Therapy Services for children & adolescents

Carpentaria provides services for children and young people aged between 0 – 18 years. Our therapists incorporate a multi-disciplinary team of Allied Health therapy professionals, including Speech Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapist and Psychologist who are especially equipped to work with children and teenagers. Services include:

Specific, functional developmental therapies to address speech and language difficulties
Play and other life skills (eg schooling demands)
Physical development (fine and gross motor skills)
Psychological issues, which may be seen as difficult behaviour, including skills development for parents to better work with their child

We offer both face-to-face and telehealth appointments.

How we work

Carpentaria provides comprehensive evidence based therapy and family support services utilising a relationship based approach. We tailor our sessions to the individual needs, preferences and developmental level of each child or young person. Carpentaria works in partnership with families to ensure that we continue to meet the needs of the children and their families. The way we work includes:

Using a multi-disciplinary team approach including Speech Pathology, Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy and Psychology
Support and guidance to help children and young people with important transitions such as starting or changing school or year levels
Visits by therapists to the family home, preschool, day care centre and other settings to implement the therapy program
Liaison with local and interstate services needed by the family, including medical and specialist services
Individual and group therapy sessions to support children to reach their goals and to provide parents/caregivers with strategies and resources

Funding

Carpentaria offers sessions to families under different funding models, including:

NDIS – further information about Carpentaria services under the NDIS is available here
Private Health Insurance rebates may be available, depending on your policy. Talk to your private health provider for further information
Fee for Service – parents can also elect to pay for each individual session

How do I refer my child?

Anyone can refer a child, including parents/carergivers, Paediatricians, NT Government Children’s Development Team, Early Childhood Australia and schools. Download and complete a Request for Service form here. Contact us for further details or to make an appointment.

Carpentaria Therapy Services – FAQs

What does a Speech Therapist do?

A Speech Therapist can help a child to develop communication skills, including understanding what words mean, using these words and having the speech skills to say them. This assists parents/caregivers, friends and teachers understand what they are saying.

Speech therapists can also provide support to:

Use communication systems, incorporating gestures, signing, pictures and/or communication devices
Better communicate and interact with friends and family
Improve social interaction skills
Enjoy mealtimes, which sometimes involves swallowing assessments, helping with texture transition and transitioning from Naso-Gastric (NG) feeding
Help with a stutter

WATCH: Hear more from Nicola, Carpentaria Speech Pathologist

What does an Occupational Therapist do?

An Occupational Therapist can help a child to learn play and social skills, how to use their body in preparation for school tasks, getting a job and success as they move through different stages of their life.

Occupational Therapists also provide support to:

Learn how to get dressed, go to the toilet, brush teeth, wash and tie shoelaces
Help with feeding, eating a range of foods, asking for help if needed, cooking a meal, organising and planning for schoolwork and assignments and confidence to engage in sports, music and other activities
Help to stay calm and alert as a foundation for other learning, including understanding and responding to incoming information processed through sights, sounds, movement and touch
Prescribe and use adaptive equipment such as bath chairs, car seats, hoists and wheelchairs

WATCH: Hear more from Sally, Carpentaria Occupational Therapist

What does a Physiotherapist do?

A Physiotherapist can help to develop the movement skills that are essential for a child to actively participate in activities. They can assist to develop mobility skills, including rolling, sitting, crawling and walking.

Physiotherapists also provide support to:

Participate in activities like bike riding and swimming
Prescribe and use specialised equipment such as seating, standing frames and walkers, which helps children become involved in play and social activities essential to their wellbeing

WATCH: Hear more about our Physiotherapy team

What does a Psychologist do?

A Psychologist can help children, adolescents and parents think through challenges around managing difficult emotions, helpful thinking strategies, problem solving and living bigger lives.

Psychologists can also provide support to:

Help people make sense of reactions that may not be working for them in the lives, their work and their relationships
Develop more flexible and helpful responses to the different challenges that are part of life
Help parents develop more helpful responses when they are struggling with their child’s tricky behaviours
Reduce the influence of difficult thoughts and feelings that can often get in the way of living a fuller life
Help teenagers make sense of all the challenges of adolescence and develop skills that help them progress through this period safely

WATCH: Hear more from Imogen, Carpentaria Psychologist

What does an Allied Health Assistant do?

Allied Health Assistants (AHA) support Carpentaria Speech Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapist and Psychologists to deliver therapy programs. An AHA program may be recommended when a participant is progressing well with current goals and may not require direct input from an Allied Health Professional, or if a participant has joint Speech Pathology and Occupational Therapy goals, resulting in face-to-face time charged at the AHA billing rate rather than both the SP and OT rate.

Where therapy goals can be supported, participants on Carpentaria’s Therapy Services waitlist may be assessed as suitable for an AHA program.

WATCH: Hear more from Courtney, Carpentaria Allied Health Assistant

What does a Counsellor do?

I've sent my referral - what happens next?

Which assessments can you do?

Which equipment can you prescribe for my child?

Carpentaria can prescribe a wide range of supportive equipment that can make it easier for a child to achieve developmental capacities with less effort and discomfort.

For example, supportive seating can make it easier to do craft activities at a table and can also help with mealtimes. In more complex circumstances, equipment can help a child get around so they can more easily participate in community activities or in the playground. Therapists can provide guidance on what is involved, including funding options.

Who do you provide therapy for?

I'm on the waitlist for Therapy Services. What can I do while I'm waiting?

Do I have to attend each session with my child?

Do you offer Group Therapy?

Carpentaria offers a variety of Group Therapy sessions during both school term and school holiday periods.

Facilitated by Occupational Therapists and Speech Pathologists, group sessions focus on particular play skills and communication. Recent groups include Social Butterflies for children aged 5 – 8, focused on developing social skills; Little Kookaburras which focused on communication and play skills for children aged 2 – 5 years; and Get Set For School, a school readiness program for children starting Transition.

The 2022 Semester 2 program includes:

Contact 8920 9446 or alliedhealth@carpentaria.org.au for further details about our Group Therapy schedule.

How often do we need to see you?

I don't live in Darwin. Can I still book an appointment?

Can you see my child at school or in our home?

Can you organise an interpreter for me?

What funding is available to cover the costs of therapy sessions?

What is the cost for each therapy session?

Carpentaria has a consistent pricing structure for all Allied Health therapy sessions. Prices are aligned to the NDIS Price Guide for services provided to clients and participants accessing Carpentaria services under all funding arrangements.

To meet our high quality of service, your therapist often needs to take time to prepare for your face-to-face session. This can include planning and preparing appropriate and individual materials to meet specific developmental goals, setting up for the therapy session and writing progress notes. They may also need to take time to ensure that therapy plans and ideas are communicated to everyone who is in contact with your child, so that evidence-based strategies are put in place in all areas of your child’s life (for example at school or child care).

These support activities are called ‘non face-to-face services’, are always linked to the goals outlined in your NDIS plan and are used to measure therapy impact when we review your plan with you. NDIS guidelines outline how service providers can bill for non face-to-face services and Carpentaria works within these guidelines at all times.

A one page overview about Carpentaria pricing is available here. Further details about the NDIS Price Guide are available here.