Holistic Occupational Therapy services for adolescents
Hi! We are FunctionAbility, a holistic Occupational Therapy practice that provides a wide range of progressive therapy services to families with adolescents. We specialise in sensory intervention and sensory integration, independent living skills, assistance with EHCP assessment and implementation for adolescents to assist with normal development and areas of occupation such as self-care, productivity/education and social interaction.
Adolescent mental health services
The world around us is rapidly changing and can be demanding on our teenagers. Mental health difficulties amongst these groups are on the rise, and can be detrimental to family life. Difficulties, such as signs of depression and anxiety, can take away from an adolescent's experience of going to school, having friends or spending time with family. Mental health difficulties also have a detrimental impact on an adolescent's cognition and skills development, including self-care, schooling, socialising, learning and participating in leisure activities.
At FunctionAbility, we offer assessments around the impact a mental health challenge is having on the life of an adolescent. We can also assist the family with understanding how to manage these difficulties. Following the assessment and consultation, we may recommend further occupational therapy intervention in the form of education on management strategies, changes to lifestyle and exploration of ways to improve participation in normal daily activities. Contact us today for a consultation and assessment.
Preparation for independent living
Preparing to live independently can be challenging for every young adult. Even more so for those adults living with mental health or physical challenges. These challenges may impact on a young adult’s ability to perform activities such as planning to shop, maintaining the home area or finding appropriate employment.
At FunctionAbility, we offer assessments and intervention to assist with preparation to live independently. This may include assistance with pre-vocational skills (such as finding work and post-schooling education) as well as instrumental activities of daily living, such as cooking, cleaning and shopping, financial management skills as well as social inclusion and social skills. Contact us today to discuss how we can assist in preparing for independent living.
Self care, day planning and household activities
Activities of daily living are a vital part of your daily life, and the biggest focus of Occupational Therapists. While medical professionals allow you to continue living, Occupational Therapists make your life worth living. We work with a wide variety of cases, including physical, mental and cognitive.
It’s important to note that Occupational Therapy is not there to hold the client’s hand in the way a carer or nurse would, but rather to work with the client to develop and manage plans that allow them to cope with their new situation. That means there is typically an initial assessment involved (in person or using a telehealth tool), then preparation of a report and therapy plan, followed by follow-ups and intervention at regular intervals as recommended.
Sensory difficulties
Sensory integration, Sensory Intelligence and Sensory Strategies have revolutionised people assessment, training and development, applying groundbreaking, innovative, yet simple sensory-based strategies to address some of the biggest problems in the new world of work today.
As certified Sensory Intelligence® practitioners and as having a certified Specialist Sensory Integration Practitioner, we see sensory input and processing as a key component in many mental and physical cases. The way in which sensory input is processed plays a major role in our client’s wellbeing, so the creation of a sensory profile, as well as education on the topic, is often included in our assessments, reports and treatment plans.
As sensory beings, we are always taking in the information around us through our senses, which may lead to overload, anxiety, stress, cognitive difficulties and difficulties completing daily tasks. At FunctionAbility, we offer assessment of your sensory threshold followed by education on your sensory system and planning of sensory diets and ergonomics that may assist you in functioning optimally. Consultations may be completed in person or using a telehealth tool.
We offer sensory intervention to all individuals looking at improving their productivity and general experience of life and functional abilities. Contact us today to discuss how we can assist.
Education and Health Care Plan (EHCP)
At FunctionAbility, we use both standardised and non-standardised assessments to make recommendations for support that should be included in your adolescents EHCP. These may include (but are not limited to): Background information and Occupational Profile, Clinical Observations of Movement Patterns: Postural stability, Ocular Reactions and reflexes, Sensory Profile Assessment, Detailed Assessment of Speed of Handwriting (DASH) assessment, Developmental Test of Visual Perception – 3rd Edition (DTVP-3) and Movement Assessment Battery for Children (Movement ABC). We work closely with the school, family and caregivers to complete comprehensive assessments and observations.
As part of our services, we can also implement the recommendations required from your adolescent’s EHCP, monitor goal attainment, provide evidence and re-assess the Occupational profile and needs of your adolescent in preparation for annual review. Upon request, we can also attend annual reviews and Multi-Disciplinary Team meetings (MDT) to ensure that your adolescent’s goals and needs are being met.