Kate's Place

16/06/2024

In the very, very early stages of a possible collaboration for some 1 off classes in a ‘kids gym’ style environment in the September/October school holidays.
Could look at a variety of age classes from 2-7yo.
If it sounds like something that may be of interest to you, pop a little comment below so I know if it is something I should continue to peruse.

31/05/2024

UPDATE - story is a go! Watch 7NEWS Perth tonight and spread the word so we can save this vital service!!

Quick call out. DDWA Developmental Disability WA are losing their government funding and will no longer be able to provide their school advocacy service if they don’t get private support. Has anyone had personal experience with this amazing service? I’m helping 7NEWS Perth get a story together to hopefully save the service!!

16/05/2024

05/05/2024

My response (in the words of Greg Santucci, Occupational Therapist) to the new ‘behaviour’ framework from the Australian Education Research Organisation. 🤦‍♀️🤬 I would love to know which “evidence based strategies” they have used to determine putting kids in rows of desks and ‘super walking’ in straight lines is beneficial to their learning. Perhaps putting more money into teacher education, more of a focus on educator understanding of neurotypes and neuro divergent approaches and as I have advocated for previously, making some of the required Teacher Professional development to achieve TRBWA registration and renewal to have a required component of ‘neuro affirming practice’ would help alleviate many of the low key challenging behaviour such as ‘calling out’ and ‘chatting’. I am yet to be in a classroom where any children benefit from ‘stricter’ rules. Building relationships and getting to know the children is the key to managing those behaviours by adapting what educators do as the adult in the room, not creating little robots who are not allowed or encouraged to take note and acknowledge their own needs.

03/05/2024

For those who joined me back when classes were running, you’ll recognise this.
Sorry, not sorry 😊

25/02/2024

This!!!!! Neurodivergent brains aren’t wrong, they are different…and we need to celebrate difference…seeing things in a different way is what brings progress and change and is what the world needs more of. 🌱💕

25/02/2024

A little Kate’s Place Perth update 🌱
As many of you are aware, my little man started pre primary this year…this unfortunately coincided with his father and I separating…so best laid plans for his transition and smooth introduction to full time school went out the window 🤦‍♀️
This has meant that the Kate’s Place classes have been put on hold for the time being so I am available to manage shortened days, reduced schedule etc with him.
We are both doing fairly well, but as you can understand, even more so than usual, it is a day by day situation at the moment.
I will keep everyone updated on how we’re going later in the term and hopefully I will be able to have classes back up for term 2.
Meantime, I’m hoping in the second half of this term I will be able to commence 1:1 visits with those who have contacted me…I will be in touch.
Thanks to my current clients for your understanding and support…please stay in touch and let me know how your cherubs are going…I miss seeing their faces each week.
And please stay in touch with each other - the tribe is not gone, it’s just temporarily online whilst this member jumps some hurdles 💕

25/02/2024

So wonderful to see inclusivity in action at Lollipops Bayswater today. Playcentres can be hell for some of our babes - even though they would love to climb and slide as much as many of their neurotypical peers, many just can’t go because of the sensory overwhelm. I was so thrilled yesterday to see Lollipops have made strides towards making their centre available to all! They have converted one of their party rooms (which would inevitably have made them money) into a free sensory room for kiddos who need a break from the noise/bright colours/movement/activity etc etc etc. You just let the staff know you will need access to the sensory room during your visit and they’ll give you a little card with the door PIN code for the day.
I went in with my little guy after 2 minutes of being there - he’d excitedly run the bounce castle but there were lots of older kids being quite boisterous and he just froze. I was able to get his attention enough to get him to come down the slide to me and then took him straight in. We were lucky enough to be the only ones in there. Once past the ‘freeze’ stage he tends to throw things when dysregulated so he immediately went for the fur balls but was able to redirect him into the stretchy body sock with me and I modeled how I could push against the gentle pressure of the Lycra…he also liked that it was darker when his head was inside but he could still see out and not feel trapped. We then did some tummy rolling on the peanut ball He was then comfortable to explore the room a little and went in the ikea chair and under the table tent..he also had a look at yeh fish bubble tube. After all of this (about 10 minutes) he was regulated enough to tell me he was ready to go play again now.
He then happily played (with me closely watching for signs of dysregulation) for an hour and a half without issue.
Now, the room certainly isn’t ‘perfect’ (it is still very noisey, so bringing ear defenders for a sound sensitive child would be necessary. Whilst they have thoughtfully tried to cover the fluorescent roof lights with lovely dimming rainbow paper - it is still quite bright and the art work remaining on the wall from its pre ious life as a party room is very stimulating) but the fact that it has been thoughtfully considered and efforts have been made, within the space available to make it a comfortable place to retreat - in my book earns them 5 stars
🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟
The equipment in the room was not individually expensive - predominantly Kmart items…so it is absolutely possible for businesses to create spaces like this on a limited budget…as a starting point, even as simply as having a small tent in a quiet corner with some of these items inside if they don’t have a room to spare.
Thanks Lollipops Bayswater for creating this space so more kids are able to enjoy your centre 💕
Note - Kate’s Place Perth has no affiliation with Lollipops, but I was very grateful to see they had one of our flyers displayed in their sensory room. Thank you Lollipops.

27/12/2023

Can I just dream for a minute.

Imagine everyone getting on board with neurodiversity-affirming practice and education next year.

I’ll do my best to make it happen.

Em 🌈

P.s. NT stands for neurotypical, ND stands for neurodivergent.

25/12/2023

Thanks for these great reminders. Christmas should be fun for everyone. You know your child. Supporting their needs/preferences through everything you know about them and allow them to have a fun day in their way 🎄 )for us that often looks like not opening all orders at once- doing it slowly throughout the day or over a couple of days…allowing the iPad with us for breaks as needed…offering but not forcing Christmas foods (last night he ate turkey!!!!! I had to call it ‘turkey chicken’ but still a success to me!)…not forcing him to sit at the table (I had presents strategically chosen next to me that he could play with and come up to the table as he wanted too) & I’m sure many other things that I have just do because I have learned to tune into him

22/11/2023

Pizza 🍕 we had so much fun over the last fortnight playing in our pretend pizza kitchen, and making our own mini pizzas. Lots of great fine motor and attempts at using utensils. And so many opportunities for extending language and learning new vocabulary. Lots of following instructions, making choices, experimentation AND tasting. So many of the littlies tried eating things they hadn’t before. It was lovely moving our snack break outside too ☀️ (I love the key word sign for pizza too - kind of mimicking the action of throwing the pizza dough 😊)

18/09/2023

So thrilled to be at an in person training with Dr. Ross Greene today.
Take a look at this petition about having his collaborative and proactive solutions approach brought into Australian schools

https://chng.it/N6HSqYdzcL