Allied Health and NDIS for Children: A Workshop for Allied Health Practitioners

Strengthening Support for Children Through NDIS Reform

This Allied Health & NDIS For Children workshop brings together AHPs working with children to explore recent NDIS reforms, best practices, and collaborative solutions to improve services for children with disabilities. The forum will feature presentations by experts, a lived-experience perspective, and interactive group workshops designed to foster innovation in service delivery. Themes from the guest speakers include:

• Local Area Coordinators and Allied Health 
• Getting the Best Outcomes for Your Clients
• NDIS Process in Private Practice
• Navigating the NDIS: Insights from Lived Experience

WORKSHOP PRESENTERS:

Chelsea Thomas – Senior LHD, Blue Sky Community Services, Nambucca Heads          

Chelsea Thomas is the Team Leader for the Local Area Coordination (LAC) program in the Nambucca Heads and Coffs Harbour areas. She has been working with Blue Sky Community Services since 2021 and has seen the LAC program and the NDIS adapt to changes in legislation, systems and processes throughout this time. She has been involved in training Blue Sky’s LACs throughout these changes and has a passion for helping everyone understand the LAC role as clearly and effectively as possible.

Chelsea will provide participants with relevant and up-to-date information to help assist understanding of the role of the LAC and will discuss recent reforms and legislation changes in the NDIS and how Allied Health Professionals can best contribute to someone's NDIS journey.

Jane Franke – Principle psychologist, Lighthouse Health & Education, Moonee Beach & Grafton

Jane Franke is founder, director and principal psychologist of Lighthouse Health and Education, a small group dual location private practice at Moonee Beach and Grafton. Jane has worked 25 years with children, adolescents and their families in primary and secondary schools, high needs behavioural intervention settings, child protection services and for the last 8 years in private practice. She has extensive experience with psycho-educational assessment and working with individuals living with neurodevelopmental differences including Autism Spectrum Disorder, intellectual disability, specific learning difficulties (dyslexia), and behavioural disorders.

Jane has a Masters in Child and Adolescent Welfare and works with Southern Cross University (SCU) supervising their 5th year Master of Psychology students.

Jane will present on her experience over the years in an Allied Health Private Practice supporting child NDIS participants. She will speak of the real life nitty-gritty stuff from initial contact and the paperwork, to the goal setting, provision of intervention supports and beyond.

Alexandra Bruggisser – Exercise Physiologist, Kids in Motion, Coffs Harbour region

Alexandra Bruggiser is an Accredited Exercise Physiologist at Kids in Motion, a paediatric physiotherapy clinic with bases in Grafton, Coffs, Macksville and Kempsey. Alex has a special interest in Paediatrics and works with children of all abilities. Her background is in Psychology so she's very interested in human behaviour and mental health as well as chronic conditions and how we can use exercise to help manage all of these things. 

Alexandra will talk about the services they offer at Kids in Motion, including: paediatric physio and exercise physiology, hydrotherapy, serial casting, turtle bracing, after-school groups, school holiday groups, physical assessments, reports, preschool visits. She will also describe the way services are delivered for physical activity in the practice rooms, in parks, at the pool, etc. 

Cole Flett – Mother of NDIS child participants, Coffs Harbour     

Cole Flett is an Indigenous Woman from Canada, mother of 9, with 2 sons diagnosed autistic. At 47, she has also been diagnosed autism level 2 and ADHD. She has lived experience with healthcare in both countries, and examines the importance of early diagnosis, and the immeasurable value of NDIS to access supports needed to grow and thrive as a neurodivergent.

Cole will provide a clear voice of lived experience on the NDIS system and how allied health professionals can improve the care and services they provide for both children and their families.

Toni Tulk – Northcott team leader for Access & Planning, Coffs Harbour

Toni Tulk has worked in early childhood service for over period of 7 years.  She has a Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Care. She started out as an educator with Family Day Care, then move into Early Childhood Learning Centers, and now is a Team Leader for Northcott’s Access & Planning Team operating across Coffs Harbour and Kempsey.

Toni will be discussing NDIS access requirements under early intervention, how to support families that meet developmental delay or disability criteria to access NDIS funded support plans and the evidence required. She will also cover eligibility requirements for participants to remain on the scheme and what the eligibility re-assessment process looks like and the Northcott Early Childhood pathway for children who don’t meet NDIS criteria.

Title of presentation - “Northcott Early Childhood - Access, Eligibility & Early Intervention pathways”

This event is proudly supported by: