Ella has Congenital Myotonic Dystrophy which is associated with severe muscle weakness as well as speech, hearing and vision difficulties. The Sunshine Coast Team have been working with Ella since she was 6 months old.
Having a multidisciplinary team that understands complex disabilities has many benefits. For example, following a recent stay in hospital all therapists shared information from health teams to plan for discharge, ordering equipment and ensure Tayla didn’t have to tell each therapist the story over again.
Joint sessions with Ella and Montrose Speech and Occupational Therapists allow the Speech Pathologist to model and embed use of Ella’s PODD book while the OT supported with play and pre-writing skills. For children like Ella who attend multiple therapy sessions each week, this coordinated approach can help reduce fatigue and free up time for other family activities.
Ella’s brother Harrison also attends Montrose and is working on his social skills and emotional regulation as he gets ready for prep.
His Speech and OT plan their sessions so that each week he is focused on the same goal. Harrison’s Occupational Therapist also ensures she uses the same communication strategies such as key word signs in her sessions.