National PEKE Centre

18/06/2026

We are so excited to release our June/July school holiday group therapy programs at our Cranbourne clinic!

Our team has planned some of our most loved and popular groups (along with some new additions), so be sure not to miss out on the fun! 👩‍🍳🍪🧪

16/06/2026

A brief update on the (unfortunately) minimal information that we have access to at the moment ℹ️

The Victorian Government has released information about Thriving Kids here in Victoria

While the first stage of Thriving Kids services will begin in October 2026, the full range of services, including allied health support, will be rolled out by January 2028. Until then, children aged 0-8 can continue to access early childhood intervention through the NDIS.

When Thriving Kids starts, it will be a free service for children with developmental delay or autism who have low to moderate support needs, and will include:

🔹 Two new development assessments that will be available for every child: one before kinder, and one before school
🔹 Allied health professionals will be based in places such as maternal child health centres, kindergartens and early parenting centres. These allied health professionals will work with children and families to help children develop the skills they need for life
🔹 Children with permanent and significant disability or high support needs will continue to access NDIS

👉 You can read more information here – https://www.vic.gov.au/thriving-kids

We want to acknowledge that the information currently available is still very high-level. This is because Thriving Kids will not fully roll out until January 2028, and the program design is still being developed.

We will continue to share updates as they become available. 💜

09/06/2026

Many phrases that are shared online as examples of "boundary setting" are actually requests for someone else to change their behaviour.

Examples might include:
• "You need to stop yelling at me."
• "You can't speak to me like that."
• "I need you to be respectful."

While these statements communicate an important need, they still rely on the other person doing something differently.

As Dr. Becky at Good Inside explains, a boundary is about what we will do in response to a situation.

For example:
❌ "You need to stop throwing toys."
✅ "If toys are thrown, I'll move them away until everyone is safe."

The difference may seem subtle, but it's important.

A request asks someone else to change.
A boundary clarifies what you will do.

For children, this distinction matters because it helps create predictability, safety, and trust. Rather than attempting to control a child's behaviour, boundaries communicate the limits of our own actions and responsibilities.

Boundaries aren't punishments.
Boundaries aren't threats.
Boundaries aren't consequences we invent to gain compliance.

Boundaries are information about what we will do to keep ourselves, others, and the environment safe and respected.

11/05/2026

If you’ve ever asked your neurodivergent child,
“How was your day?”

…only to be met with silence, “fine”, “I don’t know”, a shrug, or what feels like avoidance — this post is for you.

Many neurodivergent children want to connect and share, but broad, open-ended questions can feel overwhelming after a full day of processing, masking, social demands, transitions, sensory input, and navigating expectations.

06/05/2026

Everything (neurodiversity affirming) hallelujah 🙌🏼

03/05/2026

Effort-based praise > Outcome-based praise wins everyday of the week whether you're supporting a neurotypical or neurodivergent child 🙌🫂

29/04/2026

An incredibly important perspective that needs to be considered - thank you Dr Kyla- Paediatric Dietitian

25/04/2026

20/04/2026

Over the April school holidays, our occupational therapists facilitated a Teens' Cooking Group where participants were supported to make their own burgers and fries (from scratch!) 🍟🍔🥔

This group provided teens with a safe, familiar and comfortable environment to explore new foods, practice new fine motor skills and increase their independence with meal prep tasks 🍴

20/04/2026

A really wonderful (and FREE!) opportunity for Dad's and male caregivers to connect with those within their community 🧔🧔‍♂️👴

We're pretty excited about this one team.

Starting from next week at the Centre, Anglicare are hosting 4 weeks of DAD'S CHAT: a relaxed and welcoming workshop series hosted by Tony – a dad/therapist who knows exactly how tough and rewarding parenting can be. ​

This workshop series is FREE and runs from 22 Wednesday to 13 Wednesday from 7pm - 9.00pm! It’s for dads, stepparents, grandfathers or male carers who want real talk and practical tools to help give kids the best shot at thriving, through covering: ​
- Building stronger connection with your kids and other Dads​
- Understanding your child’s brain, behaviour, and world​
- Handling tough talks with confidence​
- Using play as a superpower​
​
If you're interested in coming along – just visit the link in the comments and sign on up! ​

And for those out there looking after little ones – why not give us a call to find out what our playgroup sessions are all about? ​8773 9545, 26 Mahogany Avenue, Frankston North.​