Carpentaria provides Allied Health Therapy Services for children and young people aged between 0 – 18 years. Our therapy team includes Speech Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, a Physiotherapist, and Psychologist, who are especially equipped to work with children and teenagers. Our services include:
- Specific, functional developmental therapies to address speech and language difficulties
- Play and other life skills (eg schooling demands)
- Physical development (fine and gross motor skills)
- Psychological issues, which may be seen as difficult behaviour, including skills development for parents to better work with their child
We offer both face-to-face and telehealth appointments.
How we work
Carpentaria provides comprehensive evidence based therapy and family support services utilising a relationship based approach. We tailor our sessions to the individual needs, preferences and developmental level of each child or young person. Carpentaria works in partnership with families to ensure that we continue to meet the needs of the children and their families. The way we work includes:
- Using a multidisciplinary team approach including Speech Pathology, Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Psychology and counselling
- Support and guidance to help children and young people with important transitions such as starting or changing school or year levels
- Visits by therapists to the home, preschool, day care centre and other settings to implement the therapy program
- Liaison with local and interstate stakeholders as required, including medical and specialist services
- Individual and group therapy sessions to support children to reach their goals and to provide parents/caregivers with strategies and resources
Where we work: Darwin, Alice Springs, and remote Northern Territory communities
We have a permanent presence in Darwin and Alice Springs, and our Remote Therapy Services team regularly travel to remote areas including Maningrida, Millingimbi, Ramingining, Galiwin’ku, Katherine, and Tennant Creek. Find our upcoming travel dates here. We encourage you to request services in the areas you require.
Make a referral
Anyone can refer a child, including parents, caregivers, Paediatricians, NT Government Children’s Development Team, Early Childhood Australia and schools. Download and complete a Request for Service form here. Contact us for further details or to make an appointment.
Funding
Carpentaria offers sessions under the NDIS funding model.
Further information about Carpentaria services under the NDIS is available here.
Preparing for your therapy appointment
While waiting for your child’s sessions to commence, we encourage you to engage in a range of activities that can prepare your child for therapy. Access our active waiting resource to view recommended ideas and the benefits they can provide for your family. Supporting your child to strengthen their skills and increasing social interactions with you and their peers establishes a foundation for therapy services.
Meet the team
Our clinicians are experienced in working with children, young people and adults across Australia. We deliver culturally appropriate services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participants, and work with Territorians in urban areas, remote Top End, and Central Australian communities. Click here to meet our Therapy Services team.
FAQs
What does a Speech Pathologist do?
A Speech Therapist can help a child to develop communication skills, including understanding what words mean, using these words and having the speech skills to say them. This assists parents, caregivers, friends and teachers to understand what the child is saying.
Speech therapy can also provide support to:
- Use communication systems, incorporating gestures, signing, pictures and/or communication devices
- Better communicate and interact with friends and family
- Improve social interaction skills
- Enjoy mealtimes, which sometimes involves swallowing assessments, helping with texture transition and transitioning from Naso-Gastric (NG) feeding
- Help with a stutter
WATCH: Hear more from Nicola, Carpentaria Speech Pathologist
What does an Occupational Therapist do?
An Occupational Therapist can help a child to learn play and develop social skills, how to use their body in preparation for school tasks, getting a job, and success as they move through different stages of their life.
Occupational Therapists also provide support to:
- Learn how to get dressed, go to the toilet, brush teeth, wash and tie shoelaces
- Help with feeding, eating a range of foods, asking for help if needed, cooking a meal, organising and planning for schoolwork and assignments and confidence to engage in sports, music and other activities
- Help to stay calm and alert as a foundation for other learning, including understanding and responding to incoming information processed through sights, sounds, movement and touch
- Prescribe and use adaptive equipment such as bath chairs, car seats, hoists and wheelchairs
WATCH: Hear more from Sally, Carpentaria Occupational Therapist
What does a Physiotherapist do?
A Physiotherapist can help to develop the movement skills that are essential for a child to actively participate in activities. They can assist to develop mobility skills, including rolling, sitting, crawling and walking.
Physiotherapists also provide support to:
- Participate in activities like bike riding and swimming
- Prescribe and use specialised equipment such as seating, standing frames and walkers, which helps children become involved in play and social activities essential to their wellbeing
WATCH: Hear more about our Physiotherapy team
What does a Psychologist do?
A Psychologist can help children, adolescents and parents think through challenges around managing difficult emotions, helpful thinking strategies, problem solving and living bigger lives.
Psychologists can also provide support to:
- Help people make sense of reactions that may not be working for them in the lives, their work and their relationships
- Develop more flexible and helpful responses to the different challenges that are part of life
- Help parents develop more helpful responses when they are struggling with their child’s tricky behaviours
- Reduce the influence of difficult thoughts and feelings that can often get in the way of living a fuller life
- Help teenagers make sense of all the challenges of adolescence and develop skills that help them progress through this period safely
WATCH: Hear more from Imogen, Carpentaria Psychologist
What does an Allied Health Assistant do?
Allied Health Assistants (AHA) support Carpentaria Speech Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapist and Psychologists to deliver therapy programs. An AHA program may be recommended when a participant is progressing well with current goals and may not require direct input from an Allied Health Professional, or if a participant has joint Speech Pathology and Occupational Therapy goals, resulting in face-to-face time charged at the AHA billing rate rather than both the SP and OT rate.
Where therapy goals can be supported, participants on our waitlist may be assessed as suitable for an AHA program.
WATCH: Hear more from Courtney, Carpentaria Allied Health Assistant
I've sent my referral - what happens next?
All referrals are reviewed and assessed by our team of experienced paediatric Allied Health clinicians.
WATCH: Learn more about what happens to your referral when we receive it
Which assessments can you do?
We can complete a full range of assessments, including cognitive, developmental, physical, speech and language, as well as specific diagnostic assessments like the Autism Diagnostic Observation Scale (ADOS).
Which equipment can you prescribe for my child?
Carpentaria can prescribe a wide range of supportive equipment that can improve quality of life and make it easier for a child to achieve developmental capacities with less effort and discomfort.
For example, supportive seating can make it easier to do craft activities at a table and can also help with mealtimes. In more complex circumstances, equipment can help a child get around so they can more easily participate in community activities or in the playground. Our clinicians can provide guidance on what is involved, including funding options.
Who do you provide therapy for?
Carpentaria works with children, adolescents and parents with a range of developmental challenges, relationship issues, challenges at school and physical difficulties. This includes working with specific diagnoses like Downs Syndrome, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Cerebral Palsy, Oppositional Defiance, Anxiety, Parenting and behavioural challenges.
I'm on the waitlist for Therapy Services. What can I do while I'm waiting?
We recognise waiting can be frustrating, however, there are many activities you and your child can do while waiting to access Carpentaria Therapy Services. For suggested activities, visit our active waiting resource.
WATCH: Learn more about the community activities available
Do I have to attend each session with my child?
Current research tells us that children and adolescents thrive in relationships with their parents/caregivers. Usually if the child is under 12 years of age, there is a higher involvement of parents in each session.
If the child is older, parents may attend the sessions less frequently. Our therapists will always discuss this with you prior to the start of therapy.
Do you offer Group Therapy?
How often do we need to see you?
I don't live in Darwin. Can I still book an appointment?
Carpentaria offers online therapy sessions via Skype or Zoom for people living outside of the Darwin / Palmerston / Alice Springs area.
Therapists may also be available to travel to your location or community. Clinicians travel to a range of remote communities on a regular basis, see their upcoming remote dates for early 2024 here.
Contact us to discuss your requirements.
Can you see my child at school or in our home?
Sessions are usually held in our purpose-built facilities, however depending on your plan and funding model, sessions can be delivered off-site. Remote sessions can be delivered in your home, at school, or in the community.
Can you organise an interpreter for me?
What is the cost for each therapy session?
Carpentaria has a consistent pricing structure for all Allied Health therapy sessions. Prices are aligned to the NDIS Price Guide for services provided to clients and participants accessing Carpentaria services under all funding arrangements.
To meet our high quality of service, your therapist often needs to take time to prepare for your face-to-face session. This can include planning and preparing appropriate and individual materials to meet specific developmental goals, setting up for the therapy session and writing progress notes. They may also need to take time to ensure that therapy plans and ideas are communicated to everyone who is in contact with your child, so that evidence-based strategies are put in place in all areas of your child’s life (for example at school or child care).
These support activities are called ‘non face-to-face services’, are always linked to the goals outlined in your NDIS plan and are used to measure therapy impact when we review your plan with you. NDIS guidelines outline how service providers can bill for non face-to-face services and Carpentaria works within these guidelines at all times.
A one page overview about Carpentaria pricing is available here. Further details about the NDIS Price Guide are available here.
What sort of therapy rooms do you have?
Carpentaria delivers sessions from a number of purpose-built therapy rooms on the ground floor in the Harry’s Place Administration Building, 1 Willeroo Street, Tiwi. We also have therapy rooms in our Alice Springs office at 2/9 Parsons St. Rooms are fully equipped to support you and your family to receive the highest quality of service from us.