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Hayley Smith ~ Whale Shark Therapy Services

@whalesharktherapy

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Occupational Therapy
📍Perth/ Boorloo & tele-health
💙NDIS & private clients
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🌍✨ Happy World Occupational Therapy Day! ✨🌍

This year’s theme is “Occupational Therapy For All”. OT’s: I hear you in the conversations with colleagues, Facebook groups and social media pages, tirelessly advocating for people to access the supports they need, in an imperfect and changing system. Your care and knowledge means a lot to the people around you 💙

🌟 #WorldOTDay #OccupationalTherapy #WhaleSharkTherapy #NDIS by @whalesharktherapy

Hope everyone has a smooth transition back to school this week ☀️ by @whalesharktherapy

Today, Hayley, Nicole, Kim and I met with our local MP Kate Chaney to raise our concerns and share our deep disappointment about the upcoming NDIS funding and travel changes rolling out next week.

We discussed the devastating impacts these changes will have on NDIS participant’s access to therapy, their livelihoods, and long-term health and education outcomes. We also highlighted how these changes strip Participants of choice and control; core principles of the NDIS.

We shared facts, figures, and real-world insights about how these changes will flow on to impact WA’s health and education systems.

Kate has written to Minister Jenny McCallister, expressed her intention to speak in Parliament, and is committed to advocating on this issue.

We’re so grateful for her time and support, and we remain fiercely committed to advocating for the rights and wellbeing of the individuals and families we support. by @whalesharktherapy

Happy 3rd Birthday, Whale Shark Therapy Services 🎂🥳

So thankful to everyone who I’ve gotten to work alongside so far! 🙏

Thank you to everyone who has supported me along the way💞

I was gifted this artwork, “Growth”, from a primary school student yesterday, which sums the experience up perfectly 🌻

Can’t believe it’s been three years 🤯

💙 Hayley, Whale Shark Therapy Services🐳

#WhaleSharkTherapy #NDISProvider #OccupationalTherapy #PerthTherapist #DisabilitySupport #ChildDevelopment #TherapyJourney #SmallBusinessBirthday #OTAustralia #Gratitude #Growth by @whalesharktherapy

Happy International Women’s Day to all the incredible women shaping the future of Occupational Therapy!

This photo is from one of my clinical supervision meetings earlier this year. I’m so grateful for the brilliant women I get to learn from, especially my two supervisors, who each bring over 40 years of experience as registered OTs (49 years for one of them! 🤯). Their wisdom and guidance are invaluable! 💪

#IWD25 #AccelerateAction #NotTheirFirstRodeo #WomenInHealth #WomenInOT by @whalesharktherapy

There’s a lot of ways that we can normalise talking about our feelings, and create opportunities to help ourselves and others talk about them.

I’m loving all the various feelings stickers, posters and pins that you can get these days 💖

Feeling grateful to have been gifted this cushion cover🤗 (you know who you are!🙏)

Having emotions words and/or pictures can be helpful in trying to find the right words to describe feelings.

#Notsponsored #occupationatherapy #emotionalregulation #feelingsmatter #mentalhealth #mentalhealth #alexthymia #interoception #autism by @whalesharktherapy

These school holidays, I had the joy of completing my scuba diver certification! 🐠🤿

It was an eye-opening experience not being able to use my voice or key-word sign for communication underwater.

Instead, I had to rely on a new set of dive-specific hand signals (pictured here) to express myself and stay safe.

The challenge of adapting to unfamiliar communication methods left me emotionally and mentally fatigued😴

It was a powerful reminder of the importance of advocating for everyone’s access to their preferred communication methods.

Big love to my Speech Pathology colleagues for the amazing work they do in this space 👏

#CommunicationForAll #ScubaDiving #ASL #KeyWordSign #AAC #OccupationalTherapy #SpeechPathology #alliedhealthprofessionals by @whalesharktherapy

Wishing everyone a safe and happy Christmas! 🎄
💙 Hayley / Whale Shark Therapy Services☀️ by @whalesharktherapy

Four budget and time-friendly fine motor skills activities for the festive season: writing cards,”magic ink” books, painting and activity/ sticker books 🎅🎨🖍️ #ChristmasCrafts #FineMotorSkills #FestiveFun #BudgetFriendly #OccupationalTherapy🎄✨ by @whalesharktherapy

Learning life skills one step at a time! 🧻🚽 This visual toileting sequence is a helpful tool to guide children through the steps of using the toilet, promoting independence and confidence. One copy for home and one for school 🌟

Guess which movie soundtrack I’ve been listening to? 💚💖

#InclusiveLearning #LifeSkills #OccupationalTherapy #ToiletingIndependence #Wicked #NotSponsored by @whalesharktherapy

Overjoyed to have been part of the Perth Pride Parade! 🏳️‍🌈 Grateful to my dear friend and fellow Occupational Therapist for inviting me to join her float. Here’s to embracing diversity and standing proud for a brighter, more inclusive world! 🌈✨ #PrideWA #LoveIsLove #LGBTQIA+ #PrideFest #OccupationalTherapy @pride_wa by @whalesharktherapy

Something I love to do as an OT is check out the sensory rooms and supports at events. It’s fantastic that places are becoming more inclusive and accessible.

I loved that this sensory room at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne was:
- Quiet
- Had moving visuals (like the light projector, bubble machine, visual bubble displays, and floating lanterns on the TV screen).
- Had some comfy seating like bean bags.
- Had some tactile/ touch/ fidget walls (although I do wish these were a little bit lower to the ground to make them more accessible).
- Charging points (perfect for anyone who may need to recharge a screen or communication device).

They also were giving out free sensory bags which included:
- Headphones
- Communication lanyard to help convey feelings and needs.
- Two hand-held fidgets.

They also had multiple “chill hubs” which were quiet comfy spaces with couches that anyone could use.

How good! 👏

#sensory #regulation #emotionalregulation #occupationaltherapy #autism #neurodivergent #adhd by @whalesharktherapy