By Mellissa Hooper, Youthrive Psychologist If your child is struggling to focus at home, school or otherwise you could try teaching them basic steps to mindfulness. This does not necessarily mean meditation or yoga; instead it can be small… Continue Reading >
What is depression? Depression is a low mood that impacts everyday functioning, such as engagement in social interests, home life, leisure activities, and school life that cannot be attributed to an underlying medical condition or other mental health condition. The… Continue Reading >
By Madison Birmili Occupational Therapist at Youthrive The human body consists of 7 sensory systems each play a critical role in the development of a child into adulthood. The 7 senses consist of touch, smell, taste, sight, sound, movement (vestibular)… Continue Reading >
By Stella Boyd-Ford, Youthrive Dietitian When children transition to daycare, kindy or school there is so much excitement. However, there are also many new things to take in, and this can be overwhelming for little minds. Amongst these… Continue Reading >
Authors: Stella Boyd-Ford and Emily Easman Mealtimes can often be stressful for some parents and when a child refuses food or demands alternative meals, parents may become frustrated or concerned that their child is not eating enough. When children… Continue Reading >
It’s that time of the year where families are racing around to tick off all the back-to-school requirements for the kids, such as buying new shoes, uniforms, books, pens and pencils. Youthrive understands it can be a challenging time with… Continue Reading >
Sleep plays a very important role in our development, physical health and mental wellbeing. It is so important that on average, we sleep for one third of our lives! But it’s important to know the signs when a child may… Continue Reading >
Like any skill and milestone children will develop at different stages. Knowing a bit about speech and language development in children can help parents and carers know if there is anything to be concerned about and when to seek support… Continue Reading >
By Jess Swalwell, Youthrive Speech Pathologist I can understand my child by no one else can. People are constantly asking me to interpret what my child is saying. Does this sound like something you have said before? It might… Continue Reading >
What is a disruptive behavioural disorder? Disruptive behaviour disorders constitute behaviours that consistently “break the rules,” disrupt the lives of those around them and defy authority. While oppositional behaviour is common in very young children and teens, in extreme cases… Continue Reading >
By Alicia Windon, psychologist at Youthrive It’s nearly that time of the year where the final school term is nearing an end but with it comes the stress of kids completing assignments and tests. The younger children can also often… Continue Reading >
By Katherine Coates, Youthrive Occupational Therapist. Sleep is an important part of our everyday life, yet often getting to and staying asleep can be a challenge that many children experience. There are lots of things you can to help… Continue Reading >
By Melanie Bouras, Senior Dietician at Youthrive Knowing what to put in your child’s lunchbox can often be one of the most daunting tasks. Particular when you have a child with restricted eating behaviours due to Autism, ADHD, anxiety… Continue Reading >
By Melanie Bouras, Paediatric Dietitian Youthrive It’s important to understand the sensory system, and how it often impacts on the foods we choose to eat or refuse to eat. The Sensory System involves; Sight Touch Smell Sound The food… Continue Reading >
By Ellie Ford, Occupational Therapist Youthrive What is tummy time? Tummy time is when babies or young children are laying or playing on their bellies, also known as the prone position. Tummy time should be considered a position for play, to explore… Continue Reading >
By Jessica Turner Occupational Therapist at Youthrive There is significant misconception with what a sensory diet actually is due to the term “diet”. Sensory diets are not actually a nutritional diet for your child. Sensory diets are developed for… Continue Reading >
By Peta Maynard, Clinical Psychologist, Youthrive The most recent statistics on the prevalence of childhood sexual abuse revealed one in six women, and one in ten men experienced abuse before the age of 15 (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2017)…. Continue Reading >
By Gabby Moloney, Speech Pathologist at Youthrive What is Augmentative Alternative Communication (AAC)? AAC stands for “Augmentative Alternative Communication” (AAC) and refers to communication devices or systems that support individuals with communication difficulties. AAC supports individuals with communication difficulties by: Allowing individuals… Continue Reading >
By Ozgul Kara, Speech Pathologist at Youthrive What is tongue tie? Tongue tie is a congenital condition (present from birth) that is recognised by an unusually thickened, tightened or shortened frenum (string of tissue under the tongue), which limits movement… Continue Reading >
There are 1.2 million Australians with communication disability. A large number of these people are children and young adults who need early support to ensure they participate fully in education and build healthy relationships to create a better future… Continue Reading >
All children and young people need support from adults during times of stress and uncertainty, including during the coronavirus pandemic. This is a challenging time for many people and this uncertainty is a significant source of anxiety, particularly for children… Continue Reading >
By Robert McKenzie, Youthrive Psychologist Have you noticed your child taking steps backwards in their development during COVID-19? Maybe there’s more moodiness, baby talk, potty accidents or sleep disruption than usual. Know that regression is temporary, and common in… Continue Reading >
Just like a normal therapy session, only virtual! Like many allied health organisations, at Youthrive, we are embracing technology and delivering our services at a distance by using telehealth to connect our therapists to children and their families. Telehealth is… Continue Reading >
As the spread of the coronavirus continues to gain momentum globally, children are being exposed to frequent media updates, panicked behaviour, and anxious conversations. It’s only natural that they will have a lot of questions about the pandemic, so it’s… Continue Reading >
By Youthrive Psychologist Kasey Lloyd Have you ever thought about the importance of demonstrating positive relationships to your child? We know how a regular bank account works: we make regular deposits (and withdrawals), and hopefully put enough aside for… Continue Reading >
By Amy McAlister, Youthrive Chief Operating Officer and Speech Pathologist Learning Disorder Specific to Reading and Writing – AKA Dyslexia – comes in all shapes and sizes and looks different for every person. For children, dyslexia is typically identified… Continue Reading >
By Youthrive Clinical Psychologists It’s natural that we want to make sure our children arrive safely at school. While it’s never easy saying goodbye to routine school drop-offs, is it time to give your children extra freedom and responsibility… Continue Reading >
Parenting is the most challenging job you will ever have. When it’s 6pm and your two daughters won’t stop fighting over the iPad while you are trying to make dinner. When your three year-old is (very loudly) letting you know… Continue Reading >
While there is a lot of stigma around screen time for children having a negative impact on their learning, it is absolutely undeniable that technology is an integral part of our society and vastly embedded into our culture. According to Youthrive Speech Pathologist, Freeda… Continue Reading >
How should you approach your child’s teacher when you are concerned about something occurring at school? Parents often find themselves in difficult situations with teachers. While teachers are there to facilitate your child’s learning, their roles and responsibilities have changed… Continue Reading >
There are 1.2 million Australians with communication disability. Speech pathologists like Freeda Thong from Youthrive in Springfield work with these Australians to provide them with the confidence to communicate. “In Australia today, communication disability is largely invisible. Unseen and out-of-sight,”… Continue Reading >
By Youthrive Psychologist Kasey Lloyd Stress is an individual’s response to pressure. A little stress is a good thing – it helps us realise the importance of something and assists us to perform at our best. However, too much stress… Continue Reading >
By Youthrive Speech Pathologist Freeda Thong What do Speech Pathologists do? Most people will think that a speech pathologist works only with children, and to only treat lisps. How boring that would be for those working as speech pathologists… Continue Reading >
By Youthrive Speech Pathologist Freeda Thong What is bilingualism? Bilingualism is being fluent in understanding and speaking two languages. There are more bilingual and multilingual people in the world than there are monolinguals. In Australia alone – being one of… Continue Reading >
Did you know that the average human swallows 700 times a day?! A process that is seemingly easy, automatic and effortless to most, but for some can be very difficult and even dangerous. People who have difficulties with swallowing can… Continue Reading >
By Chris Dickson, Youthrive Psychologist Today, children are growing up in a whole new world. The boom in technology means that children are facing a lot of new difficulties that their parents never grew up with. Children are now… Continue Reading >
By Sabina Pyne, Youthrive Speech Pathologist Did you know that vocabulary growth helps kids think and learn about the world and is directly linked to their overall success at school? If your child is struggling with reading, research suggests that there… Continue Reading >
By Haylea Hodges, Youthrive Psychologist Do not panic! Mental health conditions are quite common and are present in around one in seven children aged 4-17 years. Some of the most common mental health conditions that children present with include… Continue Reading >
By Emma McKay, Occupational Therapist, Youthrive Springfield What is play? Play is an important way children learn about their environment, bodies, and place in the world around them. Play helps to assist a child’s brain with healthy development. Engaging… Continue Reading >
Nobody knows a child better than their parent. Since we share each moment of their growth and developmental we become acutely aware of their individual characteristics, attributes and idiosyncrasies. All children advance at their own pace. It is, however, our… Continue Reading >
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