Target Audience: Occupational Therapists

Sleep is essential for a person’s health and wellbeing. It plays a crucial role in our body and brain’s physiological maintenance. Occupational therapists have a unique role in identifying sleep disturbance, as part of their assessment of an individual and family’s daily activity routines, participation and occupational performance. This workshop will outline various ways Occupational Therapists can assist children and families to promote and support children's sleep.

Target Audience: Occupational Therapists

Occupational Therapist are well-placed to use their knowledge of occupation, occupational performance and occupational performance environments to effectively lead and shape their organisations. This workshop will assist OT leaders to have an overview of how they can utilise contemporary OT theory to create engaging workplaces and develop a successful leadership relationship where employees are actively engaged, have positive attitudes/behaviours, are great advocates of their organisation, and are inspired to utilise more of their capability (ie knowledge, skills, innovation).

Target Audience: Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Psychologists, Continence Advisors, Child Health Nurses and School Health Nurses

Workshop Day 1 - The Basics - the first day of the workshop will provide participants with an overview of the clinical management of urinary incontinence, bedwetting and chronic constipation/soiling (encopresis) in children aged 3 – 15 years. Workshop Day 2 - Beyond the Basics - the second day of this workshop will provide participants with the ability to identify, discuss and apply continence strategies for complex cases, including children with developmental and physical diagnoses, and those who fail first-line treatment.

Target Audience: Occupational Therapists

Skilled and responsible use of sensory based approaches in mental health has been endorsed by the National Association for State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD, 2009) and the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organisations in the USA as one of the instrumental interventions influencing the reduction of restraint and seclusion in mental health care settings. Tina Champagne (OTD, OT/L) indicated that a successful sensory based program is dependent upon occupational therapists who have adequate training and significant knowledge about the science and application of sensory processing and a method to systematically evaluate the procedures used and their effects on clients’ everyday function.