A private paediatric therapy clinic located in Brunswick, Melbourne, Australia
Contact us to discuss your child’s therapy needs or to make an appointment
KidsRISE was established in January 2011 by Miranda Van Styn and Cara Sheekey. KidsRISE aims to provide families with an alternative to the more traditional therapeutic approaches.
At KidsRISE we take a developmental, play-based approach to provide multi-disciplinary Speech Pathology and Occupational Therapy for children with complex developmental needs.
We specialise in the assessment and treatment of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, Sensory Processing Disorder and other developmental challenges that impact upon a child’s capacity to reach their potential.
At KidsRISE we take a developmental play-based approach to therapy, guided by the principles of the Developmental Individual differences Relationships based model (DIR)
Therapy sessions at KidsRISE involve play based parent-child interactions. During the session the therapist assists the parent to tailor their interactions to the child’s individual learning profile. Play activities are chosen by the child and the therapist works with the parent to offer the child appropriate challenges within the play. These ‘just right’ challenges allow the child to successfully move up the developmental ladder.
At KidsRISE parents are active participants in therapy sessions. We believe that parents are best placed to facilitate their child’s development through their daily interactions with their child. For this reason the main focus of therapy is to build parent’s skills to allow them to confidently and successfully work with their child at home to maximise development.
We incorporate our extensive knowledge of Speech and Language Therapy and Occupational Therapy with the DIR / Floortime framework, to provide what we believe is a truly holistic and family centred therapeutic approach.
For more information about the DIR / Floortime framework visit Profectum Foundation or ICDL.
An initial assessment with us involves a consultation process with both Miranda and Cara to assess your child’s play and interactions to determine their developmental strengths and challenges. We believe that this interdisciplinary process helps to provide a comprehensive overview of your child’s development in a coordinated manner, allowing families to make informed therapy choices.
Our assessment includes an evaluation of your child’s development across the following areas:
Assessment Process:
Our experiences with Telehealth during the Covid pandemic in 2020 showed us the great value of this mode of therapy. After re-opening our clinic we have created a model to allow for the benefits of both in clinic therapy and Telehealth.
Our new therapy format means that clients see us for both Telehealth sessions and in-clinic sessions. This means that half of your sessions are at the clinic, and half are Telehealth sessions.
Telehealth session can be a combination of the following:
Telehealth FAQ...
Why telehealth, aren’t in person sessions more effective?
There is a large and increasing body of evidence supporting positive clinical outcomes with Telehealth. In our specific therapy model the benefits we have seen include:
We’ve tried Telehealth before and it just doesn’t work for us/our child
Like any therapy approach this might not be the model that you are looking for right now, that’s ok. If you have participated in Telehealth sessions with other providers and it has been focused around a therapist led approach (the therapist directing your child to activities) we would suggest you give our approach to Telehealth a try. Our Telehealth sessions involve you doing nothing more than you playing with your child (with the addition of a device placed somewhere in the room for us to watch the action, and join in as that naturally occurs).
A variety of funding options are available at KidsRISE to offset therapy costs.
KidsRISE therapists are able to see self managed and plan managed NDIS participants
KidsRISE therapists are registered to provide services under the following Medicare programs
The therapists at KidsRISE are registered with all major health insurance providers.
Have a general question or would like to know more? Send us a message.
From January 2025 we are relocating from Northcote to Brunswick
26 Breese Street, Brunswick VIC 3056
There are many 1-2 hour parking in the surrounding streets.
We are a 2 minute walk from Anstey Station (Upfield Line) and from Sydney Road Trams (Stop 25/26 Albion Street).