Visiting Neurodevelopmental Therapists
Who are we?
We are either a registered Physiotherapist or Occupational Therapist with postgraduate experience and thorough knowledge of infant and child development.
We are mostly based in the community working with children in their homes.They will also visit preschools or any other facilities as requested by the caregivers.
We have a health rather than an educational perspective.The service is funded by the Health Funding Authority at no cost to the caregivers.
Who do we see?
Premature or Low birth weight infants.Babies born at less than 32 weeks gestation or whose birth weight is 1500 grams and under.
We also see infants and toddlers who are referred by their GP, Paediatrician or health professional (e.g.Plunket Nurse) with other developmental difficulties.
Assessments are offered wherever the best place to see the capabilities of the child, usually this will be at home.We take children through either formal or informal play based assessments.
We will talk with you about your observations, questions or concerns, as they are an important part of the assessment.
We assess all areas of a child’s development e.g. movement skills, hand skills, communication/social skills and self-care skills.
Provide you with ideas and support to help progress your child’s skills and information on what’s available in your community.
We are accredited assessors for equipment based solutions.
Work as part of larger Early Intervention Teams and refer on to other services where indicated.
Provide written reports that record your child’s progress sent to you and copied to your child’s paediatrician and GP.
Here are some resources parents might find helpful:
Tummytime Brochure
Supporting your unsettled baby
Baby Cues
