I am passionate about helping children learn – and likewise, I am passionate about their health and happiness. We all know how difficult it is to focus at work with a cold, sore throat or stomach upset. It’s equally difficult to keep our emotions in check and feel happy and fulfilled when dealing with grief, trauma, anxiety or depression. Why do we expect our littlest people to be at their best when navigating through these things?
It’s dangerous for anyone who is not fully qualified to provide ‘advice’ on health, but I would like to share some recommendations for the right people to see if you are concerned about your child’s immunity, behaviour, development or mood.
Below is a comprehensive list of experts that I recommend, depending on your needs or what you want to address. You may not be sure what the issue is, or who to see, and that is ok! The purpose of the list is as a guide or reference to begin with – please do not be overwhelmed. Any steps you take to assist your child’s wellbeing will be beneficial. These experts may also then suggest further steps, eg IQ testing, ABA Therapy, or a specialist doctor.
- A paediatrician that you trust: Many paediatricians specialise in a broad range of learning, developmental or behavioural difficulties. Some developmental clinics also assist with anxiety and mood disorders. The Child Development Clinic in Sydney’s CBD is a good place to start.
- A naturopath or integrative doctor who specialises in child health: Naturopaths can identify and help treat allergies and intolerances, boost immunity and support conditions like asthma and eczema. Belinda Kirkpatrick in Sydney (belindakirkpatrick.com.au) specialises in addressing many areas of baby and childhood health, with treatment methods including herbal medicine and essences, and dietary and lifestyle changes. I can also highly recommend Rita Erba-Cozzi in the Sydney CBD. Rita is a naturopath with a nursing background and has treated many of the children I have met and worked with.
- Ear Nose & Throat Specialist: I see Dr Smariti Kapila at InnerWest ENT. She sees babies and children, particularly regarding any ear issues and grommets. She is a fantastic holistic practitioner who is very experienced in looking for signs of ear problems in children.
- Behavioural Optometrist: Liz Jackson of Visual Potential Optometrists is a behavioural optometrist who can help assess and treat visual processing problems that may be causing reading difficulties. She uses both vision therapy and coloured overlays depending on the need. I have been fortunate to attend a behavioural optometry appointment with a child I was working with and Liz was kind enough to take me through the testing techniques. Liz has a wealth of experience and helps children every day to get their eyes ready to read.
- Brain Gym® is a lifelong educational, movement based programme which uses simple movements to integrate the whole brain, senses and body, preparing the person with the physical skills they need to live and learn more effectively. I learned Brain Gym as a child, and studied and implemented some of the techniques during my internship at Learning Creations. However, the skills are best taught by practitioners, who need to complete intensive courses and certification to be able to teach all 26 activities. Originally created to help children and adults with learning challenges, for example dyslexia, dyspraxia and ADHD, the movements can be beneficial to any individual to help them improve their life quality.
- The Australian Finishing School in Double Bay run a Little Ambassadors Course for ages 7-12. Not only are the courses fun, but they teach a number of skills that can help children grow into confident, social adults – including social and communication skills, presentation skills, phone and social media etiquette and respectful speaking and listening skills: https://www.australianfinishingschool.com/young-ambassadors
These are the core areas I would recommend looking into, but I may follow up soon with more!
