Topic: Stronger Seeds, Taller Trees

Research shows early detection and early intervention of cerebral palsy is vital.

Some signs which may indicate a child has cerebral palsy include low muscle tone, reduced head control, delayed development, feeding or swallowing difficulties or a preference to use one side of their body.

Referrals to early diagnosis clinics aim to fast-track diagnosis and enable quicker access to early interventions, family support and better outcomes for the future.

Early intervention within the first 12-months is essential for the developing brain as the connections between the brain and spine are still forming.

Infants at risk of cerebral palsy also need targeted intervention and monitoring to prevent secondary problems from occurring.

Find out more:

What is Cerebral Palsy?

Early Diagnosis Clinic

Early Detection & Early Intervention

Research at Cerebral Palsy Alliance

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This article appeared in Practice Pulse on Wednesday, 24 September 2025. If you are a GP, practice nurse or practice manager in South Western Sydney and do not get the weekly Practice Pulse email, speak to your Practice Support Officer.

Parenting is rewarding yet challenging, with parents often relying on their own upbringing to inform their parenting style and practices.

Family case management can help parents to prioritise issues and initiate supports. This is especially important for isolated families or those who are unfamiliar with health and wellbeing support services.

GPs can refer families, or families are able to self-refer, to a support service. The families will be assigned a caseworker, who usually visits the home to better understand their needs.

Together, the caseworker and family create a case plan based on discussions and surveys the family complete as part of their initial assessment when joining the program.

The caseworker helps the family work toward their goals, updating the plan as new issues arise.

Support typically lasts three to six months, depending on the program’s scope and the family’s needs. As the GP made the referral, the caseworker may contact the GP to discuss concerns.

The GP can also assist by monitoring the health and other needs of the family and contact the caseworker for ongoing and/or new concerns.

Organisations that provide case management or can support clients to link with a case manager

Organisations that provide case management or can support clients to link with a case manager

Note: Many of these organisations also work with families in neighbouring local government areas. They also provide other supports for families, which may include playgroups, counselling, assistance in an emergency, and referral to other services.

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This article appeared in Practice Pulse on Wednesday, 27 August 2025. If you are a GP, practice nurse or practice manager in South Western Sydney and do not get the weekly Practice Pulse email, speak to your Practice Support Officer.

Strong language abilities are increasingly required for kindergarten children.   

Early identification of speaking and reading comprehension, and referral to intervention services, is essential for success in learning, mental health and socio-emotional well-being.  

You may consider the following when assessing a kindergarten-age child: 

• are they easily understood when speaking, with minimal sound errors? 

• can they follow unfamiliar two to three step instructions? 

• can they understand a variety of question forms, including questions about inferencing and prediction? 

• can they speak in complete and complex sentences of five or more words with minimal grammatical errors? 
• do they have a wide vocabulary? 
• can they retell events and short stories using complete sentences? 

For cases of concern, you can refer to the following checklists and referral pathways. 

• NSW Health Blue Book
• Communication checklist 
• Early intervention referral pathways information 
• Parent handout – Communication 

This article appeared in Practice Pulse on Wednesday, 6 August 2025. If you are a GP, practice nurse or practice manager in South Western Sydney and do not get the weekly Practice Pulse email, speak to your Practice Support Officer.

GPs and healthcare providers can help advocate for students and others with disability. As a GP or heathcare provider you are often a trusted first point of contact for families.

If you are supporting a student with disability who is experiencing barriers at school, you can assist them by playing a vital role in connecting families with free advocacy support. Advocacy can help families and students navigate education systems, secure supports and protect their rights.

People with Disability Australia offers free advocacy for students with disability in NSW Government schools regardless of National Disability Insurance Scheme or Disability Support Pension status. Refer families today:
Phone: 1800 422 015
Email: pwd@pwd.org.au

Learn how PWDA supports students with disability in NSW Government schools.

For more information, visit People with Disability Australia (PWDA) National disability rights and advocacy organisation, providing free support across NSW.

• Supporting Students with Disability – PWDA
  Information on how to refer students and families for free advocacy in NSW Government schools.
• Individual Advocacy – PWDA
  One-on-one support to help people with disability understand their rights and resolve issues.
• Disability Advocacy Futures Program
  NSW Government-funded program supporting a range of disability advocacy services, including PWDA.

Other disability advocacy services

• Disability Advocacy Finder
  Helps people with disability understand their rights, resolve issues and take part fully in the community.
• ADACAS
  Provides support to people with disability dealing with issues related to government or government-funded services.
• Multicultural Disability Advocacy Association
  Specialises in advocacy for people with disability from culturally and linguistically diverse communities.

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This article appeared in Practice Pulse on Wednesday, 23 July 2025. If you are a GP, practice nurse or practice manager in South Western Sydney and do not get the weekly Practice Pulse email, speak to your Practice Support Officer.

As a GP, simply asking a parent, “Does your child attend a playgroup or preschool?” can open a valuable conversation about social skills and school readiness.

If the parent’s response is “no”, encourage them to take their young child to playgroup and enrol them in preschool or childcare as they get older.

Interactions with other children will help to strengthen the social skills required to make a positive start to school. These skills include:

• Communication: talking and listening and being able to ask for help, express their needs and feelings and understanding what others are saying
• Cooperation: being able to work with others, take turns and share
• Self-regulation: managing their emotions and behaviour and controlling impulses
• Empathy: understanding and responding to the emotions and perspectives of others
• Friendship and manners: knowing how to be a good friend, being respectful of others and saying please and thank you

Find out more at:

Fairfield playgroups

Liverpool playgroups

Canterbury/Bankstown playgroups

Preschools and childcare centres

Social skills and starting school Parent Handout English 2025

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This article appeared in Practice Pulse on Wednesday, 9 July 2025. If you are a GP, practice nurse or practice manager in South Western Sydney and do not get the weekly Practice Pulse email, speak to your Practice Support Officer.

Being a parent is the most important job a person can have. But it can also be isolating for parents, particularly when extended family might not be nearby.  

It’s important for parents to know they can reach out to local services when they need some help or advice.    

Evidence-based parenting programs have been shown to support family functioning and the wellbeing of children, particularly when delivered by trained professionals.   

Many parenting programs aim to help parents improve their relationship with their child and enhance emotional and behavioural outcomes.  

There is substantial evidence of the effectiveness of parenting programs in providing favourable outcomes for parents (improved confidence as a parent, stronger parent-child attachment, more effective and safe strategies for guiding children’s behaviour) and children (improved age-appropriate behaviour and social skills).  

In South Western Sydney, some not-for-profit family support services are funded by the NSW or Australian Government to provide parenting programs at no cost. 

Parenting program providers in SW Sydney 2025

Read the full report on effective approaches for young children

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While medical care options for trans children are unnecessary until puberty, families seek advice from GPs for young children. Parents seek a GP who listens, affirms the child rather than dismissing concerns, is respectful, kind and willing to learn.

Some children are clear about being trans from the age of three, while others do not feel like either boys or girls (non-binary), and others are exploring gender.

Children thrive when they can express their preferred gender through clothing, people use their preferred pronouns, and sometimes they choose a different name.

Parents can benefit from the support of other parents to navigate healthcare, legal documentation and education settings. GPs can provide letters of support.

Article provided by Dr Cris Townley

Resources

Support for parents

Support for Trans, Gender Diverse and Non-Binary Children and their Families

Why is family support important

Supporting trans and gender diverse children in early education environments

Westmead gender clinic

The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne, Australian Standards of Care and Treatment Guidelines

RACGP special interest group

Working with adult trans and gender diverse people

E-Learning Module: Trans Primary Care – AusPATH