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Unlock Your Child's Brighter Future Through Science, Care and Education

About Us

Our Misson

Our mission is to empower clients, parents/caregivers, and professionals with timely, comprehensive, and well-integrated intervention and educational support under a family-centered, best practice framework that leads children to thrive. 

We value and respect the rights, responsibilities, and aspirations of people with all abilities while promoting maximum inclusion and participation. We offer a space of safety, child development, patience, tolerance, and acceptance, where children and their families can feel supported and understood.

Our Allied Health Team

We will help you to communicate your concerns, understand your child’s needs and develop strategies to integrate changes into the daily lives of both you and your child one step at a time.

We value and respect the rights, responsibilities and aspirations of people with all abilities while promoting maximum inclusion and participation.

We offer a space of safety, patience, early intervention services, tolerance and acceptance, where children and their families can feel supported and understood.

allied-health-team

Our Approach

IC4K provides an integrative approach based on function(developmental, neurological) and behaviour to assist families of children or adults with autism, developmental delays, neurological and cognitive challenges with an opportunity to thrive at home and in the community.

We offer a specific brain based neurodevelopment program that addresses all aspects of child development & behaviour

( biochemical, genetics, neurodevelopment, emotional regulations, social interactions, sleep management, dietary modifications/food coaching and sensory integration).

IC4K is an NDIS-Approved Service Provider (# 4-GC7E08C)

Info-Circle-mew
Inherited patterns of weakness,
genetic susceptibilities.
Environmental influences,
biochemical imbalances,
healthy gestation and
birthing
Retained (neo-natal) primitive reflexes
Body awareness
Safety and Sound integration
Regulates body processes such as blood pressures,
respiration, digestion, arousal/Sleep reproduction,
enteric & parasympathetic.
Sleep rejuvenates , regulates emotions and
recharges the brain and the body.
Vestibular, Ocular, Proprioception, spinal, joint, muscle-movement & coordination. Safety through movement, Primitive emotional discharge and behaviour
Metabolic dysregulations ,cellular health, functional medicine, DNA testing
Integration of 5 senses, interoception & proprioception as foundation for reflexive Emotional discharge , Pattern recognition, copying

Creating meaning of Emotions, Role modelling ,Emotional regulation

Understanding spoken words, visual awareness, speech development, hand eye coordination, Auditory integration

Behavioural modification, learning styles,self control, body language awareness, understanding social cues, family coaching.
Cognition
Memory,attention, problem solving, audio-visual motor integration, Left and Right Brain integration, self regulation and the speed in which brain process information

Harvard University’s Centre on the Developing Child

“Early experiences determine whether a child’s developing brain architecture provides a strong or weak foundation for all future learning, behaviour, and health. Education during the first five years of life is critical and will produce better outcomes in academic achievement, economic productivity, responsible citizenship, and eventually successful parenting of the next generation.”

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NIS CHART - 8 STEPS PYRAMID

Our Protocol


We follow a sequential four-phased developmental program from infancy to adulthood. Each phase targets five area:

kid-doing-activity

Psycho-Motor

Happy-Kid

Adaptive Behaviour

communication-between-kids

Communication

emotions-with-kids

Emotional/Social

kid-reading-paper-with-cognition

Cognition

First step – a multi-disciplinary team assesses Function  and Behaviours. We design personalised interventions to overcome barriers to social and emotional development in each phase as shown in the wheel below.

We educate parents and educators on creating personalised learning environments. Our Key Workers model ensures personalised plans and ongoing support. Best practice emphasises learning in everyday settings, facilitated by trained professionals.

Best practice early childhood intervention Guidelines:

  • Family needs and preferences are paramount in all services.
  • Diversity in families is recognised and respected.
  • Children actively participate in daily life with support.
  • Skill development happens naturally in daily routines.
  • Collaboration between families and professionals is key.
  • Empowering everyone through knowledge and skills is crucial.
  • Professionals prioritise family desires for best outcomes.
  • Services are evidence-based with qualified professionals.
Info-Circle
training-with-child

Our goal is for children to feel safe, learn to regulate their emotions, develop happier and more joyful relationships with their families, friends & their environment. We believe the best results are achieved when parents work in partnership with the child behavioural therapist to achieve the child’s therapeutic goals. 

Empowering Your Child's Journey with Tailored Therapies.

  • Neuromuscular Therapy
  • Sound Processing & Integration Therapy
  • Cranio-Sacral Therapy
  • Sensorimotor Reflex Therapy
  • Sleep Therapy
  • Visual Integration & Processing Therapy

What can you expect?

Your initial intake process

  • An online questionnaire for your completion
  • An initial consult to assess your childs needs & goals
  • Service agreement for our initial assessment program
  • Upon agreement: An appointment with our senior OT or Physiotherapist to complete functional & sensory assessment
  • A customised treatment, neuro-rehabilitation program and the costing
  • A program recommendation for your therapy & appointments with our allied health team
  • Program implementation upon your acceptance of our services agreement
brain

Contact Us For More Information

If you have a general inquiry that is not time-sensitive, fill out the Contact form or contact us via the details below and one of our team will get back to you. We are open daily 9:00 am – 5:00 pm Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays).

Call

+61 (07) 5575 7281

Email

info@inspiringchoices4kids.com.au

Location

Suite 1 & 3, 328 Scottsdale Drive,​Robina Gold Coast, QLD 4226

ic4k-logo
Over 15 years’ experience in specialised services in integrative and natural health, neuro-motor and sensory processing, and hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

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Copyright © 2023 Inspiring Choices 4 Kids. All rights reserved.
The nervous system
The nervous system consist of the brain, spinal vertebra, spinal nerves which carry information from body to the brain and vise versa, cranium which houses and protects the brain and series of build in survival reflexes to response to the internal (organs, tissues, PH, Inflammation, etc) and external environmental demands. These are fight/flight, Reproduction and Digestion The purpose of our nervous system is to assist us to Adapt through movement, Relate ( emotional and biochemical integration) , Learn ( to create meaning and self reflect) and Love ( through application of values and virtues to create a peaceful coexistence within self , family, community and the planet). Our state of health is a reflection of our nervous system’s ability to adapt to the changes of life, neuroplasticity) which directly affects the choices we make. The adaptation depends on how the brain integrates and makes sense of the incoming information.

Factors necessary for a healthy nervous system are:

• Oxygen
• Food through healthy eating
• PH Balance (Acid /Alkaline balance)
• Activation through movement and exercise creating a good posture
• Sleep (body’s innate immune detoxification and stress management system)
• Emotions (the meaning we give to our perceptions)

Brain integration can be interrupted through

 

  • Structural Stress– such as car accidents, sports injuries / strains, poor posture, head injuries, stroke, etc
  • Electromagnetic stress– Long term exposure to computers, telephones, electrical appliances, microwaves
    Bio-Chemical stress– poor eating habits and choices, environmental pollutants and toxins, alcohol, drugs, too much acid forming foods.
  • Emotional/Mental stress – change of career, loss of job, divorce, separations, anger, abuse, etc.
  • Spiritual Stress – inadequacy of passion, purpose & belief system

The Brain Develops in Layers. It is important to know how the brain works and which parts of the brain are responsible for primitive functioning, emotional regulation, and learning.

An infant’s brain changes and grows very rapidly, which is why at younger ages they absorb certain things so quickly. A good example is language, where within the first seven years of life children we have a critical phase (learning from exposure) for learning language. Similarly, with other parts of our sensory processing system such as movement, sound, and visual stimulation, proper development of the brain and nervous system occurs within the first few months of life.

The four layers of the brain hierarchy in the order of development that are used for learning,

The brainstem controls basic survival functions such as heart rate, breathing, sleeping, digesting food and maintaining consciousness. It is considered the lowest, most primitive part of the brain. When a baby is born, the active part of the brain is the brainstem. During the first six months, higher regions of the brain including the cerebellum start developing to control movement and expand their motor skills (crawling, walking, lifting their head).These stereotype automatic movements are termed primitive reflexes and their integration are crucial in maturity of the rest of brain layers. Children with sensory processing difficulty have poor eye coordination, posture and balance due to poor development of lower brain centres which relies on gravity for its function. Children did not have enough movement in the first 6 months after birth. Movement is the cornerstone of brain development. Movement creates the optimal environment for neural plasticity and the ability for the brain to adapt to change. Movement, breathing, sound integration, timing, balance and the right nutrition help the brain create neural connections improving the vestibular, tactile & auditory systems; providing positive gains in attention, coordination, proprioception, sensory integration/ processing and emotional regulation.

Lower Functioning Levels Of The Cerebral Cortex

Occipital Lobe

Visual system, visual information, sight (letters, shapes, sizes, numbers)

Temporal Lobe

Speech, auditory processing, hearing, behaviour, emotions, short-term and long-term memory (processing what the teacher says, fear, fight or flight, recalling facts and details)

Parietal Lobe

Senses, sensory integration, sensory input (taste, temperature, smell, touch)

Higher Functioning Cerebral Cortex

Frontal Lobe (prefrontal cortex): Highest levels of learning and activity used for problem solving, executive functioning, reasoning, motor skills, organizing, abstract thinking, analysing, expressive language (telling stories, organizing thoughts on paper, starts and completes tasks, retains information, choices between right and wrong, social skills) However, when the critical phase is over and the brain is no longer learning from exposure to stimulus and experiences, the brain is plastic in the sense that it can still build new connections and learn new skills and capacities under certain conditions. It is important to know the conditions for wiring the brain, particularly when tailoring a program for children who need support in helping their brains develop and grow more rapidly than they are predisposed to do, such as in cases of developmental delays and ASD.

Lower Centres Integration Is Crucial For Higher Learning

When your child’s development occurs in a natural order with a stimulating environment, the lower centres of the brain refine the sensory motor skills and balance so that future physical movements can become automatic, which free up the frontal lobe for higher learning functions.

For example, if your child is constantly fidgeting, up out of their desk, chewing on pencils and distracted by noise or other students in the classroom because they have poor sensory, vestibular, visual and proprioceptive systems, they can’t read, write, spell, remember facts, or complete math problems. That is why we need to improve those lower levels of the brain FIRST and make them AUTOMATIC before we can focus on the higher levels of the brain. This is why before you decide to tutor your child in reading and comprehension you need to strengthen their auditory and visual systems.

 Learning readiness involves a child’s neurological and physical readiness, both of which are typically achieved through infant and toddler movement. When normal brain/sensory stimulation takes place in those early stages of life, critical sensory systems are matured, which means that by the time a child enters school, the brain and body are ready and capable to learn.

Children who struggle to self-regulate, meaning they can’t sit in their seat, stay focused and have limited motor skills, may become mentally fatigued when they try and concentrate to learn and interpret information.

As you monitor your child’s development, if you notice your child has issues with their sensory, auditory, vestibular, or visual systems, which prevent them from fully developing.
We will devise specific exercises to help their learning behaviour, attention and focus, and fidgeting in the classroom. Without these exercises, you may continue to notice delays in your child’s learning or side effects that can cause toe walking, W-sitting, bedwetting, poor balance and coordination, underdeveloped vestibular and proprioceptive systems, and trouble with motor planning. If your child struggles with any number of these issues, it could be an indication that the nervous system is underdeveloped.

Goal: Physical Safety & Movement

Vestibular, auditory and visual sensory integration regulating:

  • Postural development and control
  • Gross and fine motor coordination
  • Timing and sequencing
  • Body awareness
  • Eye-hand coordination 
  • Eye-foot coordination 
  • Eye muscle control
  • Self-care
  • Self-regulation , cognition and attention.

Children’s appropriate sleep patterns and behaviour will be addressed as well as their inherited metabolic challenges which may contribute to their growth and learning.

Goal: Creating Emotional Safety & Regulation

Social neuroscience identifies 6 modes of perception, influencing how a child interprets and interacts with the world. Each mode of perception guides learning which is aligned with Professor Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences,

During this phase, we focus on understanding individual emotional needs which influences emotional response and regulation.

Creating emotionally safe environments is crucial for facilitating learning from the frontal lobe of the brain. 

By emphasising respectful engagement and effective communication, we enhance the learning process. 

Leveraging the child’s natural strengths enables us to overcome barriers and challenges to learning, while tailored environments encourage the fostering of positive behavioral development. Moreover, utilising the language of encouragement effectively wires the child’s brain for desirable social and emotional behaviors.

Regular Assessment in all domains helps track progress and determine necessary support.

Goal: Communication / Learning To Play

When children have not reached the development milestones within phase 1 & 2. They are learning to survive rather than thrive.In this phase we focus on educating and refining new behaviors in children, to support them on becoming effective learners based on their social brain. 

It employs a family-centered behavioral strategy aimed at building capacities for happiness, effective communication, and socialisation. 

Understanding and utilizing the child’s natural mode of learning are pivotal for fostering motivation through play based learning activities. 

This phase prioritises setting up learning environments tailored to a child’s interests and optimal learning methods. Utilising these interests, we develop capacities across various domains, including :

  • psycho-motor, 
  • Emotion
  • Communications
  • Social
  • Cognitive abilities

 

Goal: Social Interaction / Making Wise Choices

Phase 4 focuses on social navigation and decision-making skills. We use the child’s natural strengths to overcome barriers and challenges to learning social interactions.

Children learn to systematically reflect on conflict experiences and transition from reactive to creative responses.

Children are guided to reflect on choices, considering context and others feelings, enhancing social effectiveness and joy in interactions.

Assessment tracks developmental growth, informing necessary interventions to enhance physical, intellectual, and relational capacities.

Children learn through observation and copying.Parents and educators are encouraged to develop virtue based learning and behaviour so that they can role model behaviors for their children and engage in positive learning environments.