A clear assessment, an individual plan and a family that knows how to help: the three things every child’s progress rests on.
Good therapy starts with a clear picture of the child. At Mayrah, every child begins with a functional assessment of up to 648 skills across ten areas of development, which becomes a baseline that is never overwritten. From it, our Principal Consultant sets goals with a timeline for each, and therapists record progress every week.
Therapy hours are only part of a child’s week. Families, grandparents, caregivers and teachers spend far more time with a child than any therapist, so we train and support the people around your child, share home activities, and plan from the start for skills to carry over to every setting.
16 needs explained in plain language
These descriptions help you understand terms you may hear. They are not a diagnosis, which can only come from a qualified clinician.
A developmental assessment looks at how a child is doing across areas such as communication, social, motor, thinking and daily-living skills. Our functional assessment of up to 648 skills builds a detailed baseline for therapy planning. It is a functional assessment, not a diagnostic one.
Noticing delays early means support can begin while the brain is most adaptable. MDAS, our free online check for children aged 8 months to 7 years, helps parents see where their child stands and when a conversation with a professional may help.
Early intervention is support given in the early years, ideally soon after a concern is noticed. It focuses on building skills across communication, play, behaviour and daily living, and on helping families support their child at home.
No two children need the same plan. Every programme at Mayrah is built from your child’s assessment and set by our Principal Consultant, with goals that change as your child grows.
Occupational therapy supports the skills children need for everyday life: sensory regulation, fine and gross motor skills, self-care, handwriting and play. Goals are linked to what matters most to the child and family.
Speech and language therapy supports understanding, expression, speech sounds and social communication, and where relevant feeding and oral-motor skills. Therapy is play-based and linked to daily routines.
Social skills training teaches the specific skills children need to interact with others, in one-to-one sessions and small groups, and then practises them in natural settings.
Play is a child’s natural way of learning. Play-based intervention uses the child’s interests to teach communication, social, thinking and motor skills, so learning feels like fun.
Sensory-based intervention uses planned sensory activities to help a child stay regulated and ready to learn, as part of a wider therapy plan.
Parents are the most important people in a child’s life. We teach parents the strategies used in therapy so they can support skills at home, and we keep you informed at every step.
Grandparents, nannies and other caregivers often spend a lot of time with a child. Training them in the same strategies means the child receives consistent support across the day.
Skills learnt at the centre need to work at home too. We share home activities and routines, chosen for your child, in every Achievement Report and in regular conversations.
Generalisation means a child can use a skill with different people, in different places and with different materials, not only with their therapist. We plan for it from the very first goal.
Inclusive education means children with developmental differences learn alongside their peers, with the right support. We help families and schools with strategies that make inclusion work for the child.
Individualised learning support adapts teaching to a child’s level, pace and learning style, building academic and pre-academic skills one step at a time.
When behaviour gets in the way of learning in class, we help identify the reasons and suggest practical strategies, working with families and, where they wish, with teachers.
