Sarah is The Rainbow Clinic’s Director and is passionate about establishing ongoing relationships with children and their families. She believes that through these close relationships, individualised treatment plans can be established and will achieve better outcomes.
Having worked in paediatrics for more than 15 years, Sarah is well versed in all aspects of children’s development. Her dedication to helping children achieve has seen her work as an Occupational Therapist both locally and in the UK.
Sarah’s time working abroad afforded her the opportunity to train in Allied Health Leadership, Drama Therapy, Sensory Integration and Therapy, Splinting, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and in assessing and reporting using the sensory processing measure, sensory profile, handwriting speed test, Movement ABC and the Beery VMI-visual-motor integration tests.
On her return to Australia, Sarah first became involved in the set up and management of an Occupational Therapy practice on the western side of Lake Macquarie. She then embraced the opportunity to start her own practice, The Rainbow Clinic.
As the name suggests, The Rainbow Clinic was established to offer families a spectrum of services that are as colourful as the children they support. Sarah believes that rainbows provide hope. They are a physical sign that the rain is over, and the light is shining through. But this light can sometimes be hard to see, and that is why Sarah and her team ensure that all families receive the support, advice and therapy services they need every time they work with or visit the clinic.
Madeleine become The Rainbow Clinic’s Practice Manager in 2018 and combines her skills as an Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) and administrative expert to deliver exceptional experiences for all families.
With a Leadership and Management Certificate, qualifications in Allied Health Assistance and more than 30 years’ experience working within a variety of office environments; Madeleine is The Rainbow Clinic’s go to person when it comes to managing the day to day of the clinic. Her previous work within paediatric centres also makes her the perfect person to talk to when you are looking to understand and access the various services and supports that are available.
Sarah has been a valued Occupational Therapist with The Rainbow Clinic since 2016. Her passion for helping children and young adults achieve in everyday activities including dressing, feeding, tying shoelaces, joining in group activities, completing craft creations, and many more, illustrates her dedication to her work and the families she supports.
Her journey to become a Paediatric Occupational Therapist began as a student working within a community centre. Seeing the smiles on the children’s faces and spending time with the families ignited her passion for improving their daily lives. Her thirst for knowledge and passion to support children, particularly those with sensory challenges, lead her to study Occupational Therapy, and she hasn’t looked backed.
Sarah holds qualifications spanning the spectrum of OT practices (as well as other skills) including BAppSc OT (Hons), BA – Art History and Curatorship, Understanding our Sensory Systems – Proprioception, The Alert Program – A guide to Self-Regulation, Visual-Vestibular Screening and Treatment Strategies, Ayres Clinical Observations, The Wilbarger Therapressure Protocol to treat Sensory Defensiveness, and Clinical Assessment and Practical Intervention for Praxis. While these qualifications may not mean much to those outside of the profession, you can be assured that Sarah has the skills to work with children and help them become as independent as possible.
Avi joined The Rainbow Clinic team as a Paediatric Occupational Therapist in 2018. She believes that working with children is more of a calling than a profession and feels privileged to help those she works with find their strength, achieve their goals and shine.
When Avi discovered the diversity of the profession and how OT helped people become more independent in their daily activities, she embarked on a journey to become a certified Occupational Therapist. Avi completed her studies in South Africa and obtained a bachelor’s degree in Occupational Therapy and a bachelor’s degree in Education. She has a special interest in Sensory Integration and working with children with a range of diagnoses such as learning difficulties, Sensory Processing, Autism, Dyspraxia and Developmental Delays.
As one of the dedicated OT’s at The Rainbow Clinic, Avi’s day involves obstacle courses, helping children learn through play, team games, creative thinking and problem solving. She loves encouraging the children she works with to explore new skills through play-based activities and believes the best part of her job is knowing that her clients are building confidence in their abilities because the team believes in them.
Sarah is a dedicated Paediatric Occupational Therapist at The Rainbow Clinic and has worked with children since completing a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy Degree with Honours at the University of Newcastle in 2015. With a commitment to helping each child achieve their goals, Sarah loves getting to know her clients, learning about their personalities, quirks, interests, and tailoring therapy sessions to suit their needs.
Her time in paediatrics has afforded her the opportunity to work with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Oppositional Defiance Disorder and Sensory Processing issues. Sarah is always eager to develop new skills that will help her clients and has set her sights on learning more about sensory processing, play-based therapy and the CO-OP approach (cognitive orientation to daily occupational performance).
Sarah enjoys helping children achieve all kinds of goals related to daily living including being able to tie their shoelaces, kick a ball, improve their handwriting legibility and being able to self-regulate in a busy playground. She believes that improving a child’s motor skills, resilience and functional skills leads to improved confidence and engagement and will work with your child to achieve just that.
Alison is a dedicated Occupational Therapist and has been a part of The Rainbow Clinic team since 2017.
Having completed her Bachelor of Occupational Therapy degree with Honours; Alison knew she was ready to work with children and families and use her creativity to help them reach their full potential.
Her passion for intricate crafts and physical activity helps her build creative and interactive therapy plans for families. Alison’s approach to therapy involves engaging activities that support the development of life-long skills. She believes that through play and creativity all children can find confidence and grow at their own pace.
With a love for children’s’ spirit and energy, Tegan is a passionate Occupational Therapist at The Rainbow Clinic. Her career commenced following the completion of a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy degree with honours.
Tegan finds the joy in every moment, particularly in her therapy sessions. She believes that if you are having fun in the therapy session, the child you are working with will be more likely to feel relaxed, enjoy the activity, find a sense of achievement and grow their confidence.
Play-based activities are a big part of Tegan’s method. Buttoning a shirt or tying hoelaces can become a fun game when the right approach is applied. She is dedicated to helping children navigate their challenges through individualised therapies that focus on their interests.
Jade is a passionate Occupational Therapist at The Rainbow Clinic with a unique approach to self-awareness and growth. She completed a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy degree with honours in 2019 and holds a diploma in Yoga Teacher Training.
Jade’s unique combination of skills and passion for movement enables her to deliver active therapy services that encourages children to explore their capabilities, build strength and grow. With a dedication to collaborating with families, Jade helps children reach their goals through fun therapy activities that align with their interests and incorporates opportunities for self-discovery.
Having grown up as an active child, Jade is always looking for new ways to explore movement and the body’s capabilities. This continuous exploration filters into her therapy sessions and benefits those she works with by helping them understand how movement can make them stronger in all aspects of their life.
With a strong interest in children’s mental health and development, Alannah brings a variety of skills and experience to The Rainbow Clinic team.
After completing a Bachelor of Science (Occupational Therapy) degree in Western Australia, Alannah sort to fuel her passion for helping children and their families within a variety of contexts. Her previous experience saw her work directly with children in medical and educational settings. This experience provides a solid knowledge base for the work she does within the Clinic that helps children transition to school and build confidence.
Alannah loves helping children with extraordinary challenges and is confident working in the areas of social skills, mental health, sensory integration and emotional regulation. She is a big believer in the idea that all children can have the skills to lead fun, fulfilled and functional lives.
Nichola brings to The Rainbow Clinic team a passion for family-centred services, parent support and evidence-based practice.
Following the completion of her Bachelor of Occupational Therapy degree with Honours in 2018; Nichola gained experience working with many children and their families, predominantly children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnoses.
She enjoys building long-term relationships with children and their families, and works with them to build individual plans and strategies that will help them achieve a range of goals – big and small. Nichola sees advocacy as an important component of working as an Occupational Therapist and is dedicated to ensuring all families can receive the support and services they need to grow.
With a love for sport, movement, and the outdoors; Abbey brings a high-energy approach to The Rainbow Clinic team.
She has worked in the field of paediatrics for many years and has completed a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy degree with Honours.
Abbey believes in shaking things up with movement and ensures all therapy sessions involve at least some physical activities that build strength and, of course, adds fun. She loves working with families to not only build and support the development of a child, but to encourage the growth of the parents and carers so they can feel empowered in their role as well.
Renee is a hands-on professional who works tirelessly to support The Rainbow Clinic team, and ensures we always provide exceptional service. With experience in various disability support roles, Renee has a unique ability to identify areas of improvement that will benefit all the families we work with.
As someone who is passionate about helping others learn new things, Renee is always happy to offer information, and helpful advice to those in need.
Lyn compliments the family-friendly approach of our administration team and offers a comforting smile, support and reassurance to all those she greets and works with.
With more than 12 years’ experience within the allied health and health insurance industries, Lyn understands the various needs and requirements of the families that work with our OT’s, including matters related to funding and health insurance. She is dedicated to supporting our team of OT’s and ensures every family receives accurate advice and information.
Jadie brings to The Rainbow Clinic team years of experience and training in the health space, as well as exceptional administration and finance skills.
Currently studying a bachelor of Psychological Science, Jadie is dedicated to developing skills and knowledge that will support families and help them navigate their OT journey with confidence. She compliments the friendly approach of our administration team and brightens our reception area with her warmth, smile and can-do attitude.
Working hard behind the scenes, Patrick helps to keep The Rainbow Clinic operating at its highest level so families can access the best OT services and support.
With an extensive background in Software Engineering, Patrick is adept at finding the best resolutions and ensuring efficiencies when it comes to the day to day operations of the Clinic.
Patrick offers support through innovative solutions, programs and systems – anything to help the team deliver exceptional services and encourage sustainable growth for the business.
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