Oodles Therapy

Get to know Oodles Therapy

From Oodles Therapy's website.

• Our approach

  Oodles Therapy works with a collaborative, transdisciplinary approach, focusing on providing holistic, wrap-around support for clients and families across the lifespan. Sessions are tailored to the individual, with therapists from speech pathology, occupational therapy, and physiotherapy working together to help people achieve their goals and live to their full potential. The team emphasises making the allied health experience enjoyable and meaningful, incorporating support not just for the individual but for their wider support network. Therapy is delivered in settings chosen to best meet each client's goals, including clinic-based sessions, home visits, school settings, community spaces, and telehealth for remote locations. The overall philosophy is captured in their mission: "our team working with your team to provide lots of support, meet lots of goals and have lots of fun."

• Working with families

  Family involvement is central to the approach at Oodles Therapy. The service is described as "our team working with your team," emphasising collaboration with families and carers as equal partners in the support journey. For comprehensive assessments like Autism Assessment, parents and carers are invited to participate in a comprehensive interview and case history component, and a dedicated feedback session is provided following the assessment where outcomes are discussed and families have the opportunity to ask questions. Reports are provided to families outlining assessment results and recommendations for ongoing support. The team works with families to ensure supports are meaningful and holistic, extending beyond the individual client to their wider support network. Before starting services, families are encouraged to contact the team to discuss specific situations and costs.

• Meet the team

  The team at Oodles Therapy includes a range of qualified allied health professionals. Leadership is provided by Directors Kiera McClelland (Speech Pathologist) and Jodi Lennox (Occupational Therapist). The speech pathology team includes a Senior Speech Pathologist (Gemma Davie) and several Speech Pathologists, while the occupational therapy team includes a Senior Physiotherapist (Niamh Charles) and multiple Occupational Therapists. Allied Health Assistants (Therapy Assistants) work under the supervision of allied health professionals to provide additional support and implement therapy activities designed by the qualified clinicians. All staff are based locally in Katherine and understand the challenges of living in a remote location. The team is committed to sustainability and excellence in remote allied health service delivery.

• Your first visit

  At a first appointment, the process varies depending on the service type. For comprehensive assessments such as Autism Assessment, families can expect a comprehensive parent interview and case history, formal observation using standardised tools like the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS-2) and the Vineland Adaptive Behaviour Scales (VABS-3), and specific occupational therapy or speech pathology assessments as needed based on the child's presentation. A feedback session follows where outcomes are discussed and families have the opportunity to ask questions, with a detailed report provided outlining results and recommendations. For functional capacity assessments, the process is interview-based to explore the client's difficulties and needs, supplemented by screening assessments as required. Before your initial appointment, families are encouraged to contact the team to discuss costs and their specific situation.