carringtonhealth.org.au | 43 Carrington Rd, Box Hill VIC 3128 | T (03) 9890 2220

What’s Inside:

Story

Emily’s World

Article

Top 5 Tips to Help

Manage Screen Time

News

Smile Squad

Launches in Box Hill

Event

Sensitive Santa

Bookings Now Open

Child & Family News - Spring Issue

This issue we take a peek into Emily's world and her fears that would pop up at meal times. Her mother, Stacey, shares how she was determined to find something that would change things for the family of four.

We weigh in on screen time and even highlight some of its benefits in our feature article. For those that celebrate Christmas we have something in store with our free, sensory friendly 'Sensitive Santa' event. Read on for the details and to book in a private session for your family.

We've also recently launched the Smile Squad in Box Hill North, supporting families to access free dental care for their children in the convenience of their school.

Emily’s World - Overcoming her meal time fears See page 1

carringtonhealth.org.au | 43 Carrington Rd, Box Hill VIC 3128 | T (03) 9890 2220

Feature Story

(Emily’s mother Stacey, pictured above)

Emily’s World Just like every other six year old, Emily loves to play with her collection of ‘Coles mini’s’ and ‘Oshies’. She is quick on her feet and always brings her basketball with her to the park.

In late 2018, Emily was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), which is a development disorder that can affect a child’s ability to learn, communicate and socialise. Emily is the eldest in the family, with a sister Hannah who is three. Their mother, Stacey, was able obtain an NDIS plan for Emily as a result of her ASD diagnosis.

This opened up doors for the family at an early stage in Emily’s development. The NDIS meant

they could choose the therapies and supports to best meet Emily’s individual needs and goals.

Emily has mild symptoms of ASD, yet it was her strong aversion to foods that caused the biggest concern for the family.

Stacey was worried that Emily’s food choices were so limited, that her diet wasn’t able to support her growth and development.

It was also having an impact on Emily’s ability to socialise and get out and about, as eating snacks and meals on the go would cause everyone distress.

carringtonhealth.org.au | 43 Carrington Rd, Box Hill VIC 3128 | T (03) 9890 2220

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‘Going out to family dinners or birthdays became a huge chore, I was always worried about what Emily’s reaction would be when we tried to eat’ – Stacey.

Stacey was determined to make the most of Emily’s NDIS plan. As well as visiting specialists for Emily’s other needs, Stacey did her own research in understanding the best ways to approach feeding difficulties in children with ASD.

She came across the Sequential Oral Sensory or SOS approach to feeding – a unique program that identifies a child’s individual reasons for their avoidance of certain foods. Stacey was hooked and tried to find a local SOS program that wasn’t going to use up her entire NDIS funding and that wasn’t on the other side of town. It was here that Stacey and Emily met Venetia (Speech Pathologist) and Lisa (Occupational Therapist) at Carrington Health.

‘The SOS feeding approach is all about meeting the child’s comfort level with different foods. There are often patterns with smells, colours, textures, tastes and even the presentation of food that the child might have an aversion to. We explore all of this with them, using play and a bit of creativity to encourage new foods into their diet. SOS stands for ‘Sequential Oral Sensory’ as we stage the program in a ‘sequence’ of steps, so that the child can gradually build up their tolerances to different food properties’

– Venetia, Speech Pathologist.

Stacey was taken aback by Venetia’s ability to connect with Emily, who can be wary of opening up to new people. ‘The clinicians at Carrington Health are clearly very experienced and capable… as soon as we met Venetia, we knew we had made

the best decision for Emily. She instantly clicked with her, getting down to her level and chatting in an approachable and easy going way’

The SOS program designed for Emily was a team effort, with both Lisa and Venetia working together to create the best outcomes for the family. A number of sessions were led by Venetia, with Lisa’s input, so that both Speech and Occupational Therapy were embedded in the program.

Stacey was impressed that both therapists were involved in the process, as she saw the benefit in approaching Emily’s needs from different disciplines. As a team, they were able to gradually build up Emily’s acceptance of different foods, providing freedom for the family to get out and about more and include more variety in their cooked meals at home.

‘At one point I looked over and Venetia had placed yoghurt on her own face, as a fun way of making Emily feel comfortable with exploring different textures. She was so hand’s on, it was brilliant!’ -Stacey,

She further explains, ‘Venetia took us as a family along for the experience, we even simulated meal times together so that as parents we knew what to do at home. It was invaluable’.

When asked about why she chose Carrington Health for the SOS program Stacey is really open about her decision; ‘I would have paid anything really for this service, but as it turns out Carrington Health are a community health provider – which means they have a long history of working with families and their services are affordable. It also felt good knowing I was contributing to something that helps other people’.

The process of building on Emily’s learning abilities and potential is ongoing yet the family are thrilled that food is no longer such a big hurdle.

Feature Story

carringtonhealth.org.au | 43 Carrington Rd, Box Hill VIC 3128 | T (03) 9890 2220

They have been able to experiment with different recipes together and can now head out to lunch without feeling as anxious. Stacey plans to revisit the SOS program with Venetia next year for ‘maintenance’, as Emily’s interests and needs may evolve as she grows up. They now feel confident about the future and Stacey is always keen to learn and adapt to Emily’s ever changing world.

Our team are committed to helping children and families in our communities build bright futures. For more information on our range of therapies and services get in contact with us today on

03 9890 2220 or info@carringtonhealth.org.au

carringtonhealth.org.au | 43 Carrington Rd, Box Hill VIC 3128 | T (03) 9890 2220

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5 Tips to Help Manage Your Child’s Screen Time

Most of us know that children today are exposed to more electronic devices and screens then previous generations.

As a ground rule, it is recommended that children aged 0 – 24 months should have little to no interaction with screens. Whereas, children aged 2 and up are slowly able to increase their exposure if done so in a healthy and collaborative way with the rest of the family.

Below are our top 5 tips on how you can successfully manage your child’s screen time:

1. Model healthy screen time habits

You are the first person your child will look to when trying to understand what ‘normal’ is. If you are constantly on your phone checking social media, messaging or reading the news, your child

will want to follow your lead. This can be confusing if you become angry and frustrated at them for modelling your behaviour. Keeping screen time in check can mean leaving your phone aside while you completely engage in activities such as reading or eating meals with your child. Another suggestion is to catch up on Netflix and text messages while your child is asleep.

2. Be actively involved in their screen time

There are several benefits to having screen time as a family activity, involving both parents and children. Being actively involved means that you can influence what your child watches and ensure their online safety, while encouraging the educational benefits screen time can offer. Try to guide your child towards quality screen time apps or programs that encourage learning, problem solving, physical activity, social development, new interests and creativity. This is a great bonding experience as you can participate in these platforms together, while facilitating the learning experience for your child. We have included information at the end of this article on how to find quality screen time options suitable for children of different ages.

3. Set realistic boundaries

Setting realistic boundaries early lays a foundation of understanding with your child. This means that you can manage their expectations by helping them to know that screen time is a privilege and that there are limits. Your child should also know when an appropriate time for screen time is and what potential consequences for breaking the rules may be. Examples may be that devices can only be used in family areas and not in the car or bedrooms, or that screen time is limited to a specific time frame of each day. A great way to enforce these boundaries is to give them five-minute warnings when their screen time is almost up.

Feature Article

carringtonhealth.org.au | 43 Carrington Rd, Box Hill VIC 3128 | T (03) 9890 2220

4. Encourage alternatives

Ensure that your child engages in a balance of activities other than screen time. This means encouraging a healthy amount of play, reading, games, activities and outdoor adventures – with screen time as an added extra on the side. Sometimes the weather is not always on our side for trips to the park or shops, so try to keep some inexpensive and age appropriate supplies in stock for rainy days. Examples include crayons, sketch books, stickers, bubble mixture, water colours, glue sticks etc. Having the basic ingredients in the pantry to make play dough or bake together is also a fun activity. A useful tip is to constantly rotate your child’s toys and books, so that they feel like there is always something different to play with or read.

5. Get practical support

From setting boundaries to implementing structure in your child’s life – practical support can assist in building the foundations for healthy play and learning habits. Practical support can also help you gain insight into other problems or patterns of behaviour that may need addressing in the process. Our Family Support Worker offers a range of Parenting Seminars to address different topics that parents may be facing. We also offer an integrated Child and Family service that support families with a range of learning, communication and physical difficulties in children.

The Raising Children’s Network website has some great resources, including a list of app’s and educational programmes suited for children of different ages. A good place to start is the ‘Screen Time Checklist for Healthy Use’ which you can find by typing in the below url link or simply googling the article title along with the words ‘Raising Children’s Network’ https://raisingchildren.net.au/toddlers/play-learning/screen-time-media/screen-time .

carringtonhealth.org.au | 43 Carrington Rd, Box Hill VIC 3128 | T (03) 9890 2220

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Launching the Smile Squad in Box Hill

‘Access to dental care is an issue of affordability for many families in our community, yet it’s also become harder for working parents and carers to fit in trips to the dentist. We are happy to be a part of the solution.’–Ronda Jacobs, Carrington Health CEO.

We are proud to announce our part in the Smile Squad – the Victorian Government’s public school dental van service helping children prevent and manage their oral health early on. The Smile Squad launched at Box Hill North Primary School this

week, being one of the first schools state wide to get started. The Smile Squad is designed to provide public school children with brighter smiles while helping families with the cost of dental care.

All public schools in the area will eventually be serviced via our Smile Squad vans, providing free check-ups and a range of treatment options to make sure our kids have healthy teeth. “

The Smile Squad is a natural extension of our existing dental services including our Little Smiles Program, which provides oral health education and check-ups in Primary Schools, Kindergartens and Early Education Centres.

News

carringtonhealth.org.au | 43 Carrington Rd, Box Hill VIC 3128 | T (03) 9890 2220

Meet Sensitive Santa

Book in to reserve your free, private family session. Children with autism or those needing a sensory friendly environment are invited to meet Sensitive Santa in a private 20 minute session with their families. Parents need to provide a small wrapped named gift for each child attending before their booked session, which Santa will gift to the child. We will also follow up with a phone call to discuss your child's likes, dislikes and any information that will help make this a positive experience.

Details: When: Between 9.30am – 4pm Sunday the 1st of December, 2019 Where Carrington Health Ground Floor, 43 Carrington Road Box Hill

Visit https://www.trybooking.com/BFSBG

To find out more about our Child and Family Services or to share your story, get in touch with us today:

T(03) 9890 2220 info@carringtonhealth.org.au carringtonhealth.org.au

Level 2, 43 Carrington Road Box Hill VIC 3128

Event