Our Services
Hello Rainbow is passionate about neurodiversity-affirming early intervention.
We offer mobile and in clinic therapy services to children and families across Lake Macquarie and Newcastle.
We currently offer speech pathology, physiotherapy and occupational therapy for children under 12.
We are a neuro-affirming practice and believe strongly in child-led therapy. Hello Rainbow therapists value and respect our clients’ and families lived experience. They provide a safe space for your children to be their wonderful, authentic selves while building upon their individual strengths with interest based strategies to help them navigate a world that isn’t always set up to accommodate their amazing brains.
Speech Therapy
Our Speech Pathologists focus on your child’s strengths, abilities and interests so that we can build a strong and trusting relationship with them. That foundation brings great outcomes.
Our sessions often look like a rollicking good time, as play is our best way of getting to know and interact with your little one. While there are age based norms around communication development, we focus on meeting your child where they’re at right now, and building upon those skills and experiences.
Our Paediatric Speech Pathologists can assist with
Expressive & Receptive Language
Speech Sounds
Emotional Regulation
Sensory Regulation
Social Needs & Advocacy
Alternative Communication Strategies
Common Questions about Speech Therapy
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Typically developing children start to use their first words at around 12 months.
By the age of 2, it’s expected that they are using approximately 100 words and are starting to put two words together. For example “hi Daddy”.
Missing language milestones can indicate a language delay. These delays can mean they may have trouble communicating their thoughts and feelings (expressive delay) or understanding instructions and questions (receptive delay).
It may be tempting to take a wait and see approach, as children can and do “catch up”. However, this can mean that precious time is lost during critical learning phases. Early intervention is key, as these early years form the basis of how a child learns and develops later in life.
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Every child develops differently, but a Speech Pathologist can give you come professional advice on whether your little one’s challenges are expected for their age group, or whether it warrants an assessment.
You may find speech therapy beneficial if:
Your child takes longer than average to learn new words or build sentences
You or others have difficulty understanding your child
Your child has difficulty following instructions or understanding new information
Your child becomes frustrated because they are finding it difficult to communicate
Your child has difficulties forming sentences or telling stories
Your child displays oral motor or feeding difficulties
Your child has difficulty with speaking clearly, or has a stutter
Your child is having vocal difficulties ie. speaks loudly, very softly or with a harsh or husky voice
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Speech pathologists study, diagnose and treat communication disorders, including difficulties with speaking, listening, understanding language, reading, writing, social skills, stuttering and using voice.
Speech Pathologists are university trained health professionals.
At Hello Rainbow, we work with children and their families to discover their interests and strengths, and use these to tailor individual therapy plans.
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No two sessions are alike! We strongly believe in child-led therapy, so whatever your child is interested in today will form the basis of your session. Talking about building a tower or creating a puppet show? It might look like “just play” but we’re building on your child’s interests and skills. We’ll also be helping you with some techniques to incorporate into your every day, so that you can continue to build on the communication and learning strategies we’re putting in place.
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If you have concerns about your child’s communication skills, we recommend seeking a hearing assessment before seeing a speech pathologist.
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Contact Hello Rainbow
Contact us either by phone or online and one of our friendly team will discuss your concerns and get to know a little more about your child.
When an appointment becomes available, we will contact you to book an initial assessment with a therapist who has the skills to support your child.
After the initial assessment, if intervention is recommended, our therapists will develop a personal plan for your child to achieve their goals. This will include strategies and recommendations for home and/or school.
Occupational Therapy
Occupational Therapy can help your child to develop essential life skills.
Hello Rainbow therapists help to enhance your child’s ability to play and engage with others in ways that suit their needs, improve their engagement within educational settings, and increase their abilities to go about their daily activities.
We focus and build on your child’s strengths, interests and abilities for great outcomes.
Our Occupational Therapists can assist with
Fine Motor Skills
Gross Motor Skills
Emotional Regulation
Sensory Regulation
Social Needs & Advocacy
Self Care Skills
Executive Functions (memory, focus, etc)
Common Questions about Occupational Therapy
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If you have concerns about your child’s early milestones, their ability to do things compared to other children, or you notice that they’re developing differently to their peers you should think about getting an assessment.
Sometimes you may not realise or notice there is anything to worry about, however your child’s teacher, GP or Specialist may recommend an assessment.
Hello Rainbow Occupational Therapists can assist with an assessment for children up to the age of 9.
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Paediatric Occupational Therapists undertake a minimum of four years of university training to develop specialised skills in assessing children and identifying the underlying areas that may be impacting their development, behaviour and learning. Using play-based activities and a variety of engagement techniques, Hello Rainbow therapists look at breaking skills into simple steps and supporting children to reach their goals.
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Every child has different needs, and each session is tailored accordingly. We might look at fine motor skills by threading beads to make a beautiful piece of jewellery, or we might be using social stories to work on building your child’s resilience and independence.
As with everything at Hello Rainbow, we follow your child’s lead
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Contact Hello Rainbow
Contact us either by phone or online and one of our friendly team will discuss your concerns and get to know a little more about your child.
When an appointment becomes available, we will contact you to book an initial assessment with a therapist who has the skills to support your child.
After the initial assessment, if intervention is recommended, our therapists will develop a personal plan for your child to achieve their goals. This will include strategies and recommendations for home and/or school.
Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy can help your child to develop their movement abilities in order to get the best out of their day.
Hello Rainbow physiotherapists work with conditions that affect the way children move and go about their daily lives. Our physiotherapist will develop strategies that will help your child with their physical and motor skills difficulties in order to improve their strength, movement and flexibility.
We’ll work with your family to find the best approach to suit your child’s level of ability and comfort.
Our Physiotherapists can assist with
Fine Motor Skills
Gross Motor Skills
Tone
Range of movement
Strength & coordination
Balance
Delayed milestones (walking, crawling)