Autism-affirming therapy and support in Mulgrave

Speech pathology and occupational therapy for autistic children and their families

If your child has just been diagnosed as autistic — or you are still waiting on an assessment and wondering what happens next — you are probably holding a lot of information and not much of a plan.

Kids Connect Therapy has supported autistic children and their families from our Mulgrave clinic for over a decade. We offer speech pathology and occupational therapy under one roof, which means your child's therapists talk to each other, and you tell your story once.

Join our waitlist Call (03) 9807 1114

What is autism?

Autism, or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), is a lifelong difference in how a person's brain processes information, communication and sensory input. It is not an illness and it is not something a child grows out of, or needs to be cured of.

Autistic children may:

  • Communicate differently — some are highly verbal, some use few or no words, and many use a combination of speech, gesture, writing and communication devices
  • Experience sensory input more or less intensely than others — sound, light, texture, movement, taste and touch
  • Have deep, sustained interests, which are a genuine strength and often the best doorway into learning
  • Find unpredictability and transitions harder to manage than routine
  • Read and use social cues differently, particularly in groups

Autism is described as a spectrum because no two autistic children present the same way, and because the same child's support needs change across settings and across their life. A child who copes well at school may be completely depleted by the time they get home. That is not inconsistency — it is the cost of the effort.

Around 1 in 40 Australians is autistic, and autism is the largest single primary disability group in the NDIS.

What we mean by "neuro-affirming"

Our whole approach starts from a simple position: our job is not to make an autistic child appear less autistic.

Therapy that measures success by how well a child masks — sits still, makes eye contact, stops stimming, passes as neurotypical — can produce a compliant child and an exhausted, anxious adult. There is a growing body of autistic adult testimony telling us exactly that.

So instead we work on:

  • Communication that works for your child, in whatever form that takes. A child who can tell you they are overwhelmed using a device or a gesture is communicating successfully.
  • Regulation before demands. A dysregulated child cannot learn. We work on understanding your child's nervous system first, and skills second.
  • Environments that flex. Often the most effective change is not to the child but to the room, the routine, the classroom, or the expectation.
  • Self-advocacy. Helping your child understand and describe their own needs is a skill that outlasts every other goal on the plan.
  • Working with you, not around you. You know your child better than we ever will. Our sessions are designed so that what happens in the clinic makes sense at home.

Our clinicians are trained in the DIR®/Floortime™ Model, which builds therapy around a child's own emotions, interests and relationships rather than a fixed curriculum. Our practice is also shaped by the work of Dr Mona Delahooke, Dr Stuart Shanker, Kelly Mahler and Dr Ross Greene.

Read more about our approach →

How speech pathology supports autistic children

Communication support is rarely about "teaching a child to talk". It is about finding the most reliable route between what your child means and what the world understands — and back again.

Our speech pathologists work on:

  • Early communication and play — joint attention, turn-taking, gesture, and the pre-language skills that everything else is built on
  • Understanding language — following instructions at home, at kinder and in the classroom, and processing what is said in noisy or fast-moving environments
  • Expressive language — building vocabulary, sentences, and the ability to explain, request, refuse and protest
  • Speech sound development — being understood by teachers, peers and grandparents, not just by you
  • AAC and multi-modal communication — devices, visuals, sign and symbol systems, used alongside speech rather than instead of it
  • Social communication — friendship, conflict, group play and conversation, taught as skills to choose from rather than rules to obey
  • Emotional literacy — naming and describing internal states, which underpins regulation and self-advocacy

More about speech pathology at Kids Connect →

How occupational therapy supports autistic children

Occupational therapy is about the things your child actually needs and wants to do in a day — and removing the friction that stops them.

Our occupational therapists work on:

  • Sensory processing — building a picture of your child's individual sensory profile, and using it to design a day that works rather than a day they survive
  • Emotional regulation — practical, portable strategies, drawing on the Zones of Regulation program and Kelly Mahler's interoception work
  • Fine and gross motor skills — handwriting, scissors, cutlery, dressing, bike riding, playground equipment
  • Daily living skills — sleep routines, mealtimes, toileting, getting out the door in the morning
  • School readiness and school participation — sitting, attending, transitioning, coping with the sensory reality of a classroom
  • Play skills — genuine play, on your child's terms

More about occupational therapy at Kids Connect →

Do we need a diagnosis before we start?

No. You do not need a diagnosis to see us, and you do not need one to be worried.

If your child is under 6 and you have concerns about their development, you can contact an NDIS early childhood partner directly without a diagnosis — for families in Monash, that is Link Health and Community. Many families also start therapy privately while an assessment is pending, which is often the most useful thing you can do with the waiting period.

If you do want to pursue a diagnosis, your GP or paediatrician is the starting point. We are happy to provide reports and observations to support an assessment.

More about funding options →

What happens at your first appointment

Before you come in. You'll complete an intake form and tell us what's going on. If your child has had previous assessments, reports or a diagnosis, we'll ask for those, but nothing is a prerequisite.

The first session. It is mostly play, and mostly for us to watch and listen. We are getting a picture of how your child communicates, moves, regulates and engages — and we are getting to know them. Nothing is tested in the way a parent usually imagines.

Talking with you. We'll ask what a hard day looks like, what a good day looks like, and what you actually want to be different in six months. That last question shapes the goals more than anything else.

Then a plan. Goals in plain language, a recommended session frequency, and a clear statement of what we'll be doing and why. If we think your child would be better served elsewhere, we will tell you that too.

Interpreters are welcome at every appointment, at no cost to you, and we encourage you to bring an advocate if that helps. Ask us to arrange one →

Funding autism therapy

Most families at Kids Connect use one or more of the following. We'll help you work out which applies.

Families we support

Kids Connect Therapy is based at Unit 4, 12 Compark Circuit, Mulgrave, and we see families from across Melbourne's south-east — Mulgrave, Glen Waverley, Wheelers Hill, Clayton, Notting Hill, Springvale, Oakleigh, Dandenong North, Rowville and Wantirna South.

Common questions

Is my child too young to start therapy?
Almost certainly not. The evidence for early support is strong, and much of what we do with very young children looks like play and parent coaching rather than formal therapy. If you have a concern, it is worth a conversation.

Will therapy make my child "less autistic"?
No, and that is not what we are trying to do. Your child will still be autistic. The aim is a child who can communicate what they need, understand their own nervous system, and participate in the parts of life that matter to them — without having to perform being someone else.

My child is already at school and doing okay academically. Is therapy still worth it?
Often yes. Children who cope academically frequently do so at significant cost, and the difficulties show up in friendships, in after-school meltdowns, in anxiety, or in exhaustion. School reports are not the whole picture.

Do you visit schools and kinders?
Yes. We offer school and kinder visits and work with educators on classroom strategies. Ask us about school visits →

Do you offer group programs?
Yes — our Play and Social Language Group Program and our school holiday programs both run regularly. See our group programs →

How long is the waitlist?
It varies by discipline and by the time of year. Join the waitlist → and we'll be straight with you about timing.

Ready to talk to someone?

You do not need a diagnosis, a referral or an NDIS plan to get in touch. Call (03) 9807 1114, email info@kidsconnecttherapy.com.au, or join our waitlist online.

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