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Kids First Children's Services

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Kids First Children's Services

Speech therapists, occupational therapists, psychologists & teachers supporting northern beaches kids aged 2-18 & their families

Kids First Children’s Services is an award-winning paediatric health and therapy centre in Sydney's Northern Beaches. Kids First offers a range of caring, professional support services, including Occupational Therapy for children, Speech Therapy for children, Child and Family Counselling, Psychological assessments and Early Intervention for children with disabilities and developmental delays. Our

multi-disciplinary team has four Core Values: Care, Kindness, Compassion and Making a Contribution and since 2007 we have helped thousands of local children and families to thrive and not just cope as they face the demands of life at home, preschool and school.

26/04/2026

👋 Say hello to Grace, one of Kids First's wonderful Customer Service Coordinators.

Grace is one of those warm, friendly people who helps families feel at ease the moment they call or walk through our doors. With a background in busy medical practices, she knows how to expect the unexpected - and she handles it all with calm, kindness and a smile.

Grace loves seeing children grow up over the years and getting to know the families who walk through our doors. For many, she has become a warm and reassuring part of their Kids First experience.

Whether she’s helping with appointments, answering questions or making a busy day feel that little bit easier, Grace brings genuine care to everything she does.

We’re so lucky to have her as part of the Kids First team 💛

24/04/2026

One of the biggest mistakes families make is waiting for the NDIS to contact them before they begin preparing for their child’s review.

The NDIS will often reach out around 8 to 10 weeks before your child’s current plan ends, but they may want to meet with you quite quickly so everything can be considered before the plan’s due date.

That is why we usually suggest families start getting organised at least three months beforehand. For many parents, the school holidays are a helpful cue.

The goal is not just to collect paperwork.

It is to gather the kind of evidence the NDIS is actually looking for.

The NDIS wants to see why the support your child needs is both reasonable and necessary. That means clear, practical information about how your child’s disability affects everyday life, what support is still needed, and why that support continues to matter.

It can help to start gathering:

🔸 recent reports from therapists, teachers and doctors
🔸 clear examples of what your child still needs help with at home, at school and in the community
🔸 information about communication, emotional regulation, behaviour, safety, learning and independence
🔸 evidence of the progress your child has made, and the support that helped make that progress possible
🔸 the areas that are still hard, despite everyone’s best efforts

This is not the time for vague wording or broad statements.

The stronger picture is usually the one that shows:

🔸 what daily life actually looks like for your child
🔸 what they can and cannot do independently
🔸 where support is still needed
🔸 why that support is relevant to their disability and important for everyday functioning

A calm head start gives you much more chance of pulling this together properly.

That is usually much easier than trying to do it all in a rush at the last minute.

23/04/2026

While there has been a lot of big conversation among grown-ups lately, children are still playing, practising, learning and connecting.

🔸 Sometimes that looks like bubbles, helping a child slow their breathing and settle their body.
🔸 Or a marble run that builds planning, problem-solving and fine motor skills.
🔸 For some children, it looks like talking about feelings in a way that feels manageable.
🔸 And for others, a bit of silliness with a trusted clinician is part of what helps them feel safe enough to join in.

These moments may look ordinary, but they matter.

This is often how children build skills, confidence and connection over time.

22/04/2026

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆’𝘀 𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗦 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀

If you are a parent of a child with additional needs, today’s NDIS announcement may have landed with a thud.

Many families are already carrying a lot. Therapy. School. Reports. Finances. Big feelings. Uncertainty. The everyday work of raising a child who needs more support than most.

So, when a minister stands up and talks about tightening the NDIS, reducing growth and changing access, it is no surprise that parents feel worried.

Kids First founder, Sonja Walker, has heard and read what the Minister said and has created this quick summary for parents and professionals

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱-𝘂𝗽 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵

Over the past few weeks, there has been a steady drip of “insider” stories in the media about what today’s speech might include.

It is hard not to wonder whether some of that was allowed to leak out so the public would be a little less shocked when the full announcement came. Whether that was deliberate or simply the usual Canberra way of doing things, it did seem to soften the ground before today’s speech landed.

Even so, hearing it all brought together in one speech was still confronting for many families.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄

𝘛𝘰𝘥𝘢𝘺’𝘴 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘦𝘤𝘩 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥’𝘴 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘵.

What the Minister announced was a clearer picture of where planned changes appear to be heading.

Some parts of the Government’s plan are likely to move sooner, with legislation expected when Parliament returns for the Budget sittings from 12 May 2026.

At this stage, those earlier changes sound more like a crackdown on fraud, payment systems and areas of spending the Government says are out of control, rather than an immediate overhaul of support for most children already on the NDIS.

The bigger changes to eligibility still seem to be further down the track.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗿𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗼

In plain English, the Government is saying that the NDIS will continue and will still grow, but that it has become:

🔹 too expensive
🔹 too vulnerable to fraud
🔹 too broad in who it supports

The Minister’s message was that the Scheme needs to be tightened so it can keep supporting people with permanent and significant disability into the future.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗶𝗴 𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗲𝗰𝗵

The Government is trying to:

🔹 reduce fraud and poor provider behaviour
🔹 slow down NDIS spending growth
🔹 tighten who can access the scheme
🔹 make providers and intermediaries more accountable

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗼𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗿

A few changes appear to be on the nearer horizon.

𝟭. 𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝘂𝗽𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀

The Minister said he intends to introduce legislation in the federal Budget sittings, beginning 12 May 2026.

𝟮. 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗱

The rollout of New Framework Planning (which has been talked about for a while now) has now been pushed back again to 1 April 2027.

𝟯. 𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲

There is an existing reform date already on the public record for mandatory registration from 1 July 2026 for:

🔹 Supported Independent Living providers
🔹 platform providers

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗿𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴

The parts of the speech likely to trouble families most are these:

🔹 tighter eligibility
🔹 a stronger focus on functional capacity
🔹 less reliance on diagnosis alone
🔹 more scrutiny of plan spending
🔹 cuts to growth in social and community participation funding

In simple terms, the Government is saying that future access should depend more on how significantly a person’s disability affects everyday life.

The Minister also made it clear that spending on social and community participation is going to be wound back, and that this will have a real impact on participant plans.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲𝗱

This is the part families need to keep in mind.

The speech gave a clear direction, but not all the practical detail.

Some of the biggest changes still need to be worked through, including:

🔹 the new functional capacity access model
🔹 the fine print of future eligibility rules
🔹 broader provider registration changes for higher-risk supports
🔹 the design of the Inclusive Communities Fund
🔹 changes to plan management and support coordination

So while the tone was very clear, many of the details families need are still not settled.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗞𝗶𝗱𝘀?

This is still a very important question.

Thriving Kids was not the focus of today’s speech. It was mentioned briefly, but not explained in a practical, detailed way.

And that is why many families are still uneasy.

There is still clearly a long way to go before parents can feel confident about:

🔹 what supports will sit outside the NDIS
🔹 where they will be available
🔹 when they will be available
🔹 how consistent they will be from one state to another

The official position remains that Thriving Kids has been agreed in principle, with staged rollout dates attached, but it is still being worked through with states and territories.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁

No one wants families to walk away from today thinking:

🔹 “My child is definitely losing their plan now.”
🔹 “Nothing outside the NDIS will be available.”
🔹 “Diagnosis no longer matters at all.”
🔹 “These changes are all settled and final already.”

That would be going further than the speech was actually saying.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗹𝘆

What I'd encourage families to take seriously is the direction in which the NDIS is heading.

The Government is signalling a stronger focus on:

🔹 functional impact, not just diagnosis
🔹 day-to-day disability-related needs
🔹 tighter scrutiny of plans and spending
🔹 clearer evidence about why supports are reasonable and necessary

So, if your child has an upcoming review, reassessment or access request, this is not the time for vague wording or broad statements.

You're likely to need stronger evidence than ever about how your child’s disability affects:

🔹 communication
🔹 learning
🔹 independence
🔹 emotional regulation
🔹 safety
🔹 participation
🔹 everyday family life

𝗔 𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗮𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱

Please don't panic.

Stay the course.

🩷 Keep loving your child.
🩷 Keep turning up.
🩷 Keep advocating.
🩷 Keep going to therapy.
🩷 Keep going to school meetings.
🩷 Keep asking sensible questions.
🩷 Keep good records.
🩷 Keep making sure your child’s needs are being described clearly and practically.

All of this still matters enormously.

𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘀, 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀

If you are one of the many professionals carrying families through this uncertain period, please hang in there too.

Keep doing what you are doing.

Children still need:

💚 good teaching
💚 good therapy
💚 calm, caring adults
💚 sensible planning
💚 practical support
💚 people who understand what day-to-day life is really like for them

Their need for 'lighthouses' who keep them safe has not changed.

𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗲 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘕𝘋𝘐𝘚 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨.

But it is clearly moving into a tighter phase. That likely means:

🔹 harder access for some groups over time
🔹 more emphasis on functional impact
🔹 greater scrutiny of budgets and plan spending
🔹 more pressure on families to provide clear, real-world evidence

For now, the wisest response is not fear.

It is steadiness.

🔹 Stay informed
🔹 Stay connected
🔹 Keep advocating
🔹 Keep supporting your child
🔹 Keep doing the work that matters

𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 - 𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥 - 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗲.

21/04/2026

This is the kind of real-life moment we love at Kids First 💜

During a recent session with OT Morgan Webster, one of our children used weighted toys and foam blocks to create a ‘dog house’ - and what a great idea it was.

For some children, weighted toys can help their bodies feel calmer and more settled. When they are built into play like this, the activity becomes fun, purposeful, and engaging.

This is one of the lovely things about in-clinic sessions with experienced therapists. Parents get to see simple ideas, tips, and strategies that can be carried across into home and classroom settings in ways that feel practical and manageable.

Such a clever creation, and such a great example of therapy that connects with real life.

20/04/2026

Going back to school after school holidays can feel big for anxious children.

If your child seems tearful, clingy, flat, irritable, or suddenly complains of a tummy ache tonight, that does not necessarily mean they are being difficult. For many children, the day before school goes back is when the worry really kicks in.

What could help now is keeping things simple.

🔹 Keep tonight quiet and predictable

🔹 Avoid long conversations about everything that could go wrong

🔹 Let your child know what tomorrow morning will look like

🔹 Get clothes, lunchboxes and bags ready tonight so the morning feels less rushed

🔹 Offer calm reassurance, not lots of pressure

🔹 Stick with short, steady words like, “I know this feels hard” and “We’ll take tomorrow one step at a time”

🔹 Keep the focus on the first step, not the whole term

For some anxious children, the hardest part is the anticipation. They don't need a perfect speech from us. They need calm, confidence and a grown-up who helps things feel manageable.

If you know a parent who may be bracing for tomorrow morning too, feel free to share this post.

19/04/2026

If your child is bright, capable and full of ideas, but reading, spelling and writing still seem much harder than they should, it is worth looking closely at the pattern.

Some common signs of dyslexia, or a specific learning difficulty affecting reading and written work, can include:

🔹 slow, effortful reading
🔹 guessing words instead of sounding them out
🔹 trouble reading unfamiliar words
🔹 confusing similar-looking words
🔹 spelling that stays poor despite practice
🔹 spelling words the way they sound
🔹 forgetting common spelling patterns again and again
🔹 taking a very long time to finish reading or writing homework
🔹 avoiding reading and writing where possible
🔹 understanding much more when listening than when reading independently
🔹 giving strong answers out loud, but struggling to get the same ideas onto paper
🔹 writing that looks much less mature than the child’s spoken language

As children get older, these difficulties often become more obvious because the demands of the classroom increase. There is more reading, more writing, more note-taking, and less time.

In high school, signs can include:
🔹 needing to re-read text several times
🔹 slow note-taking
🔹 ongoing spelling mistakes that seem much younger than the student’s age
🔹 written work that does not reflect what they actually know
🔹 looking disorganised or unmotivated, when reading and writing are simply taking far more effort than other people realise

This can feel especially personal for parents who had literacy struggles themselves. You may remember what it was like to dread reading aloud, to avoid writing, or to feel embarrassed that schoolwork seemed easier for everyone else. That history can make it harder to know whether you are overreacting, or noticing something important.

Not every child with reading or writing difficulties has dyslexia. But when these patterns keep showing up despite good teaching and extra help, it is worth taking seriously.

Sometimes the most helpful thing a parent can hear is this: your child may not be lazy, careless or switched off. They may be finding literacy genuinely harder than it looks from the outside.

We’ve recently shared a new blog on dyslexia in children and teenagers that explains these signs in more detail and may be helpful if this is something you have been quietly wondering about.

Feel free to share this information with a parent, grandparent or teacher who may be trying to work out whether a child’s struggles are more than just a phase.

17/04/2026

We really like this one!

'There’s a Bully in My Brain' by Australian teacher Lauren Thompson, illustrated by Kayla Lee is a lovely book for children who can be a bit hard on themselves, worry easily, or get stuck in negative self-talk.

It gives children a simple, relatable way to understand those unkind thoughts that can creep in when things feel hard, and gently reminds them that thoughts are not always facts.

This is the latest addition to the Kids First professional library, and we love the hopeful message at the heart of it. We also love the way the illustrations become brighter as the main character starts speaking to herself in a kinder, more encouraging way.

Suited to children aged 5 to 12, it is a beautiful conversation starter about confidence, self-belief, growth mindset, and learning to speak to yourself with more kindness.

It would make a lovely gift for a child, and it is also a wonderful resource for educators and clinicians. (Truthfully, there is something in this one for grown ups too)

If you know a child who worries, doubts themselves, or is a bit tough on themselves, feel free to share this post with someone who might find it helpful.☺☺️

16/04/2026

Braver kids. More confident families. That’s what we love to see 💛

A big thank you to the children who joined us for Cool Kids in Term 1.

It was such a pleasure to watch your confidence grow as you learned practical ways to manage your worries and face hard things with a little more courage.

And thank you to your families too. So many parents told us they learned helpful ways to support their children at home, which is such an important part of this program.

We’re now getting ready to welcome a new group of children in Years 5 and 6 for our Term 2 Cool Kids Anxiety Program.

There are just two spots left in this small group, led by Kids First Psychologist Amy Jansen-Sturgeon.

Children with Medicare plans are very welcome. The first session begins on Monday 4 May at 3.45pm at Kids First Children's Services in Brookvale.

To find out more, please call Grace on 9938 5419 or share this post with a family who may be interested.

15/04/2026

Thank you to the team at Ekidna- Dee Why School of Early Learning for their company last night!

13/04/2026

One of the joys of working in the northern beaches is having team member catch ups in a beautiful spot like this!

Address

527 Pittwater Road
Brookvale, NSW
2100

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 4:30pm

Website

http://www.kids-first.com.au/

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Our Story

Kids First is an award-winning paediatric health, therapy and tuition centre in Sydney's Northern Beaches. Our psychologists, speech therapists. occupational therpaists and teachers help kids to THRIVE and not just cope at home, preschool and school. We’ve supported more than 11,000 local kids and families since opening our Brookvale centre in 2007. We support kids of all ages and abilities and are also Registered NDIS Providers. At Kids First, children and families can access a range of services that attract health fund and Medicare rebates. Our popular free Community Service Seminars offer free monthly support to parents and our close relationships with teachers allows us to assist preschools and schools too.