Following a wonderful week in January, our Regional Intensive Holiday Therapy Program continued during the July school holidays – bringing together children, parents and carers from across WA for five days of fun, family and friendship.
This time, both returning and new families travelled from far and wide to join us for the program, which is developed specifically for regional and remote families.
We welcomed children supported by our Early Childhood and School Age services to Shenton Park, making the hub the best kind of busy! And there was plenty of play and learning along the way, between one-on-one therapy sessions where participants and their therapists used balloons, bubbles, block building and more to work on goals and skill development; group sessions filled with science, songs, stories and sensory exploration; and collaborative workshops creating connection for parents and carers.
You can see some snapshots of the program in action below!
Throughout the program, families and their therapists create individualised support plans and leave with the knowledge they need to put their new strategies and skills into place. There are also friendships formed between children and families that grow year after year, continuing to flourish after they have headed back home.
The July week ended with a paper chain of feelgood “warm fuzzies” and certificates awarded to celebrate the children’s achievements and progress. As part of this, we were excited to recognise the graduation of Liam, one of our long-time attendees.
“This was a great opportunity to celebrate Liam, who has been part of our regional weeks since 2019. As he transitions out of the intensive program, we marked the milestone with a graduation – complete with cap, certificate, and plenty of cheers from his peers and the therapy team!” says Giorgia, Liam’s key therapist.
“Liam has grown in confidence (and height) over the years as he has been supported to reach his goals. It’s been such a joy to support him and his family, and I can’t wait to see what he achieves in the future.”
It was incredible looking back and seeing how far all of the regional kids and families had come in such a short time, and not just to attend the program in the first place.
Take a look at some special moments from the July program below.
We are already looking forward to welcoming families back in January 2026 for the next Regional Holiday Therapy Program. If you are interested in joining us, you can find out more and express your interest here.
For more information, contact us at regional.therapy@autism.org.au or call (08) 9489 8900.