Play & Learn Occupational Therapy
is an Adelaide-based mobile occupational therapy service for children experiencing difficulties in day-to-day activities.
Play is used as the main tool for learning and consolidating new skills, which allows the child to have fun whilst working on skill development.
Assessments and interventions occur in the child’s natural environments (home, childcare, kindy, school, etc), working closely with parents and other key carers, and supporting the development of everyday skills, such as:
- Toileting
- Sleep
- Play
- Mealtimes, including fussy eaters or those with augmentative feeding systems
- Communication
- Emotional regulation
- Problem solving
- School readiness skills
Rachel van der Linden
I have over 20 years of experience in children’s occupational therapy.
I graduated from UniSA (Adelaide) in 1993 and have worked in a range of community-based services in Australia and overseas. I have been back working in Adelaide since 1999, working at Autism SA, and Disability Services.
I have also worked as a PECS workshop facilitator, and ABA consultant, and an aquatic therapist.
My interests and passions lie in working with children who are showing difficulties in learning and managing their day-to-day activities, and I believe strongly in working with families in natural settings, and within natural routines.
I have significant experience in working with children with sensory processing difficulties, global developmental delay, intellectual disability, Autism, Down Syndrome, and other conditions that result in delays in skill development.
I participate in regular training and development, to ensure my skills are at the highest level, including in sensory processing, feeding, attachment/relationship, and pretend play.
I am also involved in the MentorLink program, supporting other occupational therapists to build skills in paediatric (children's) occupational therapy.
Outside of work, my partner and I parent three children ranging in ages from teenager to preschooler.
