiotherapy is physiotherapy carried out in a warm pool. It uses the beneficial properties of water to enable children to move, balance, strengthen and perform functional activities while having fun. We currently provide aquatic physiotherapy on Fridays at Swimmos swim centre at Kirrawee, which has an indoor pool heated to 32.5 degrees all year round. On Mondays we use Sutherland Leisure Centre which has a pool hoist and is heated to 31 degrees.

While Kidiotherapy are not currently able to provide regular home visiting for clients, we are able to provide occasional home visits to assist in home based assessments as well as implementation of programs in the home environment. We are also able to attend home visits for trials and delivery of equipment to ensure it is suited to your child and their home environment. Home visits can also be organised for education of other family members as well as support workers.

A silver lining to the Covid-19 restrictions was the ability to use Telehealth in physiotherapy. Telehealth continues to be provided on an as-needed basis at Kidiotherapy. It enables our therapists to engage with families as they attend other medical/therapy/equipment appointments, or require the occasional therapy session if they are not able to make it to clinic.

Our supported playgroups run fortnightly (during the school term) on an as-needed basis for children with disabilities, generally in the age range of 9 months to 4 years of age and their parents. In these sessions, we provide group-based early intervention in conjunction with an Occupational Therapist to support children in various areas including learning, play, fine and gross motor, and social domains.

Our baby development groups run fortnightly (during the school term) on an as-needed basis for children aged 0-18 months of age. During these sessions families are provided with tips on positioning and handling, as well as activities to facilitate and encourage their child’s motor development. The group is also a great way for parents to engage with other parents and support each other.

Our therapist can provide intermittent visits to a client’s daycare, family daycare, preschool or school to assist in acccess for a child commencing/transitioning to an educational setting. Assistance can also be provided in providing supporting documentation/reports, supporting the child’s educators, as well as setting up programs to assist a child access to the classroom, playground, educational curriculum and individual goals.

Starting daycare, preschool and school (primary and secondary) are important milestones for every child and their family. Our therapists at Kidiotherapy are able to assist families in preparing for these transitions through site visits, providing reports of recommendations, attending meetings and providing support for educational staff. We aim to assist in making your child’s transitions as smooth and successful as possible.

A common and important goal for children and their families is for their child to participate in community based activities with family and peers. Our therapists at Kidiotherapy are here to assist in any way possible to facilitate this. We can support access to various sports, activities and camps by providing supporting education or documentation, attending the activity with the child, as well as providing ongoing support.

As children grow and develop they may need equipment or assistive technology (AT) to assist them to achieve their individual goals. Typical equipment prescribed at Kidiotherapy include standing frames, walking frames, frame runners, modified bikes/trikes, seating and simple wheelchairs. Our therapists are all experienced in a range of simple to complex equipment and can assist clients with trials of various equipment as well as in their application for equipment through various funding programs.

At Kidiotherapy we work closely with Orthotists and Podiatrists to assist our clients who require various orthoses. Common lower limb orthoses that are prescribed include Ankle-Foot Orthoses (AFOs), Supramaleolar Orthoses (SMOs), Stretching Orthoses and in-shoe orthotics. Our therapists are also experienced in assisting with the prescription of body support garments such as Dymanic Movement Orthoses (DMOs), Sensory Dynamic Orthoses (SDOs) and Second Skin garments. We can assist in applications for funding.

Kidiotherapy strongly believes that it is essential for the team surrounding a child, including their family, therapists, educators and medical supports work collaboratively to ensure a child can be supported and ultimately reach their full potential. Our therapists are regularly involved in meettings with members of a child’s team and this can be achieved in a variety of ways, for example, on-location, Zoom/Teams, as well as being involved in regular communication via phone calls, emails, reports and individual education plans.