CPL Annual Report 2011/12 - Cerebral Palsy League

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Providing Leading Allied
Health Services
The Cerebral Palsy League is a recognised
expert in providing Allied Health services
for people with cerebral palsy and physical
disability. Our services include physiotherapy,
occupational therapy, speech pathology,
social work, psychology, health liaison
support and technology and equipment
solutions.
We provided 3,513 individuals and families
with Allied Health support in 2011-12.
There is high demand for these services,
which the level of government funding simply
cannot meet. Fortunately in 2011-12, with the
introduction of the Australian Government’s
Better Start for Children with Disability
initiative and through the coordinated use
of families’ private health insurance, we have
been able to provide more children with
Allied Health services.
We have been encouraging families to
register with Better Start for Children
with Disability. From 1 July 2011, children
under seven with cerebral palsy have been
eligible to receive financial support for
speech pathology, occupational therapy,
physiotherapy, psychology and purchase of
equipment. Children under 13 years of age are
also eligible for a limited number of therapy
services that attract a Medicare rebate.
We were well prepared for the commencement
of Better Start in mid-2011, with streamlined
processes to support families and welltargeted
information materials. One of our
points of difference in providing Better Start
services is that families are able to order
equipment through us in addition to therapy
services.
earlier this year used a PODD communication
book, translated into Vietnamese. Local
teachers were overwhelmed by how
this improved their students’ ability to
communicate and participate in the
classroom.
The Cerebral Palsy League’s Manager of
Practice and Knowledge Development
was invited to South Africa to volunteer
and present workshops on Bobath therapy
and Augmented Assistive Communication
supports for people with cerebral palsy. This
visit resulted in a number of international
orders for the Communication Board Service
products.
The Walkways Mobility Program (formerly
the Hart Walker Program) expanded to offer
eligible young clients streamlined assessment
and prescription to a variety of walking or
mobility device options.
In addition to the broad range of high tech
customised solutions for individuals and
families, our Assistive Technology Support
Services have worked with the Practice
Support Team to develop virtual Allied Health
services using Skype and other web-based
products from our technological hub in
Geebung, which is generously supported by
Xstrata. We look forward to better assisting
Queenslanders living in remote locations,
through virtual services such as these.
Camp Have A Chat
The Cerebral Palsy League hosts ‘Camp Have
A Chat’ annually, with support from the State
Government and corporate sponsors, to help
children and young people with complex
communication needs to develop self-esteem
by using new technologies and techniques to
‘have a chat’ with their families and friends.
We also undertook a review of equipment loans,
aiming to implement a state-wide equipment
loan library in 2012-13, providing people across
Queensland with better access to equipment.
Our Communication Board Service products,
particularly the Pragmatic Organisation
Dynamic Display (PODD) communication
books, have received international
recognition. University of Queensland
students visiting Vietnam special schools
Young people attended the 2011 event in
the September school holidays with their
families and, together with speech therapists
and community artists, worked through a
program designed to allow each child to
explore his or her own creativity through
visual arts, storytelling and drama.
Cerebral Palsy League | Annual Report 2011/12