News
Occupational therapists are urging parents not to “give up hope”, emphasising the value of Occupational Therapy for children with psychosocial disabilities.
Occupational Therapy Assistant Manager and Occupational Therapy Team Leader at LiveBig, Camila Santarosa, works with people of all ages and diagnoses. Two of the most common cohorts are children on the autism spectrum and those with psychosocial disability.
Many of the children Camila works with struggle to express themselves. Some are non-verbal, while others struggle to use or understand language in expected ways. This can lead to frustration for both the child and their caregivers, especially when cues are subtle or easily missed.
The starting point is always to meet the child where they are. Not where we wish they were.
Camila Santarosa
“Sometimes parents come to us feeling like they’ve tried it all — and nothing works. Their child avoids touch, won’t make eye contact, and doesn’t engage in play.”
But Camila says the key to supporting children with psychosocial disabilities is to prioritise the unique ways they interact with the world.
It’s about understanding that their brain might be processing the world in a completely different way.
Camila Santarosa
Camila emphasises the importance of remembering the effect on parents supporting children with psychosocial disability. “It’s hard when your child’s brain works differently from yours,” Camila reflects. “Parents can feel helpless, frustrated, or even blamed when in reality, they just haven’t been given the tools to understand what’s really going on.”
“I would invite parents to take a look at sensory differences and the way children learn.”
Camila says that despite the changes to the NDIS LiveBig is committed to maintaining a high level of support to clients.
“We deal with plans that are very limited and well-funded plans, and we always adapt to the client’s needs,” Camila points out. “We see each child as unique, so we try to understand what is happening with the child and the environment.”
Camila says the initial OT assessment seeks to understand how children’s needs and “the challenges the parents are facing.”
“We observe the interactions the children have with us, parents, siblings and the community,” Camila points out. “We identify strengths and from their capacity we try to build more capacity and strength and address the areas they need.”
Camilla points out that individual needs need to remain at the forefront of providing services to children with disabilities and their families.
We need to understand how children learn and their sensory preferences so we can help them learn
Camila Santarosa
While the changes are still being implemented, Camila says they will need to “wait and see what the changes will look like in practice.”
“When we make small adjustments … it can completely transform everyday life,” Camila points out.
The effect on children and their families is a highlight of promoting occupational therapy for children with disabilities.
“A child might not say they want more of something, but they’ll show it by reaching, pausing, watching for your reaction,” Camila notes. “We help families, carers and teachers learn to recognise those signals. That’s where the connection starts to grow.”
The most rewarding moments, Camila says, are often the ones that look small from the outside but feel enormous to a parent.
A shared laugh. A child holding their gaze for just a moment. Reaching for a parent to keep the game going. These are powerful wins.
Camila Santarosa