Early Links Blog
Walking for our wellbeing
Senior Leader Growing ConnectionsEarly Links has a range of groups dedicated to helping our clients learn new skills, connect with their peers, and work on their goals in a safe and inclusive space. Now, we're expanding this support to carers with our new group,...
The Early Links Youth Hub
Senior Leader Teens & AdultsEarly Links runs a number of youth groups at our offices and in the community. We have always wanted a dedicated venue for these groups so that our young people have their own space where they feel at home. I am excited to say that this...
Understanding intoeing in children
Physiotherapy Senior LeaderIf you've ever been worried that your child is walking with their feet or legs turned inwards, what is often referred to as being "pigeon-toed", then you are not alone. Intoeing is a common concern among parents, and whilst it can be a...
Family mealtimes – delightful or disaster?
University of SydneyAnyone with young children knows that sitting down for family mealtimes can be tricky at the best of times. But if feeding your child or sitting down together as a family is fraught with difficulty and high emotion, perhaps your child is bringing...
The team putting YOU in youth
Introducing our Youth Group Coordinators – Abbie, Georgia, Harry, Josh and Liv. They collectively facilitate our Fun Factory, Junior Fun Factory, Job Readiness, and Life Skills programs to engage youth in our community. We recently sat down with the team to talk about...
Our new continence service
Clinical Services Training CoordinatorContinence issues are another way of saying incontinence, which is any accidental wees or poos. In simple language, continence is the ability to control wees and poos so there are no unintentional leaks, whereas incontinence is...
Awarding our team’s hard work
Marketing and Communications OfficerWe have had a fantastic response to the first half of this year's awards season. We have been awarded finalists in the Hunter Region Business Awards Not-for-Profit category and the Hunter Diversity and Inclusion Golden Pineapple...
Noor’s Love of Music Therapy
Marketing CoordinatorOur Creative Arts Therapy Team Leader and Music Therapist, Karla, has been doing music therapy sessions with Noor for the last few months, and Noor has been loving them! Watch the video to hear Noor’s mum Preet talk about just how much fun Noor...
BYB Tour Update
Grants WriterIn case you haven't heard, the Big Yellow Bus is on tour! Our mobile playground has spent term two visiting playgroups across the Hunter Valley, including Cessnock, Muswellbrook, Rutherford, Raymond Terrace, and Port Stephens. We also hope to take the bus...
Introducing Play Therapy
Marketing CoordinatorWe recently sat down with our new Therapeutic Play Practitioner, Beck, to learn all about our newest therapy service. Watch the video or read the transcript below to find out if play therapy could be beneficial for you!Video TranscriptHello....
A new approach to supporting clients
Capacity Building ManagerEarly Links has an amazing team of support workers and mentors who work closely with our clients to ensure their support needs are being met. Support is provided at home, in the community, at schools and early childhood centres, or for...
How dietitians help people
Marketing & Communication OfficerOur dietitians play an important role in helping our clients to achieve their nutritional goals. Hollie, one of our dietitians, has been working with a family to build a positive relationship with food and make healthy lifestyle...
Helping Giaxon to ride
Recently Nate, one of our physios, helped his client Giaxon get NDIS funding so that he could achieve his goal of riding a bike. After Nate watched Giaxon attempt to ride a conventional bike and saw his difficulty, Nate set up a trial for a modified bicycle with...
Celebrating our successful grants
Grants WriterEarly Links has predominantly been funded through the NDIS since its introduction in 2013. While this has enabled us to provide vital services in the community, we have intentionally sought to increase funding from other sources to further scale up the...
Meet our Plan Manager, Steph
Introducing StephIntroducing our Plan Manager, Steph. We sat down with Steph and asked her a few questions about her plan management journey and any questions our future clients might have. Check it out below!Why are you in plan management? I became a plan manager to...
Animal Assisted Therapy
You may have noticed a new (furry) face around the Early Links offices lately. He may have visited you in a session, or you've seen him on our Facebook page, or maybe you haven't had the pleasure of meeting him yet. Arlo, our very first therapy animal, has been making...
Early Links 2022 Annual General Meeting
We are seeking community minded professionals to join our board to help us achieve our vision of an inclusive society. If you are passionate about advocacy and making an impact in your local community, we would love to speak to you. Our current board members find...
Award season successes!
Golden Pineapple AwardsEarly Links has been awarded the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Employer of Choice and Leadership Awards at the 2022 Hunter Diversity and Inclusion Collective (HDIC) Golden Pineapple Awards, held at Watt St, Newcastle. It was an absolute...
Playgroups Appeal 2022
Our playgroupsEarly Links runs free playgroups in Maitland and Muswellbrook to support the local community. Our Maitland Playgroup is an inclusive playgroup with support for children with additional needs. Early Links also runs a MyTime playgroup in Muswellbrook,...
Meet our physiotherapy students
Team Leader PhysiotherapyThroughout the year, Early Links hosts numerous university students as they complete their degree placements. Students join our OT, Speech Pathology, Social Work, and Physiotherapy teams (to name a few) and learn from our knowledgeable team...
Advocating for our clients
Early Intervention Specialist Teaching Senior LeaderOur role at Early Links is something we cherish, as we are provided with an opportunity to support our clients and families – a privilege we take very seriously. We feel honoured to be invited into the lives and...
Supporting teens and young adults
Occupational Therapy Senior LeaderEarly Links has been providing support for Hunter families since 1988. Although initially founded to provide early intervention services, Early Links has evolved to provide therapy and support services to clients as they grow up, and...
Supporting clinical staff
Clinical Services Training CoordinatorI have been fortunate to work at Early Links for many years alongside an experienced and enthusiastic team. As a team, we have a wealth and variety of information and skills – whether that is years in the field, lived experience,...
Interdisciplinary Feeding Clinic
Speech Pathology Team LeaderEarly Links is proud to announce the rollout of our new Interdisciplinary Feeding Clinic. The IFC offers specialist feeding support to children, teens and adults, in both individual and group programs, for clients who experience feeding...
Traineeship to CoS team member
Early Intervention Specialist Teaching Team LeaderDaniel joined our Early Links team in 2021 as a Community Services Trainee. He came to us after some time abroad, where he had completed university studies and gained valuable experience across a range of settings. Dan...
Client Feedback Survey June 2022
Thank you to everyone who completed the survey that we sent out recently. Your feedback is invaluable to us as we look to achieve continuous improvement in the services and support we deliver to you. We want to share some key insights from the survey and explain what...
Time to renovate the bus
Our Big Yellow Bus appeal is now complete! Thank you to everyone who supported us throughout the appeal. I am delighted to share that with your help, we have raised over $15.5K to renovate the Big Yellow Bus (brought to you by Whitehaven Coal). We cannot wait to see...
Do you know our amazing Annette?
Recently, I caught up with Annette, one of our longest-serving employees of 13 years and asked her about her time at Early Links and her exciting new role as clinical services training coordinator – a position that gives her the ability to educate and support the...
What is wellbeing?
Social WorkerWellbeing is a broad concept, but in its basic form, it is how good we feel, whether physically, socially, mentally, or spiritually. All aspects of our wellbeing are important and can influence and affect other areas. Things like stress, anxiety,...
Rhys’ Journey with Early Links
Rhys has been an Early Links client since 2017 when he began early intervention with our therapists. Now that Rhys is a teenager, his goals and therapy needs have changed. With the help of his speech pathologist Rachel, Rhys’ journey with Early Links is now headed in...
The Key Worker Approach
Early Intervention Specialist Teaching Team LeaderWhen starting early intervention, it can be overwhelming for parents and carers to navigate the different appointments, therapists, and support workers they are suddenly involved with. Fitting these new commitments...
Meet Emily, Allied Health Assistant
Emily is one of the fantastic allied health assistants at Early Links. We asked Emily to tell us a bit about what she does at Early Links and what she enjoys most about her role.Hi Emily, can we start by asking what being an allied health assistant at Early Links...
Neurofeedback at Early Links
Psychology Senior LeaderWe hear a lot about regulation in the early intervention and NDIS worlds, be it emotion regulation or regulation of challenging behaviour. Parents, caregivers, and teachers of children and young people who are struggling with regulation have a...
Return and Earn Charity Partnership
Grants & Sponsorship OfficerI am so excited to share that Early Links has been selected as a charity partner for the myTOMRA Return and Earn initiative. As you may be aware, most drink containers made from glass, plastic or aluminium are eligible for a 10c refund...
The Big Yellow Bus on the road to Muswellbrook
Grants & Sponsorship OfficerOne of the highlights of 2022 has been the Big Yellow Bus travelling to Muswellbrook each fortnight, thanks to the generous support of Glencore – Ravensworth Open Cut. We absolutely love the curious looks and waves we get when the Big...
New art therapy equipment
Grants & Sponsorship OfficerOur Art Therapy Team was excited to be awarded a generous grant from Muswellbrook Shire Council, providing them with a range of visual art supplies to be used during art therapy sessions with clients.What exactly is art therapy?Art...
A token for Early Links
Early Links was one of three charities that had the opportunity to host a jar for the Grill’d Charlestown Local Matters Program during March. Local Matters allows Grill’d the opportunity to give back to the local community by splitting $500 with three groups to put...
Big Yellow Bus Appeal
In August last year, we launched a fundraising appeal to renovate the Big Yellow Bus. We are very grateful for all the support we have received. We are also excited to share that having raised nearly fourteen thousand dollars so far, we have only six thousand dollars...
Occupational Therapy Update 2022
Occupational Therapy Senior Leader2021 was quite a year, to say the least. With lots of adapting to do, our Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy teams did a fantastic job of navigating the past year's challenges while still achieving new goals.Term 4 Team MeetingOur...
Introducing the Fun Factory
Youth Group CoordinatorI am excited to officially introduce The Fun Factory, our inclusive social group for older kids and teenagers. Our mission for The Fun Factory has been to create a safe space where young people can develop various life and workplace skills,...
International Day of People with Disability 2021
Early Links joins Cessnock Community Event for IDPwDEarly Links was excited to take part in a community event celebrating International Day of People with Disability at PCYC Cessnock last Friday. This expo-style event enabled local providers an opportunity to...
Occupational Therapy Week 2021
Occupational Therapy Senior LeaderParticipation - Inclusion - IndependenceOT week is an opportunity to celebrate Occupational Therapists and educate the broader community on the value they provide. This year's theme of participation, inclusion and independence...
Augmentative and Alternative Communication
Speech Pathology Senior LeaderWhat is augmentative and alternative communication?Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) is a term we use to describe all the different ways that people can communicate. Talking is only one method we use to get our message...
Platinum Sponsor Whitehaven Coal
Grants & Sponsorship OfficerThe Big Yellow Bus is a mobile playground and the star attraction at Early Links Playgroup. It also travels far and wide to see families where playgroups and therapy supports are not always readily accessible. The Big Yellow Bus has...
Early Links Telehealth Hubs
Grants & Sponsorship OfficerThe events affecting the world today have presented challenges for us in continuing to provide support to our clients. This includes an increased need to support clients using telehealth. At Early Links, we had a vision to create...
2021 Wellness Challenge
The wellbeing of the people we support and our team are always priorities for us but even more so during this lockdown period. Telehealth and other innovative support techniques have allowed our team to continue supporting their clients, but we were also very aware of...
Roadmap to Recovery
Chief Operating OfficerWhen we were in the middle of lockdown, returning to “normal” life seemed a world away. However, the State Government’s release of its Roadmap to Recovery, with its increasing freedoms, as the community hits its 70, 80 and then 90% vaccination...
Early Links Virtual Playgroup
Early Links Playgroup is a free community playgroup for children aged six and under. It is held at Maitland Presbyterian Church during normal circumstances, but the current period of lockdown has meant this is not possible.Virtual playgroup during lockdownOur...
Early Links is a Hunter Business Awards Finalist
Early Links is a Hunter Business Awards FinalistEarly Links is delighted to have been selected as a finalist in the 2021 Hunter Business Awards in the Outstanding Community Enterprise Category. This award recognises our work to improve the social, cultural and...
COVID Update – 28 June 2021
Update from our CEO - 28th June 2021 Dear clients, I want to reach out to you with a Covid update. Let me, first of all, reassure you that we will do everything possible to support you through this period. The situation may impact our ability to operate as usual, but...