Melbourne Child Development

⁣Melbourne Child Development is hiring!

We are looking for an experienced Medical/Allied Health Receptionist to join our dynamic 5-member client services team and our passionate clinicians for 4-5 days a week.

There is flexibility of mid-morning or early starts shared between the client services team to compliment your lifestyle.

Staff wellbeing is the highest priority at Melbourne Child Development. There are many opportunities to develop self-leadership through mentoring from experienced colleagues and the Practice Principal, and through in-house and sponsored external professional development.

Please see the link below for more information on the position and how to apply.

We are looking forward to hearing from you soon!⁣

Careers - Melbourne Child Development Join the team at Melbourne Child Development who have been respected for over 20 years for exceptional service to children and their families. Melbourne Child Development has been dedicated to building positive pathways for exciting futures for children and their families for over 20 years. As of Oc...

Are you considering a career in Private Practice?

Join the annual online event held by the Alliance of Speech Pathology Practices Victoria to be job ready!

Have the opportunity to explore employment options, ask questions, hear from early career speech pathologists and more.

Tuesday 23rd of August 2022
7.00pm (AEST) online via Zoom.

Link to register: https://www.trybooking.com/CBDEE

We are holding an open week at Melbourne Child Development, for final year Speech Pathology students.

The open week will run from Monday 18th July – Friday 22nd July.

We are planning to have two hourly scheduled sessions for two students to come and join our clinical team per day.

We would like students to experience supervision as well as observe a client in session, and provide an opportunity for students to ask questions.

Link to register for our open week: https://calendly.com/mcd834/melbourne-child-development-open-week

Melbourne Child Development is hiring! ⁣
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We are looking for a fun, creative and passionate Occupational Therapist with at least 2 years’ experience who is looking for a part-time or full-time position. ⁣
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We are also looking for an experienced Medical/Allied Health Receptionist to join our dynamic 4-member client services team and our passionate clinicians. This is a fantastic opportunity for a student studying in an allied health field.⁣
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We also have an opening for a Level 2 or a Senior Speech Pathologist at Melbourne Child Development, who will be supported to develop expertise in their areas of passion.⁣
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We would love to discuss these exciting opportunities with you. Please see the link below to our careers page for a full description and details on how to apply.⁣
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We are looking forward to hearing from you soon!⁣

Careers - Melbourne Child Development Join the team at Melbourne Child Development who have been respected for over 20 years for exceptional service to children and their families. Melbourne Child Development has been dedicated to building positive pathways for exciting futures for children and their families for over 20 years. As of Fe...

Merry Christmas from the Melbourne Child Development Team!

Wishing everyone a safe and happy holidays 🎄

The days are getting longer, the sun is setting later, the weather is finally warming, the school year is coming to an end, and the festive season is approaching. This also means many changes are upon us, as more family and friends surround us and different outings, gatherings and commitments arise.

It is important to consider that changes to routine and environments can add different components or stressors to little ones. A seemingly simple gathering of family and friends invokes a whole host of new environments including different smells, sounds, tastes, unfamiliar faces, scenery and location, including type and length of travel. It is to be expected that different or new behaviours may arise. As parents and caregivers it is necessary to be mindful about what behaviours are telling us.

Once we know the purpose of the behaviour it is much easier to understand what little ones can tolerate and we are able to make the necessary changes to support them over the festive season.

The full article can be found here:

Ask an OT: Why does my child act out more at this time of year, and how can I help my child get through the festive season? - Melbourne Child Development The days are getting longer, the sun is setting later, the weather is finally warming, the school year is coming to an end, and the festive season is approaching. This also means many changes are upon us, as more family and friends surround us and different outings, gatherings and commitments arise....

Sensory processing or sensory integration is the way the brain receives, organises and interprets sensory input through the nervous system. The brain is bombarded with sensations such as sight, hearing, taste, touch, smell, and movement, as well as internal sensations including hunger and emotions.

A typically developing nervous system is adaptable and maintains an optimal level of arousal. However, when the flow of sensation is disorganised the brain has difficulty forming perceptions.

To read the full article click here:

Ask an OT: What is Sensory Processing? - Melbourne Child Development Sensory processing or sensory integration is the way the brain receives, organises and interprets sensory input through the nervous system.

In early childhood development, one of the most eagerly awaited milestones is a child’s first words. We often place so much emphasis on the use of verbal language that we sometimes overlook the importance of foundational communication skills that evolve before or alongside words. Social communication can be broken down into four steps.

To read the full article click here:

How to support your child's social communication development - Melbourne Child Development We often place so much emphasis on the use of verbal language that we sometimes overlook the importance of foundational communication skills that evolve before or alongside words. There are lots of components of social communication. This includes using eye contact, gesture, facial expression, body....

Reading or repeating words, phrases or sentence from a list every day can become boring very quickly, so we need to think of ways to have our children say these same words/phrases/sentences in a way that doesn’t feel like a chore.

So, how can we make daily practice sessions something that our children enjoy and want to complete?

To read more click here:

What should I do if my child won't practise speech sounds at home? One of the trickiest parts of a child learning to use a new speech sound is getting them to practise it at home.

Natasha Kolivas, Speech Pathologist, writes…

Over the last few months I have had the pleasure of spending time in lots of my client’s homes (virtually, that is). During this time, I have noticed that if there is one toy that almost all my families have and that all my kiddos love, it’s LEGO! Whether it’s a small box of mixed pieces or a large expert level construction pack, LEGO or block play is one resource that has become a staple in many therapy sessions. And for a good reason – not only is LEGO highly motivating, but it can allow us to target so many different goals!

Click here to read more:

Featured Resource - LEGO! - Melbourne Child Development Natasha Kolivas, Speech Pathologist, writes… Over the last few months I have had the pleasure of spending time in lots of my client’s homes (virtually, that is). During this time, I have noticed that if there is one toy that almost all my families have and that all my kiddos love, it’s LEGO!...

Therapy for children with autism often begins after receiving a diagnosis, which usually doesn’t occur until after the child turns two.

This study's findings suggest that starting therapy during the first year of life, when the brain and mind are developing rapidly, may provide even greater benefits.

Click here to read more:

Therapy for babies showing early signs of autism reduces the chance of clinical diagnosis at age 3 While most children still had some level of developmental difficulties, the therapy boosted their social communication skills, leaving them less likely to meet the criteria for an autism diagnosis.

As a Melbourne Child Development clinician you will be passionately nurtured by experienced Practice Principal Robyn Stephen and her supportive and experienced clinical supervision team to provide the best evidence-based therapy that creates positive futures for children and their families.

We are seeking an equally passionate Psychologist with 2 years plus experience in child psychology, to join a multi-discipline team with our Psychologist, Speech Pathologists, Occupational Therapists and Allied Health Assistant to create truly holistic intervention for each child.

Our client base comprises a diverse presentation of neurodevelopmental conditions including Autism Spectrum Disorder and Specific Learning Disorder in clients from birth to their early 20s.

There is scope to streamline your caseload into your areas of passion and to be provided with internal and external professional development opportunities to develop your knowledge and confidence in those areas. One of our experienced clinicians has recently followed her passion for animal assisted therapy which she now provides at Melbourne Child Development.

Clinicians work with our dynamic client services team at our bright and freshly renovated rooms in Box Hill South for 4 days a week and spend a day working from home on Telehealth. It is possible to provide our 19 hours of clinical contact over 4 days and have an additional day at home for admin and professional reading and development.

We provide a psychologically safe place for you to voice your opinions and ideas and we are innovative in response to those ideas. You can build your professional reputation with our loyal network of referring paediatricians, teachers and other health professionals.

Professional development is a high priority at Melbourne Child Development and you have a generous annual allowance for external PD and external supervision at the same time as having access to regular internal PD and supervision from our experienced supervisors.

Shape the role to suit your passion and work style

Melbourne Child Development can help you to find your passion and flourish.
- opportunity to lead your own career pathway by choosing your caseload
choose the MCD client programs you want to lead and/or participate in
develop your own programs
- enjoy a generous external professional development allowance to increase your knowledge and confidence in your areas of passion
- work from home one day a week on Telehealth
- work from home another day a week on admin and professional reading and development by choosing to work your 19 clinical contact hours over 4 days instead of 5 days
- choose an early start at 7.30 am and finish at 3.36 pm or choose a late start at 10.30 am and finish at 6.36 pm
- enjoy an outdoor deck, garden and sensory gym for flexible therapy spaces

Work Life balance

Your well-being is important to us and this is what we offer to keep you feeling energized, motivated and valued:
- scheduled regular internal supervision sessions
- scheduled regular external supervision sessions
- qualitative client feedback is sought to celebrate your valuable work
- great range of assessment materials including access to tablet administration
- exciting range of resources and sharing to reduce your preparation time
- on call support from the Practice Principal, Practice Manager, Clinical Manager and Deputy Clinical Managers
- less than half of your time is client contact to leave plenty of time to support your clients with admin tasks outside of sessions
- develop your self-care strategies through whole practice professional development training in self – leadership
participate in social activities within work time
- take the financial worry out of parental leave with the MCD parental leave payments in addition to your government payment. Eligible after 2 years with MCD.

Join Melbourne Child Development

If you are a Psychologist who has good self-awareness and self-management skills, is in-tune with your work colleagues so you can benefit from a team, has a positive perspective and is open to learning, we would love to meet you.

Registration as a Psychologist with the Psychology Board (AHPRA) is required.

Membership of the Australian Psychological Society is desirable

Qualified to administer WISC-V, WIAT-111 and ADOS -2 is an advantage

Please submit application and resume to Robyn Stephen Practice Principal [email protected]