Give Us A Call

ph: (02) 6299 7271

Postal Address

PO Box 1570 Queanbeyan NSW 2620

Location

1 Thorpe Ave Queanbeyan NSW 2620

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Services Include

Early Intervention Groups

Transition to School Group

Social Inclusion Groups

For primary school children including:

Boys Club – Senior and Junior

Girls Club

Lego Club

Individual Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy sessions

Key Worker Support

Pathways to Preschool Program

REACH School Holiday Program

Snuggle and Sing

Learn to swim program

Programs for Families/Carers

NDIS Plan Management

The Early Years Playgroup

For further information on any of these programs please contact Treehouse on 0262997271 or info@treehouse.org.au 

Early Intervention Groups

Through Early Intervention Groups, Treehouse offers specialised support for young children who have a disability or learning support need and their families. The overall aim of this service is to provide parents and families with the knowledge, skills and support to meet the needs of their child and to optimise the child’s development and ability to participate in family and community life.

Services are provided using a family-centred approach, recognising the importance of working in partnership with the family. Our quality group program individualises all goals for each child through collaboration with families, relevant therapists and outside services.

Groups promote:

  • relationship building with other families
  • social learning through supported interactions with peers in a small group
  • support for the whole family
  • preparation of children to access mainstream educational settings through supported inclusion strategies

 

The staff gives strategies to:

  • nurture your child’s development in key areas of physical, cognitive, social and emotional skills through play-based activities
  • assist with challenging behaviours
  • teach your child how to learn new things within their everyday routines
  • engage successfully in your community
  • foster your child’s independence

Transition to School Group

The Transition to School Group is for families with children who will start school the following year. Many children with a disability or a learning support benefit greatly from a transition to school program. It allows them to adjust more easily to the school setting through the development of confidence and independence in a small, specialised learning environment.

Our program approaches school readiness with careful and equal focus on social, cognitive and emotional developmental areas. Working towards individual goals created in collaboration with families, relevant therapists and outside services, alongside common group goals focussed on participation in a school environment.

Transition groups provide opportunities to:

  • attend a structured educational group
  • socialise with local children their own age
  • make friendships
  • develop school readiness skills
  • develop confidence about starting school
  • build independence in managing their own belongings
  • communicate with peers and teachers
  • separate from family and build autonomy
  • support with connecting with local schools

Through partnership in this program families will feel more empowered, informed and confident as they transition into their school community.

When

12.30pm–2.30pm Thursday
Week 1–10 during NSW school terms (week 1 is a planning week, children do not attend)

Where

Treehouse
1 Thorpe Avenue Queanbeyan
Ph 02 6299 7271

Cost

Please contact Treehouse staff for current prices

Boys Club

Boys Club is a social development group for 6–12 year olds (end of primary school) who have NDIS goals to improve their social skills, communication with others, and play behaviours. The program provides opportunities in a fun setting for kids to interact with each other. This club is all about creating friendships, increasing communication through positive interactions, discovering boundaries, empowering social thinking, developing confidence and improving independence in daily activities.

Activities are limited only by the children’s imaginations. Activities could be football, cooking, water fights, going to the park, designing a t-shirt, playing board games, creating box forts, making cubby houses out of the furniture… the possibilities are endless.

They also have a free-play period outside where they can be very active and establish relationships with each other. Children gain independence when choosing and preparing their own afternoon tea (and cleaning up!).

The club is facilitated by a speech pathologist or occupational therapist and/or a teacher. The role of the adults is to support children to form friendships and gradually build their capacity to independently make friends.

When

3.30pm–5pm Monday & Wednesday Week 1–10
(Week 1 is planning week, children do not attend)

 

Where

Treehouse
1 Thorpe Avenue, Queanbeyan
Ph 02 6299 7271

Current Cost

Please contact Treehouse staff for current prices

Girls Club

Girls Club is a social development group for 6–12 year olds (end of primary school) who have NDIS goals to improve their social skills, communication with others, and play behaviours. The program provides opportunities in a fun setting for kids to interact with each other. This club is all about creating friendships, increasing communication through positive interactions, discovering boundaries, empowering social thinking, developing confidence and improving independence in daily activities.

Activities are only limited by the children’s imaginations. Activities could be art and craft, cooking, water play, making a theatre play, dancing, designing a bag, playing board games, creating books, making cubby houses, the possibilities are endless. They also have a free-play period outside where they can be very active and establish relationships with each other. Children gain independence when choosing and preparing their own afternoon tea (and cleaning up!)

The club is facilitated by a speech pathologist, occupational therapist and/or a teacher. The role of the adults is to support children to form friendships and gradually build their capacity to independently make friends.

When

3.30pm–5pm Tuesday
Week 1–10
(Week 1 is planning week, children do not attend)

Where

Treehouse
1 Thorpe Avenue, Queanbeyan
Ph 02 6299 7271

Current Cost

Please contact Treehouse staff for current prices

Lego Club

LEGO® based therapy is a social development programme which helps young children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and social communication disorders. The programme is based on the highly structured systemic and predictable nature of LEGO® play which makes it appealing to children with social communication difficulties who are particularly attracted to systems. The members work on a common project and take on different roles: Builder, Engineer or Supplier. Communication between the team members becomes the central tool to get the project done!

The club is facilitated by a speech pathologist or an occupational therapist.

The club uses LEGO® to encourage play and social interaction between children.

The following areas are targeted:

  • Communication skills
  • Problem-solving skills
  • Developing meaningful relationships with peers
  • Developing a range of expressive and receptive language skills
  • Developing a range of fine motor and visual processing skills
  • Following directions
  • Conflict resolution
  • Flexible thinking
  • Teamwork


When

4pm–5pm Thursday
Week 1–10 (Week 1 is planning week, children do not attend)

Where

Treehouse
1 Thorpe Avenue, Queanbeyan
Ph 02 6299 7271

Current Cost

Please contact Treehouse staff for current prices

Individual Speech Pathology and Occupational Therapy Sessions

Therapists can deliver individual Speech Therapy or Occupational Therapy sessions to meet your child and family’s needs. These sessions are specifically targeted to meet the outcomes of your child’s NDIS plan.

12 Week Block Therapy Program

Therapy sessions are usually delivered in a 12-session blocks of Speech Pathology or Occupational Therapy.  These sessions can be weekly or fortnightly. It is our aim to build the capacity of the family to work on the child’s goals across their entire week, not just during a 45 minute therapy session.  Our therapists upskill parents/caregivers so that they can include strategies in their daily routines that will support the achievement of the child and families goals. They can also pass on strategies to the child’s mainstream setting during the 12 ‘on’ weeks of therapy.

To begin the program, the therapist will assess your child, so that they understand the child’s strengths and challenges and then you and the therapist can plan and develop SMART goals for the 12 session program. SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound. Setting up your child’s goals is the most important part of therapy.  What do you want your child to be able to do at the end of 12 sessions? We use one of the sessions in your child’s 12 week plan to work out together what your child’s SMART goal(s) will be. Each session, your therapist helps you to make one small step toward the goal.

What does a SMART goal look like?

An example of a SMART goals is:

In 12 sessions, I want my child to imitate actions with toys during play, and familiar items during everyday routines.”

S     This goal identifies a very specific behavior which links to tuning in to another person and interacting with them. 

M     It is measured by checking in with parents, carers, teachers, and others who observe the child on a regular basis. 

A     It is achievable because an assessment showed that the child enjoys playing with toys next to their mum. 

R     If we imagine that this goal was set up for a 3 year old that is not yet tuning in to others, we can see it is a realistic goal that sets a child on the path of developing play and communication skills. 

T     It is time-bound by the 12-session period.

After you have completed the 12 session block therapy program you will be in the ‘off therapy period ’ for the next 12 – 16 weeks. During this time you will have the opportunity to practice and consolidate the goals you have been working on during the program at home, school or in community settings. There is also an option to continue with another ongoing block of therapy if the therapist and family agree that is the best option for the child.

This model of service provision is called ‘The Cycles Approach’ and has been shown to be an effective way of providing therapy over a long period of time. Research has shown that it is not weekly therapy that makes a difference to a child but what happens each week and across all the child’s settings (home, preschool/school) that makes a difference.

If you have to miss a therapy session or if your therapist is sick, you can make up to 2 sessions either via Telehealth sessions or if a time is available face-to-face sessions. There is also the opportunity for your therapist to utilise the session time for making resources for your child or working with the adults in your child’s school or community settings.  However, all sessions must be finished in the 12 session block time.

 We won’t make up sessions if you forget about your appointment.  Our normal cancellation criteria apply, so please ensure you cancel as soon as possible.  If you need to refresh your memory, the details are in your child’s Service User Agreement with Treehouse.

If you have a Key Worker, they would be involved for a maximum of 3 times during the block therapy time, including the goal setting initial meeting of the family with the therapist and the last handover meeting. After the 12 sessions of therapy, your Key Worker will continue to work with your child and your family to ensure the skills learnt in therapy are carried over into your child’s home, school and community settings, as well as working on other specific goals developed with your family and Key Worker.

In consultation with the therapist, your Therapy Assistant is well placed to continue assisting you to consolidate what your child has learnt in the block therapy sessions.

Key Worker Support

We recommend a Key Worker for your family when your child has needs across multiple developmental areas, or your family would like support in coordinating different services.

Your Key Worker may be a Teacher, Occupational Therapist or Speech Pathologist. All Key Workers have a university qualification and many years of experience supporting families who have a child with developmental delay or disability. At Treehouse, staff have specialist training to ensure that they can provide your family with the best possible support.

Your Key Worker will:

  • be the main person working with your family
  • support you to implement your child’s NDIS plan
  • deliver therapy-informed intervention through collaboration, consultation, team meetings and/or joint sessions
  • coach the important people around your child to ensure your child is included and can participate meaningfully in family and community life
  • ensure assessments and reports are undertaken by appropriate professionals to support your child’s development and ongoing NDIS needs
  • advocate for your child and family by supporting you to make choices, set priorities and access important information
  • co-ordinate and communicate with the team around your child sharing information, knowledge and skills.

Pathways to Preschool Program

Pathways to Preschool is a free program developed to support children on their journey (or Pathway) to preschool. This program is funded by a NSW Department of Education Grant from the Start Stronger Pathways Program. There is no diagnosis required for entry into this program.

The Pathways to Preschool program supports families with children who might struggle, or who are struggling, to transition to preschool programs in a range of settings, including long day care. This might be due to concerns around: inclusion/additional needs; English as a second language; isolation; accessibility and any other concerns.

It is primarily for children aged between 3 and 5 years old. The program runs across four school terms with distinct phases and includes support throughout the transition stage, into term 1 the following year.

It provides one-on-one supports, access to group play sessions (facilitated by qualified early educators and teachers), support to access NDIS (if needed) and cooperative conversations to determine what supports will suit the family best. Support occurs in various locations appropriate to the child e.g. day care, preschool, Treehouse centre and other venues the child might attend.

The REACH School Holiday Program

The REACH program is a school holiday program that caters for children who have additional needs and may find it difficult to attend mainstream school holiday programs. Run at the Treehouse centre, children have access to additional support including therapy resources and staff who have training to support children with additional needs. The Program is developed around each child’s needs and links into the social inclusion goals outlined in many NDIS plans.

The program runs from 9am to 3pm for 3 days in each week of the school holidays (6 days in total). The program is structured as 2 separate programs (3 days for children aged between 5 and 8 years and 3 days for children between 9 and 12 years).

Activities include arts and craft, music, cooking, sports and physical challenges with lots support to facilitate team work. We have incursions and excursions that have previously included magicians, African dance workshops, yoga, and many visitors from the local community.

The program is run through Treehouse and a Service User Agreement along with enrolment paperwork, will need to be completed before your child can attend.

When

During the school holidays, contact Treehouse for dates and times

Where

Treehouse
1 Thorpe Avenue, Queanbeyan
Ph 02 6299 7271

Current Cost

The program is billable under the NDIS as a Group Based, Social and Recreational activity. Children can attend at a supported ratio of 1:3, 1:2 or 1:1 and the most suitable ratio for your child will be discussed prior to their attendance.

Snuggle and Sing

Snuggle and Sing is a fun and relaxed time for parents to bond with their baby. During Snuggle and Sing parents sing songs and tell rhymes that can soothe and entertain the baby wherever the parents are. This program is funded by the Department of Communities and Justice and runs 2 groups in Queanbeyan, one in Bungendore and one in Braidwood.

Learn to Swim Program

This program operates at the Queanbeyan pool and the trainers are all qualified swimming instructors. This program is funded by the NSW Club Grants Program. It is open to all children with a developmental delay or disability who need additional support in learning to swim until they reach the standard of Level 2.

Programs for Families/Carers

Staff facilitate specific parent information and education sessions on a needs basis. These sessions aim to empower and upskill the families accessing Treehouse services to feel confident to implement strategies within their home environment. Topics can include toileting, feeding and transition to school.

Examples of programs that Treehouse can deliver include:

  • Stepping Stones Triple P (SSTP) is a positive parenting program designed for the families of children with disabilities. Parents learn to identify the reasons for their children’s behaviour and develop techniques to manage them effectively, including teaching their children new strategies and skills.
  • More than Words Hanen Program has been created specifically for parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder or other social communication difficulties, and provides families with practical strategies for addressing building the child’s communication and social skills during every day routines and play. 

NDIS Plan Management

Treehouse provides NDIS Plan Management. This means that if you have selected to have your NDIS Plan managed, you can choose to have Treehouse as your Plan Management Agency. The cost for this service will be included in your Plan. For further information please contact Treehouse or see NDIS Plan Management.

The Early Years Playgroup

Our Early Years playgroup is a FREE playgroup for families that have concerns about their child’s development but are not yet accessing NDIS funding. This group runs fortnightly on a Tuesday afternoon from 1 – 2.30 pm. The purpose of the group is to support families, provide strategies and help them connect with the NDIS if the need is there.