22 July 2022
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children experience some of the highest rates of Otitis Media and associated hearing loss in the world.
Left untreated, these conditions are directly linked to serious and long-term deficits. These include poor medical health, delayed communication and social skill development, challenging behaviour, and learning difficulties.
Regular ear checks, hearing assessments and onward referrals to ENTs are crucial in supporting positive outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children with Otitis Media.
Information for families about Otitis Media:
Deadly Ears Program
Middle ear disease
Children’s Health Queensland
Empowering Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families to connect with health and community services is another important part of supporting their children’s health and wellbeing.
Aboriginal Health Services:
South Western Sydney Local Health District Aboriginal Health Service Directory
AH-ServiceDirectory.pdf (nsw.gov.au)
Macarthur Family & Youth Services
NABU – Macarthur Family & Youth Services (mfys.org.au)
Tharawal Aboriginal Corporation – Airds
Tharawal Aboriginal Corporation | (tacams.com.au)
Gandangara Aboriginal Health Services – Liverpool
Health Services | Gandangara
KARI Aboriginal Community Programs – Liverpool
Community Programs | KARI
21 June 2022
Fussy eating can lead to stressful and prolonged mealtimes, delayed oro-motor skills, and poor health outcomes including nutrient deficiencies (eg iron), slow growth and constipation.
Early intervention is required when fussy eating is caused by sensory sensitivities with food textures, or when it leads to highly restricted diets (less than 15 to 20 different foods) or
challenging behaviours at mealtimes.
Mealtime Strategies
1) Set up routines – serve food at the same time and in the same place each day.
2) Create an engaging mealtime environment – remove distractions (eg screens, toys) and share meals together as a family to model positive mealtime behaviours like trying new foods.
3) Encourage food exploration and play – participate together in food preparation and play games with food like sorting by colour or texture, or building houses.
Start Them Right: A parent’s guide to eating for under 5s
Is your child a fussy eater? Parent handout
11 May 2022
Some children have difficulty processing and responding to information from their senses. This includes sight, sound, taste, touch, smell, proprioception (body awareness) and vestibular (movement) input.
Signs of sensitivities:
- Seeking sensations (touching, smelling or licking textures, closely watching moving objects, difficulty sitting still)
- Reacting to sensations (becoming upset when touched, easily distracted by noise/light, picky with food textures and smells)
- Under responding to sensations (appearing to ‘tune out’, low response to sound/touch, poor pain perception)
Sensory seeking versus sensory sensitive
When to refer:
Refer to an Occupational Therapist when a child’s sensory sensitivities interfere with everyday routines or engagement in learning. Early referral is key to improving functional, social and academic outcomes.
Where and how to refer
Further information about sensory sensitivities
Making sense of your child’s senses – handout
21 April 2022
Transition to school has an impact on a child’s educational trajectory. A successful transition to school requires more than academic skills. It requires social, emotional, communication and motor skills. GPs have a role in partnering with schools and supporting families to:
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28 February 2022
It can be difficult to know when a child’s behaviour is a typical developmental stage or whether further intervention is needed. Families need support if their child’s behaviour is impacting on family functioning, the child’s engagement in daily tasks and learning environments, or if there are safety concerns.
Examples of challenging behaviour:
- Defiance/ refusing age appropriate requests
- Overly fussy
- Hurting self/ others
- Excessively angry when refused their wishes
- Ongoing tantrums
Some behaviours of concern may be due to an undiagnosed developmental delay (for example, social, emotional, communication), disability or trauma.
Where to refer?
- Psychologist or family therapist
- Parent Child Interaction Therapist (PCIT)
- Parenting education program such as Circle of Security or Tuning in to Kids
Resources
Where to refer
PCIT website
EACH referral
Resourcing Parents website
Parent handout
11 January 2022
Multilingualism has been linked with numerous benefits for children and families.
Children may learn multiple languages simultaneously, and may show a preference for one
language. Receptive language skills are key in determining if speech pathology intervention is required for multilingual children.
The amount of exposure to each language directly impacts language acquisition, and the trajectory of language development for multilingual children can differ from monolingual children. When a child has strong skills in their first language, they are better able to learn additional languages.
Referral to speech pathology is important if a child is having difficulty with understanding and following verbal information in their primary language.
Resources for multilingual homes
19 November 2021
In the South Western Sydney Local Health District, one in four children are at risk of delayed fine motor skills.
Holding and manipulating objects using hand muscles allows children to participate in play, self-care and school-based tasks. These are crucial for academic, social and emotional development.
Fine motor skills consist of:
- Hand and finger strength
- Hand preference/dominance
- Bilateral coordination (using two hands together)
- Visual motor integration (hand/eye coordination)
- Object and pencil grasp
- Cutting skills
- Drawing and handwriting skills
The first years of life are critical for learning new skills. Early identification and intervention of fine motor difficulties is key in reducing the risks of poor academic, social and long-term life outcomes. Early referral to Occupational Therapy will provide the best support for children identified with delay in fine motor skills.
How to identify a fine motor delay: checklist by age
Where and how to refer
14 October 2021
Early assessment and support for mental illness is particularly important for children and young people to prevent negative long-term impacts. Many infants and children visit their GP frequently and these consultations present the ideal opportunity for early intervention.
However, most doctors are pressed for time and some may lack confidence in identifying and addressing mental health concerns, especially in infants and toddlers. Supporting children’s mental health doesn’t need to be difficult or time-consuming. Many of the skills GPs use every day can be applied to support children’s mental health.
Australia’s Emerging Minds provides an evidence-informed guide created specifically for GPs. This article includes links to brief videoclips, podcasts and e-learning courses on conducting child mental health assessments.
Early intervention and referral by GPs can prevent progression of a mental health condition, contributing importantly to children’s future wellbeing.
Southwest Sydney Paediatric Clinics
21 September 2021
One in in five children in South Western Sydney are at risk of poor language outcomes. A child’s vocabulary and language skills at age three predict their later academic, mental health, socio-emotional wellbeing and employment outcomes.
Children’s language skills consist of their ability to understand and use language effectively across different environments. In addition to the Blue Book, you can use this communication screening checklist to assist in identifying when a child may be experiencing delays in their communication skills.
Communication screening checklist
Early intervention is key to enhancing children’s outcomes in later life. If there are communication concerns for a child, at any age, refer to speech pathology services.
SP Services Directory
The longer we wait to refer children, the more limited their access to time-critical supports becomes. Children who receive the right treatment, at the right time, in the right way will have better outcomes.
This article was written by members of the ‘Stronger Seeds, Taller Trees’ project which includes professionals from a number of government and non-government organisations in South Western Sydney. The group aims to support GPs working with families to navigate and access timely services when they have a concern about a child’s development.
