*****SEMINAR ON JUNE 18TH CANCELLED DUE TO ILLNESS****

A series of interactive seminars packed with information and practical strategies for caregivers and professionals.
Hosted by Nicola Stampa, experienced children’s Occupational Therapist.

If you are concerned about the development or skills of a child that you care for or work with, these seminars offer an efficient and affordable way of building your capacity and skills to support your child.

Each seminar will allow plenty of time for you to ask questions and to apply the content using real life examples, to make sure you get the most out of each session. It is also a wonderful opportunity to connect and network with other caregivers experiencing similar challenges.

WHO THIS IS FOR:
Each seminar is designed to be helpful and appropriate for caregivers of children of all ages and abilities, from toddler to teen. Your child does not need to have a disability or diagnosis for you to benefit. All seminars are also appropriate as professional development for educators, support workers and health professionals.

WHERE:
Ray Bradfield Room, Frederick St, Castlemaine, VIC, 3450.
This room is wheelchair accessible and all access toilets are located nearby. Please be aware that due to venue capacity you may be seated close to other attendees. It is recommended that you wear a mask if unable to maintain sufficient physical distance.

WHEN:
Sunday 3:30pm-5pm

Please note that these seminars relate to three different topics across three separate dates, so when booking your ticket, please only select the date of the specific seminar that you wish to attend. You can book a ticket for just one, two or all three. Due to their interactive nature, these sessions will not be recorded.

SEMINAR 1: May 7th
“The Behaviour Iceberg” - Understanding & Supporting Challenging Behaviours

Often challenging behaviours are a like an iceberg - there is a lot going on underneath the surface that may be hard for us to see and understand. In this seminar we will be focusing on understanding the triggers, causes and functions of challenging behaviours. We will introduce some key practical tools that are frequently used by OTs to assist in understanding and problem-solving difficult behaviours. These tools are easy to use at home or school/kinder to identify what your child needs and move towards alternative strategies and skills for meeting these needs. We will be drawing from well known evidence-based frameworks such as Mona Delahook's 'Beyond Behaviours' and Ross Greene's Collaborative & Proactive Solutions (CPS).

This seminar will be helpful for all children and families, but may be particularly appropriate if you are concerned that your child has or may have Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), Oppositional Defiance Disorder (ODD) or behaviours that harm themselves or others.

SEMINAR 2: June 4th
“Let’s Get Moving!” - Supporting Motor Coordination for Handwriting, Sport & Daily Life

If your child or a child you work with seems clumsy or disorganised, has messy and slow writing, struggles to get dressed, or avoids sport, they may well have challenges with motor co-ordination. This seminar explains how motor co-ordination works in the body and brain in a relatable and engaging format. It also offers a range of practical, creative, multi-sensory strategies that you can use to support the development of your child's motor-based skills including handwriting, dressing, grooming, domestic skills, sport and active play.

We will be drawing from well known evidence-based approaches such as 'CO-OP' Approach (Cognitive Orientation to Occupational Performance) and Handwriting Without Tears (HWT). This seminar will be helpful for all children and families, but may be particularly appropriate if your child has or or may have Dysgraphia, Dyslexia, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or Developmental Co-ordination Disorder (DCD) / Motor Dyspraxia.

SEMINAR 3: June 18th
“Exploring the World of Food” - Playful & Gentle Help for Picky Eaters

If your child or a child you work with only eats a limited range of foods, avoids certain colours or textures, needs food to be presented in a very specific way, has frequent meltdowns about food or just generally struggles to participate in mealtimes at home or in their educational setting, then this seminar could be for you. We will look holistically at some of the many reasons your child might be struggling to eat certain foods and explore in depth the multi-step process required for learning to eat new foods. We will introduce a range of practical, creative activities that help you and your child to gently and playfully overcome their barriers to eating new foods in a child-centred, low pressure environment.

We will be drawing from well known evidence-based approaches such as the Sequential Oral Sensory Approach (SOS) and 'Just Take A Bite' programs. This seminar will be helpful for all children and families, but may be particularly appropriate if your child eats a very limited range of foods, has sensory processing challenges, struggles to keep or gain weight, or refuses entirely to eat at school, Kinder or in unfamiliar environments.

COST:
$39 per person per seminar.
NDIS funding for Occupational Therapy can be used for these seminars. Please let us know in a comment when booking if you require your Plan Manager to pay for your ticket via invoice.
We have a 24 hour cancellation policy.

ABOUT YOUR HOST:
Nicola Stampa is a children's Occupational Therapist with extensive experience working with children with ASD, ADHD, dyspraxia and sensory processing challenges and eating difficulties. She offers individual and group therapy sessions in Castlemaine and is the Managing Director of Baobab Therapy in Melbourne. For more information about Nicola or Occupational Therapy please see our website: www.baobabtherapy.com.au