A referral is welcome but not required unless your child is eligible for a rebate under one of the following categories:
- Medicare
A child with a chronic condition and complex care needs may be eligible for Medicare rebates if they are managed by their General Practitioner under the GP Management Plan and Team Care Arrangement. Please refer to the links below for more information about Medicare and contact you GP to determine if you qualify for this rebate before your appointment
- National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)
Kids Care Physiotherapy is eligible to provide therapy for clients of the NDIS including those who are under Early Intervention who are Self Managed or Plan Managed. For more information about the NDIS please refer to to the link below.
Relevant Organizations and Links
Child Physiotherapy Brisbane & Paediatric Physio Brisbane
- Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) www.physiotherapy.asn.au
- Can Child Centre for Childhooddisabilities Research www.canchild.ca
- Continence Foundation Australia (CFA) www.continence.org.au
- National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) www.ndis.gov.au
- Medicare www.medicareaustralia.gov.au
- Ponseti Treatment of Club Feet www.ponseti.info
- Raising Children Network www.raisingchildren.net.au
- Sporting Wheelies www.sportingwheelies.org.au
All fees are to be paid at the time of your consultation in the clinic.
Cash, Cheque, Mastercard, Visacard and EFTPOS are accepted.
Private health insurance funds provide a rebate for physiotherapy services under some levels of cover. As the exact rebate depends on your level of cover, please contact your health insurance fund for more details.
It is best to wear or bring clothes that a child can easily move and exercise in such as a close-fitting pair of shorts and a top. For the older, more self-conscious child wearing a singlet top/ crop top or bra allows the physiotherapist to ask the child to undress to their underwear to observe their posture, joints and muscles more fully.
Please bring a water bottle as the child is often thirsty during or after an active session.
If there are concerns with how the child is standing or walking/ running please bring the shoes that they normally wear.
During your first session, you will be asked about your main concern with your child. This is followed by a summary of your child’s medical history which will include when they achieved their gross and fine motor milestones as this can impact on their development. Any previous treatment intervention and outcome will be noted before the physiotherapy assessment begins.
The type of assessment used depends on your child’s particular concern and maybe one or a combination of the following:
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- a neurological and developmental assessment is required if the child has delayed milestones or has difficulty with performing any skill in a coordinated manner such as running or writing. It may also be used as a screening tool for developmental checks for at-risk babies and children such as those born prematurely.
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- an orthopaedic assessment is used if your child has pain, an injury, tight or floppy muscles, stiff joints or poor posture.
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- A respiratory assessment is utilized for breathing difficulties or a chest infection.
- A bladder /bowel assessment is required for any difficulties in these areas
The length of the initial assessment can vary from 30 – 60 minutes depending on the age of the child and the complexity of the problem. The physiotherapist will individually tailor the treatment to the child and you will be given key exercises and treatment strategies to take home.
Follow up treatments or reviews generally take 20-45 minutes, the frequency of which depends on your child’s needs and your family schedule.
The developmental assessment includes assessing the following areas in more detail to ascertain more accurately why the child is having difficulties.
- Muscle tone, muscle strength and joint range
- Posture and balance
- Vestibular function (awareness of body position in space)
- Tactile and proprioceptive awareness (ability to feel touch and joint and muscle awareness)
- Ocular motor skills (eye follow and eye/hand and eye/foot coordination)
- Motor planning (ability to organize the body to perform a skill)
As we are a family-friendly clinic we recognize that it is sometimes difficult to find someone to look after siblings so they are welcome to attend but it is important that they are fully supervised by the parent. It is helpful if they bring a quiet activity so the child attending treatment isn’t being distracted and the parent can concentrate on any discussion with the paediatric physiotherapist – Elizabeth Hornsby, Laurie Wellings or Julie Uhlmann.