Early Childhood Intervention

Our Early Childhood Professional sessions are led by a qualified specialist with deep expertise in supporting young children across developmental stages. These sessions focus on nurturing growth in key areas such as communication, emotional regulation, social interaction, and learning especially during the early years when timely intervention can make a lasting difference.

Every child is unique, and so is the support they receive. Our programs are never one size fits all. Each plan is thoughtfully tailored to reflect the child’s individual strengths, needs, and personality. The Early Childhood Professional works in close partnership with families and therapists to co-design a support plan that aligns with the child’s goals and the family’s values. Strategies are flexible and responsive, designed to fit naturally into home, school, and community settings.

As part of this collaborative process, families receive a comprehensive Early Childhood Report, which can be submitted to NDIS to support ongoing funding. This report includes:

  • Early Intervention Goals – Clear, measurable objectives based on developmental needs

  • Progress Tracking – Updates on the child’s journey toward their goals

  • Outcomes – Key achievements and milestones reached during the intervention period

  • Strategies Used – Specific tools and techniques applied throughout therapy

  • Family & Therapy Plan – A shared roadmap outlining roles, routines, and supports

  • Examples of Strategies – Practical, everyday tools families can use at home and in daily routines

This approach ensures every child is seen, heard, and supported in a way that honours who they are. Our Early Childhood Professional brings not only qualifications, but also compassion, creativity, and a deep commitment to helping children thrive.

Counselling

Our counselling practice offers a safe, compassionate space for individuals of all ages to explore their thoughts, emotions, and experiences. Our counsellors use evidence-based, person-centred approaches to support emotional awareness, resilience, and positive change, always with warmth, respect, and care.

Each session is thoughtfully tailored to the client’s unique needs, goals, and pace. We create a calm, non-judgmental environment where clients feel heard and supported. Depending on what’s most helpful, sessions may include:

  • Building emotional regulation and resilience

  • Developing communication and relationship skills

  • Exploring thoughts and behaviours to foster self-understanding

  • Learning mindfulness and grounding techniques

  • Using creative and sensory-based strategies to support expression and healing

Our counsellors work collaboratively with clients and their therapists to set meaningful goals, celebrate progress, and develop practical tools for everyday life.

Support Across All Ages

We welcome children, adolescents, and adults from all walks of life. Every session is adapted to suit the developmental stage and comfort level of the individual—whether it’s helping a child express emotions through play, supporting a teen navigating identity and stress, or guiding adults through life transitions. No matter the age or journey, our counsellors are here to offer understanding, empowerment, and hope

Occupational Therapy

At Nurturing Hearts, our Occupational Therapy team is dedicated to helping children build the skills they need to participate fully and confidently in everyday life. We are supporting families across Melbourne’s northern and western suburbs with tailored, strengths-based interventions that promote independence across self-care, productivity, and play.

We understand that every child is unique—and so is the support they receive. Our Occupational Therapists work closely with families, caregivers, and therapists to co-design personalised plans that reflect each child’s goals, interests, and developmental needs. Through evidence-based practice and compassionate care, we help children thrive in the environments that matter most: home, school, and community.

Areas We Support

Our paediatric Occupational Therapy team offers support across a wide range of developmental domains:

  • Fine Motor Skills – Supporting hand-eye coordination, dexterity, and strength for tasks like writing, dressing, and feeding

  • Gross Motor Skills – Enhancing balance, core strength, and coordination for movement, play, and physical confidence

  • Self-Care Skills – Building independence in daily routines such as hygiene, dressing, toileting, feeding, and sleep

  • Play Skills – Fostering creativity, social interaction, and problem-solving through purposeful, engaging play

  • Sensory Processing – Helping children regulate and respond to sensory input to support emotional wellbeing and daily functioning

  • Emotional Wellbeing – Supporting emotional awareness, expression, and regulation to build resilience and confidence

  • Executive Functioning – Strengthening cognitive skills like planning, memory, and focus to support learning and everyday tasks

  • Community Safety & Awareness – Teaching practical safety skills for navigating public spaces with confidence and care

Every intervention is designed with collaboration at its core, because when families are empowered, children flourish. Whether your child is developing foundational skills or navigating complex challenges, our Occupational Therapy team is here to walk alongside you with compassion, creativity, and clinical expertise.

Speech Pathology

At NH Support, our Speech Pathology team was founded with a clear purpose: to empower children to communicate with confidence, connection, and joy. Since our beginnings, we have been dedicated to supporting children across a wide range of developmental profiles, offering services within our clinic as well as in school, kindergarten, and community settings.

Our team embraces a deeply intentional approach—every session, every conversation, and every collaborative moment is guided by meaningful goals. We believe that purposeful practice leads to meaningful progress, and this philosophy underpins every aspect of our work.

Our clinicians are passionate about supporting children with diverse abilities and communication needs. We are committed to delivering interventions that are both evidence‑based and results‑driven, ensuring that every child’s progress is tangible, measurable, and aligned with their unique developmental journey. We recognise that no two children are the same, and our firsthand experience continues to reinforce how thoughtful, targeted support can transform a child’s confidence and communication skills.

Assessment of Communication

Our communication assessments are comprehensive, holistic, and designed to understand each child’s strengths, challenges, and individual needs. We explore all areas of communication, including receptive and expressive language, speech sounds, fluency, pragmatic skills, auditory comprehension, and literacy.

Our assessment process includes:

  • Family Questionnaire: We begin by gathering essential background information to understand your child’s history, strengths, and needs.

  • Service Agreement: Together, we outline the scope of services, expectations, and goals to ensure clarity and shared understanding.

  • Family Support Plan: We work with your family to identify priorities and explore how we can best support your child’s development.

  • Child Assessment: Our clinicians complete a thorough assessment using standardised tools and/or informal observations to build a complete picture of your child’s communication profile.

  • Outcome Explanation: We take the time to discuss results clearly and compassionately, ensuring you understand your child’s current skills and areas for growth.

  • Goal Setting: In collaboration with your family, we develop meaningful, achievable goals that reflect your child’s needs, strengths, and developmental stage.

Receptive Language Skills

Receptive language refers to a child’s ability to understand spoken language. Our Speech Pathologists assess receptive language using a combination of formal assessments and informal observations, exploring vocabulary comprehension, sentence understanding, and the ability to follow instructions.

Intervention is engaging, play‑based, and neuroaffirming. We use toys, games, visuals, and everyday objects to help children build understanding in ways that feel natural and enjoyable. Our aim is to strengthen comprehension skills while supporting each child’s confidence and independence in daily communication.

Expressive Language Skills

Expressive language involves a child’s ability to communicate thoughts, ideas, and emotions. We assess expressive language through standardised assessments and observations, comparing skills to developmental norms to identify priority areas.

Our therapy focuses on building vocabulary, improving sentence structure, and supporting children to express themselves clearly and confidently. We use objects, pictures, games, and real‑life experiences to create meaningful learning opportunities that support functional communication.

Articulation

Articulation refers to how clearly a child pronounces speech sounds. We assess articulation through structured assessments and observations, comparing skills to developmental expectations to determine which sounds require support.

Our intervention approach is structured, sequential, and tailored to each child’s needs. We target sounds that are meaningful to the child and their family, using fun, interactive activities to support consistent practice. We also provide home‑based strategies to help families reinforce progress between sessions. Progress is monitored closely, and therapy plans are adjusted as needed to ensure ongoing success.

Phonological Awareness

Phonological awareness is a foundational pre‑literacy skill involving the ability to recognise and manipulate the sound structure of language. We assess skills such as rhyming, segmenting, blending, and identifying sounds within words.

Intervention focuses on playful, engaging activities that strengthen early literacy foundations. By building strong phonological awareness skills, we support children to become confident readers and writers as they grow.

Literacy

Literacy skills—including reading, writing, decoding, and spelling—are essential for lifelong learning. We assess literacy development to identify strengths and areas requiring support.

Our literacy intervention is structured, evidence‑based, and tailored to each child’s needs. We focus on phonics, comprehension, decoding, and written expression, empowering children to become capable, confident learners.

Fluency

Fluency refers to the smoothness, rhythm, and flow of speech. We assess fluency by observing blocks, repetitions, pauses, and overall speech rate.

Our goal is to support children to communicate with confidence and ease. We work collaboratively with each child to build strategies that reduce disruptions and enhance fluent, comfortable communication.

Pragmatic Skills

Pragmatic skills are the social communication abilities that help children navigate relationships, interactions, and social expectations. We take a neuroaffirming, strengths‑based approach to supporting children in understanding social cues, expressing themselves authentically, and building meaningful connections.

Our interventions help children feel heard, understood, and empowered. We guide them through social situations that may feel challenging, supporting them to develop confidence, self‑advocacy, and a strong sense of belonging.

Allied Health Assistant Program

The Allied Health Assistant (AHA) program offers flexible, tailored support that enhances therapy outcomes for children and families. AHAs work under the guidance of qualified occupational therapists, speech therapists and Early Childhood Professionals to reinforce therapy goals, provide continuity of care, and ensure all participants receive consistent, meaningful support, especially during busy periods or when more intensive input is needed.

AHAs play a vital role in our collaborative care model. They follow therapist-led plans with care and precision, offering hands-on support that aligns with each individuals developmental goals. Their contributions include:

  • Reinforcing therapy strategies through guided practice

  • Supporting individuals to apply skills in real-life settings

  • Assisting with progress tracking and data collection

  • Demonstrating techniques to parents and caregivers

  • Providing updates to supervising clinicians to keep therapy goal-focused

  • Offering flexible delivery options, whether in-person, via telehealth, or in group settings

By integrating AHAs into our team, we’re able to offer more responsive, accessible, and family-centred care. Their presence ensures therapy remains consistent, empowering individuals to build skills, confidence, and independence across all areas of life.

School Partnership

At Nurturing Hearts, we’re proud to collaborate with schools as trusted partners—offering tailored support and resources that enrich the educational experience for students, educators, and families alike. Our school partnerships are built on shared values of inclusion, empowerment, and holistic care.

Here’s how we support school communities:

  • Assessments & Reporting – We provide professional assessments and detailed reports to help identify students’ strengths and support needs across communication, learning, and development. These insights guide personalised educational planning.

  • Funding Support – Our team participates in school funding meetings, helping navigate applications and advocacy to secure the resources students need to thrive.

  • Parent Information Sessions – We offer engaging sessions for parents and caregivers, empowering families with knowledge around developmental milestones, learning strategies, and emotional wellbeing.

  • Classroom Collaboration – Our clinicians work alongside educators to implement inclusive strategies that support diverse learners and create nurturing classroom environments.

  • Group Intervention Programs – We deliver targeted group programs within school settings to support communication, social skills, and learning outcomes for multiple students.

  • Resources & Training – We provide practical tools and training for education support staff, equipping them with the skills to confidently assist students with varied needs.

Partnering with Nurturing Hearts means embracing a collaborative, child-centred approach to education—where every student is seen, supported, and given the opportunity to reach their full potential.