Developmental Educator vs Occupational Therapist: Which therapy is right for my child?
Developmental Educators, Occupational Therapists, Speech Pathologists and Psychologists; with so many titles out there it can be hard to keep track of who is qualified to provide the best support for your child as they go through their NDIS plan. But understanding these differences can be the difference between success and failure in reaching your child’s potential.
Developmental Educators (DE)
Developmental Educators work with a range of children who have diverse learning difficulties, including but not limited to ADHD, autism spectrum disorder and dyslexia. They assess individual needs, create goals based on those needs and develop strategies to reach those goals. They understand how different learning styles work together and teach students in a way that works best for them. They use a combination of activities such as play-based learning, visual cues and one-on-one support to help students reach their full potential.
Occupational Therapists (OT)
Occupational Therapists are healthcare professionals who focus on helping people achieve independence in daily life activities such as self-care and leisure activities. They assess an individual’s function in tasks associated with physical, cognitive, perceptual or emotional functioning relevant to their age level or developmental stage. They then make recommendations for assistive devices or modifications that allow an individual to perform these tasks more independently or safely.
Speech Pathologists
Speech Pathologists are trained professionals that help diagnose speech disorders and problems with language development or swallowing difficulties in children. Through collaboration with other health professionals they’ll assess the underlying cause of any communication difficulties and design a customised program tailored towards the individual’s specific needs that focuses on improving speech production, language expression or understanding.
Psychologists
Psychologists are qualified mental health professionals specialising in human behaviour and psychological processes such as thinking, feeling and emotions. A psychologist will evaluate an individual’s mental state by conducting interviews, administering tests or observing interactions between the child and others around them to gain insight into the behaviour being observed by teachers or parents at home or school environment. After diagnosis, they’ll recommend appropriate strategies such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), family counselling sessions or lifestyle adjustments which may improve overall functioning of the person being assessed.
Summary
In summary - Developmental Educators focus on educational development; Occupational Therapists focus on independent living skills; Speech Pathologists focus on communication skills, while Psychologists take care of mental health issues related to development. For each area there are multiple professional resources available whom you can consult depending upon your particular situation regarding your NDIS-funded child’s development path.
