Receive supports and therapies from the convenience of your own home

Autism Swim is proud to be able to be able to extend our services to all families in need of some guidance, support and therapies.

We are ready to help.

We of all people understand the importance of therapies and support; at all times, however especially at present whilst routines have been interrupted.

We have a team of highly experienced clinicians, ready to help! Our clinical team of Behaviour Specialists and Occupational Therapists can deliver clinical supports and therapies over laptop, tablet or phone.

What are some of the areas we can assist with?

Household routines 
Behaviour Support 
Wandering Prevention 
Self-care skills (toileting, dressing, feeding, showering) 
Creating a sensory diet at home 
Parent coping 
Assessments (depending on assessment type)

How it works.

We have developed a straightforward system to ensure you receive the supports you need, as quickly and easily as possible.

At the time scheduling your appointment, you will be sent a calendar invite which contains a Google Hangouts link. You will also be sent your session invoice.
When it is your appointment time, simply click on the click to be taken to Google Hangouts. You can do this on your phone, tablet or laptop.
Throughout the session you will be able to hear, see, and speak with the therapist as usual. You can also request for the session to be recorded if you would like to reference it again later.
Most sessions last 60mins, with 45mins being via teleconference and 15mins being follow-up by the Clinician, whereby they will also email you a summary of your session and follow-up points. Some sessions, especially follow-up sessions, will be shorter in duration.

If you require assistance getting set up, please contact your clinician and they will be happy to help and set up a “test run”.

Who benefits?

Autism Swim’s teletherapy provides online services to:

Families who are in a remote or rural location
Families who are no longer engaging in regular face-to-face therapy sessions
Families who are on an extensive waitlist with another provider
Families who desire increased privacy
Families currently engaging in social isolation and distancing

By delivering our services via teleconferene, we’re able to provide an accessible, online solution for receiving paediatric autism supports and therapies.

Meet and select your clinicans

What you can expect from a session with Erika:

Positive Behaviour Support

Session one - Session 1 is concerned with understanding the nature of the referral, and working together to identify priorities and develop an action plan. Usually, this will involve a Functional Analysis which is where we develop a deep understanding of WHY the behaviour/s are occurring and all of the related factors. Remember, behaviour will only change once we have a thorough understanding of the related functions.

Future sessions - Further assessment work may be necessary, and when finalised, we will discuss what the initial assessment has indicated. We will then work through the action plan step-by-step, ensuring you feel supported and confident with every step along the way.

Sessions are 60 minutes, with 45mins being via teleconference and 15mins being follow-up by the Clinician, whereby they will also email you relevant information sheets, a summary of your session and follow-up points.

Parent Coaching:

When your child has ASD, ADHD or other abilities, your role as a parent comes with a different set of challenges.

Erika is here to support you through these challenges, whatever they might be. Together, we can understand circumstances and patterns, develop support plans, and implement new routines and strategies.

We’ll troubleshoot along the way, and ensure that we’re on a constant pursuit of teaching you/your child new skills.

Virtual University Lecturing and Virtual support team training

Erika Gleeson

Senior Behaviour Specialist 

Qualifications:
GC Autism. BA Behavioural

Behavioural Science  Specialties: 

Positive Behaviour Support 
Behaviours of Concern
Functional Analysis
Behaviour Support Plans
Program development and implementation
Parent and supports training
Virtual University Lecturing
Virtual support team training

Availability:
10:00am - 2:30pm
Monday to Friday.
Weekend by appointment

Contact:
erika@autismswim.com.au

Sam Cahill

Occupational Therapist 

Qualifications:
Bachelor of Health Science/Masters of Occupational

Occupational  Specialties:

Sensory difficulties 
Sensory diets and home programs 
Parent support 
Increasing overall independence

Availability:
8:00am - 4:00pm
Friday and Saturday

Contact:
ot@autismswim.com.au

What you can expect from a session with Sam:

Consult 1

Consult 2

Consult 3

Ongoing consults

What you can expect from a session with Jessica:

Single Session Intervention

These sessions may work for a family who has a specific question or problem that needs solving.

During these sessions, Jess will ask for detailed information about the problem and share strategies and/or adaptive equipment to try.

These sessions last for 60 minutes, with 45mins being via teleconference and 15mins being follow-up by the Clinician, whereby they will also email you a summary of your session and follow-up points.

Families are welcome to schedule follow-up sessions to discuss progress as needed.

Functional Assessment and Goal Setting

These sessions may work for a family who would like to explore potential for increasing independence and routines at home.

Discussions will begin with exploring a typical day in the life of your family, and exploring areas which are particularly challenging/that you would like to improve.

The session will end with goal setting and a clear plan for future therapy.

These sessions last for 2 hours, with 1.5 hours being via teleconference and 30 minutes follow up by the clinician, whereby they will email you with a summary of your goals and recommendations.

Following a Functional Assessment and Goal Setting session, many families may benefit from Home Program Development.

Home Program Development

There are many benefits to a home program.

Home programs provide daily opportunities for families to work towards specific goals in the natural environment of their child.

When developing a home program for families, Jess takes an approach which values the resources and expertise of the family unit.

Jess will work with you to develop a home program which optimises your child’s current strengths and interests to develop new skills.

The development of a home program typically takes 2 hours with opportunities for fortnightly check-ins to review progress towards their goals.

Parent Coaching

While it is extremely rewarding and enjoyable to be a parent, it is not always easy. It can often be demanding, frustrating and exhausting.

When your child has ASD, ADHD or other abilities, it can be even more challenging.

Parent coaching sessions may work for a family who would like to explore positive parenting strategies to better understand and support their child’s development.

Parent coaching sessions last for 60 minutes, with 45mins being via teleconference and 15mins being follow-up by the Clinician, whereby they will also email you, relevant information sheets, a summary of your session and follow-up points.

It is recommended that parents participate in at least four parent coaching sessions to achieve best results.

Wandering Prevention Sessions

Roughly half of all individuals with ASD will wander from safety, a rate that is nearly four times higher than typically developing peers.

At Autism Swim we understand the stressors this places on a family, and the increased risk this places individuals in their community.

Wandering and drowning prevention is our core business, and we want to share our tools to help improve the safety of your family.

A minimum of 4 sessions are recommended for addressing wandering prevention.

These sessions will last for 60 minutes, with 45mins being via teleconference and 15mins being follow-up by the Clinician, whereby they will also email you relevant information sheets, a summary of your session and follow-up points.

Session 1 will focus on identifying what makes your child at risk of wandering. We will work together to identify risks in your home and routines. Following this session, you will collect data over the period of a week so that we can better understand how and when your child is at risk.
Session 2 will focus on preventing the occurrence of wandering happening. Once we understand when and why it is happening, we can employ strategies and explore assistive technology to address the risks associated with wandering. During this session we will develop a checklist for your family and other supports to create safety routines and environmental adaptations.
Session 3 will focus on developing a Wandering Action Plan for first responders. In the case that wandering occurs, we need to know that a plan is in place and can be actioned quickly. Work with your clinician to ensure your child’s needs are clearly outlined in a wandering action plan.
Session 4 will focus on individual problem solving and planning for new or unfamiliar situations. Once we understand what is happening at home and frequently visited areas, we can adjust our strategies to promote safer visits into the community. Further sessions are available on individual request.

Jessica Thackeray

Occupational Therapist 

Qualifications:
Bachelor of Health Science/Master of Occupational Therapy
Triple P Parenting Provider
DIR Floortime Practitioner
WeeFIM Approved Assessor

Specialties: 

Wandering Prevention 
Establishing Routines
Adaptive equipment recommendations to promote independence
Functional Assessments and Goal Setting
Parent supports
School readiness

Home programs: 

Toileting 
Play Skills
Fears and Phobias
Gross Motor Skills
Fine Motor Skills
Executive Functioning (e.g. attention, memory, task initiation).
Handwriting

Availability:
8:00am - 2:00pm
Monday to Friday

7:00am - 9:00am
5:00pm - 8:00pm
Outside standard work hours

Contact:
clinicalteam@autismswim.com.au

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