The SOS (Sequential Oral Sensory) Approach is an evidence-based program that helps children who struggle with eating learn to accept new foods through play-based, systematic desensitisation. Rather than forcing children to eat, it works at your child's pace. Our founder Chloe is a certified SOS Feeding Therapist.

Eating is the most complex physical task your child will ever learn. It's the only human task that requires every organ system in the body to work together — 26 muscles are used in a single swallow, 6 cranial nerves coordinate per swallow, and all 8 sensory systems are engaged simultaneously. When any part of this system is disrupted, eating becomes genuinely hard.

When a child struggles to eat a well-rounded diet, the impacts go beyond the dinner table. Nutritional deficiencies can affect physical growth, brain development, and immune function. Mealtime stress can lead to anxiety for the whole family. Limited eating can also affect social participation at school and parties, and poor dietary habits contribute to fatigue and difficulty focusing.

Our service covers SOS Feeding Therapy, nutrition assessment, growth monitoring, nutritional counselling and parent education, mealtime behaviour support, and ongoing follow-up with adjusted recommendations to track progress and respond to emerging needs.

Mealtime behaviour support provides strategies to build positive eating habits and reduce mealtime stress for the whole family. We work with you to create calmer, more positive mealtimes using practical, everyday strategies.

Yes. Children with very limited diets are exactly who our SOS Feeding Therapy is designed for. We work at your child's pace to systematically and gently expand their food range through play-based strategies — without pressure or force.

Our speech therapists support children with expressive language (sharing thoughts and ideas), receptive language (understanding instructions and questions), articulation and phonology (clear speech sounds), social communication (interacting with others), augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), and early language development for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers.

You might consider speech therapy if your child is a late talker, is difficult for others to understand, struggles to follow instructions, has difficulty making friends or interacting socially, is not using words to communicate their needs, or if teachers or educators have raised concerns about their communication.

Expressive language is your child's ability to share their thoughts, needs, and ideas through words, sentences, and conversation. Receptive language is their ability to understand instructions, questions, and everyday language. Some children have difficulties in one area, others in both.

Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) refers to communication tools and systems for children who need support beyond spoken language. This might include picture boards, communication apps, or speech-generating devices. Our speech therapists can help determine if AAC is right for your child.

If your child is not yet using words to communicate, it's worth getting a professional opinion. Our early language development support is specifically for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers who are late to talk or not yet using words. Early intervention can make a significant difference.

Yes. Social communication support builds the skills to interact with others — including turn-taking, eye contact, reading social cues, and making friends. This is a common area of support for children who find social situations challenging.

Our OTs help children develop the skills they need to participate in daily life — from getting dressed in the morning to writing at school, playing with friends, and managing their emotions. Key areas include sensory processing, fine motor skills, gross motor skills, and self-care and daily living.

Sensory processing is how your child's brain receives and responds to information from their senses — touch, sound, movement, and textures. Children who are over- or under-sensitive to sensory input may struggle to regulate and engage with their environment, which can affect learning, behaviour, and daily tasks.

Yes. Fine motor skills — including pencil grip, letter formation, spacing, and hand strength — are a core area of occupational therapy. Our OTs also support related skills like cutting, using buttons and zips, and using utensils.

The classroom demands fine motor, sensory, and self-regulation skills every minute of the day. OT can help with sitting still, holding a pencil, following instructions, staying focused, filtering distractions, and managing sensory input — all of which directly affect your child's ability to learn and participate.

Yes. Gross motor skills like running, jumping, climbing, catching, balance, coordination, and body awareness are all areas our OTs support. The playground is where these skills are tested in real time, alongside social confidence and sensory regulation.

Absolutely. Everyday routines — getting dressed, brushing teeth, eating breakfast, bath time, and settling for sleep — all require fine motor, sensory processing, and self-regulation skills. Our OTs help children build independence across these daily tasks so the whole family's day runs more smoothly.

Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) uses evidence-based strategies to understand the reasons behind challenging behaviour, build positive skills, and support your child and family to thrive in everyday life. It focuses on the root cause of behaviour, not just managing symptoms.

We develop an individualised behaviour support plan tailored to your child and family. This includes understanding the function and triggers behind challenging behaviours, teaching replacement behaviours, developing proactive strategies to reduce the frequency and intensity of challenges, and equipping the whole family with practical, consistent strategies.

Plans typically include personalised goals tailored to your child and family, covering every environment — home, school, and community. The goal is for the whole family to feel equipped with strategies and confidence.

Yes. A core focus of PBS is empowering parents, carers, and educators with consistent, practical strategies they can implement confidently across all environments. It's not just about what happens in a session — it's about building skills that carry into real life.

PBS is designed to address exactly this. By identifying the function and triggers behind challenging behaviours, we develop proactive strategies that reduce the frequency and intensity of meltdowns over time, while teaching your child new ways to communicate their needs and manage frustration.

At Foundations First, our behaviour support practitioners work alongside our psychologists, OTs, speech therapists, and nutritionists. Because behaviour doesn't exist in isolation — a child's communication, sensory needs, emotional regulation, and physical wellbeing all influence their behaviour.

Our psychologists support children's emotional wellbeing — helping them navigate anxiety, emotional regulation, social challenges, and behavioural difficulties. They use evidence-based, child-friendly approaches to build coping strategies, self-confidence, and emotional resilience.

Play-based therapy uses toys, games, stories, and creative activities to help children explore and express their emotions in a safe, pressure-free environment. It's one of the primary approaches our psychologists use, particularly with younger children who may not have the words to describe what they're feeling.

Yes. Children don't always have the words to express what they're feeling. Their emotions often show up as withdrawal, aggression, anxiety, or avoidance. Our psychologists help children identify, understand, and manage their emotions through practical tools like breathing techniques, visual supports, and calming strategies.

When a child struggles emotionally, it affects their ability to focus, engage in the classroom, and reach their developmental potential. Emotional difficulties can ripple across their confidence, relationships, and participation in everyday life. Early psychological support can help address these patterns before they become deeply embedded.

Yes. Our psychologists collaborate with our OTs, speech pathologists, behaviour support practitioners, nutritionists, and support workers. How a child feels affects everything they do — so psychological support is integrated with the whole team.

With the right support, children can move from feeling anxious, overwhelmed, and stuck to feeling more confident, calm, resilient, and connected. Our goal is to help your child develop the emotional tools they need to navigate life's challenges with greater understanding and self-regulation.

Our support workers provide reliable, hands-on support to help your child practise therapy goals in real life, build independence, and participate in everyday moments with confidence. They bridge the gap between therapy sessions and daily life.

Support workers help with a wide range of everyday activities — from morning routines and school drop-offs, to grocery shopping trips, swimming lessons, library outings, social outings at the park, homework support, mealtime strategies, and bedtime routines. Every session is guided by your child's therapy goals.

Therapy builds the skills. Support work practises those skills in the real world, in real time. Our support workers are trained and guided by our psychologists, OTs, speech pathologists, behaviour support practitioners, and nutritionists — so every interaction reinforces what your child is learning in therapy.

Yes. A big part of support work is helping your child navigate real-world environments — supermarkets, libraries, swimming pools, playgrounds, and other community spaces. These outings build independence, social skills, and the confidence to participate in activities they might otherwise miss out on.

Yes. Support workers can spend time at home with your child while parents take a break — helping with homework, practising self-care skills, playing structured games, and reinforcing therapy strategies. It gives the family breathing room while keeping your child engaged, safe, and supported.

Our support workers are trained and guided by our wider therapy team — psychologists, OTs, speech pathologists, behaviour support practitioners, and nutritionists. Every support session is informed by your child's therapy goals, so nothing is wasted and every interaction counts.