Early Intervention Therapy Services for Vulnerable Children at Gwynne Park Primary, Armadale. Proudly Supported By Telethon.

In 2022, Kids Are Kids! received a grant through Telethon to implement a Pilot Program targeting early intervention at Gwynne Park Primary School, to start in 2023.

This program is the first of its kind in WA, removing known barriers to accessing therapy services and improving developmental outcomes for vulnerable and disadvantaged children who need vital support to flourish.

A Speech Pathologist, Occupational Therapist and Physiotherapist have been based at Gwynne Park Primary School throughout this year.  These therapists have provided screening assessments, further assessments and intervention for individual children at developmental risk including small group therapy programs, and referred eligible students to other services.  The therapists have been working closely with school staff to embed a trauma informed approach across the school and to increase their skills in addressing developmental delays and literacy development in the classroom.  Some of our achievements in the program so far include:

198 Screens completed across Speech Pathology, Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy for Kindy and Pre-Primary Students.

Kindy

Of the 50 speech screens completed:

Of the 47 OT screens completed:

Pre-Primary

Of the 50 speech screens completed:

Of the 51 OT screens completed:

Parents are saying:

“My son has benefited from greatly from the speech and OT support through the school.  I have noticed improvements in his ability to write his name and cutting.

His pronunciation of words and his language skills are growing.  

My family and others who interact with him have also noticed these improvements.   He also seems to really like the therapist and I like the way we get a report and can talk through it with the teacher who is obviously working with the therapists as well.  It makes me feel more confident in my ability to help him in these areas at home too.”

Principal of Gwynne Park Primary School, Julie Bolingbroke says:

“Kids Are Kids! have been invaluable. We actually wish we could have enough funds to permanently have their therapy and assistance every year in Kindy and Pre Primary, especially for Speech and Occupational Therapy. 

Kids Are Kids! help with LDC referrals and the speech therapy aspect of the application has also been invaluable as most of our parents simply could not afford it. We have never had so many successful LDC referrals and this is due to Kids Are Kids! program and assistance…

Kids Are Kids! have helped support our whole school focus of early years intervention so that our children can succeed, reach their full potential, have a better start, not start on the back foot and spend a lifetime trying to catchup. Kids Are Kids! impact has been life changing for our students.”

We are hopeful that we will continue to grow this program and expand to two more Primary Schools in the Armadale region in 2024.

We wish to extend a big thank you to Telethon for their support, giving us the opportunity to provide therapy services to these vulnerable, young children.