Thrive Health & Lactation

11/11/2025

🌿 We’re Hiring! 🌿

📍 Coffs Harbour / Nambucca Valley ~ Allied Health Assistant / Occupational Therapist / Speech Therapist (Casual)

Thrive Health is looking for passionate, flexible, and motivated team members to join our multidisciplinary practice.

✨ Support & deliver therapy for paediatric NDIS participants
✨ Engage kids through play, art & holistic approaches
✨ Mentorship, coaching & growth opportunities
✨ Casual role with potential to grow hours
✨ Above award pay (Award 0027 + additional based on experience & skill)

📍 Port Macquarie / Wauchope ~ Allied Health Assistant / Support Worker (Casual)

Thrive Health is looking for a caring, flexible, and motivated team member to join our multidisciplinary practice.

✨ Support therapists & NDIS participants
✨ Engage kids through play, art & holistic approaches
✨ Mentorship, coaching & growth opportunities
✨ Casual role with potential to grow hours
✨ Above award pay (Award 0027 + additional based on experience & skill)

💌 Apply now – send your CV & cover letter to admin@thrivehealth.au

04/11/2025

04/11/2025

04/11/2025

Did you know that exercises targeting the muscles of the tongue and throat can improve stability of the airway and help prevent airway collapse during sleep?

Myofunctional therapy is a well supported intervention to help reduce snoring obstructive sleep apnoea in both children and adults, especially in conjunction with CPAP, surgery, or orthodontic treatments.

Here is a pioneering study from Brazil that examines the impact of specific exercises. The researchers used a camera down the nose and throat to see the impact on mobility, tone, and dimensions of various regions in the throat. This work contributes much needed understanding of how the exercises work, and provides insights into selection of exercises to improve outcomes.

A big congratulations to speech and language colleague Esther Bianchini and her team for their dedication to advancing this field and improving outcomes for so many! 👏

Here’s the link to the research:
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ocr.12912

04/11/2025

Missed Diagnoses and the Emotional Impact of Late Autism Identification

For many autistic women, diagnosis comes late in life, often after years of wondering why everyday life feels so effortful. Some recognise themselves only after their child’s diagnosis or through stories that reflect their own. What begins as curiosity can quickly turn into a powerful realisation, this might be me.

Many first seek help for depression or anxiety. It is often a mental health professional who notices lifelong social or sensory patterns and raises the possibility of autism. Early signs are commonly missed, especially when girls mask their differences or are viewed through gendered expectations of being caring, quiet, or sensitive.

The cost of being unseen can be heavy. Years of trying to fit in may lead to exhaustion, perfectionism, and persistent self-doubt. When difficulties finally emerge, they are often misinterpreted as mood or anxiety disorders rather than signs of unmet neurodevelopmental needs. Studies link delayed identification with greater risk of depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation (Lupindo et al., 2022; Lilley et al., 2021).

For many, receiving a diagnosis brings both relief and grief. It reframes the past, offering language and self-understanding where confusion once stood. Recognising autism earlier, especially in girls and women, is not only about accuracy. It is about protecting wellbeing and ensuring that no one spends a lifetime feeling unseen.

Reference: Lupindo et al., 2022; Lilley et al., 2021.

📚Learn more!
Want to learn more about the unique strengths, challenges, and lived experiences of autistic women?

Join the webcast Autistic Women webcast on 7 November 2025 - An afternoon session, 1:30 pm – 4:45 pm AEST to explore the experiences, strengths, and mental health of autistic women across adulthood.
🔗 https://www.attwoodandgarnettevents.com/products/webcast-autistic-women-7th-november-2025

In the morning, we are hosting our Autistic Girls from 9:30 am – 12:45 pm AEST, Brisbane time.
🔗 https://www.attwoodandgarnettevents.com/products/webcast-autistic-girls-7th-november-2025

04/11/2025

An infant’s microbiome influences everything from physical health and brain development in early years to mental health in adolescence and beyond. The first 1000 days are crucial for establishing a healthy microbial ecosystem since once it’s in place, it’s hard to change. Neuroscience columnist Helen Thompson investigates the best ways to get kids’ microbiomes off to the best start.

Read our story: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2500975-how-to-nurture-infant-microbiomes-for-a-lifetime-of-good-mental-health/

Image: Halfpoint Images/Getty Images

04/11/2025

04/11/2025

04/11/2025

Congratulations to Soroush Zaghi, MD and The Breathe Institute team on publishing their 2025 update on lingual frenuloplasty (tongue-tie release with sutures) outcomes.

They originally reported a retrospective analysis of 445 patients treated in conjunction with myofunctional therapy in 2019 - a groundbreaking foundation for the field.

This new prospective study of 445 patients aged 4 years and older builds on that work with several key refinements:

✅ Standardized pre- and postoperative myofunctional therapy protocol with readiness assessments to ensure consistent preparation and rehabilitation of tongue and orofacial muscles.
✅ Functional mobility endpoints - the Tongue Range of Motion Ratio (TRMR) and Floor of Mouth (FOM) Hold Maneuver - used to improve diagnosis, guide surgical planning, and determine adequacy of release.
✅ Preserving more fascia and a transition from scissors only to assistance with a LightScalpel CO₂ laser for greater surgical precision, visualization, bleeding control, and less complications.
✅ Use of a tissue glue and reduced sutures for enhanced wound stability, bleeding control, and improved wound healing.

This infographic compares and summarises the results as their approach has evolved.

The field continues to progress through the pioneering work of this team, collaboration with myofunctional therapy, and ongoing innovation in assessment and technique.

These releases are a very gratifying part of my work, and it is very inspiring to see how we can keep learning and evolving to achieve even better outcomes for our patients.

Read the full details of this study here:
https://www.mdpi.com/2694-2526/51/2/11 #

03/11/2025

The importance of ensuring adequate choline intakes during pregnancy is increasingly recognized. Choline is critical for a number of physiological processes during the prenatal period with roles in membrane biosynthesis and tissue expansion, neurotransmission and brain development, and methyl group....

03/11/2025

🌿 NDIS Physiotherapy for Kids

NDIS physiotherapy in early childhood focuses on helping little bodies move, play, and participate with confidence — not just treating injuries.

Our physiotherapists use play-based, sensory-rich, and nature-based activities to build strength, balance, coordination, and postural control. 🌳✨

🌼 Regulation and sensory-motor integration – helping children feel calm, centred, and ready to learn through movement and body awareness
🌼 Hypermobility and low muscle tone – developing stability, endurance, and safe movement patterns
🌼 Orofacial myofunctional goals – improving breathing, jaw strength, tongue posture, and oral-motor coordination

Physio, Speech, EC and OT work hand-in-hand — while physio supports how the body moves, OT helps children use those movements for daily activities, for example.

Together, we help children build the physical foundations to connect, move, and thrive naturally. 🌸mp