How can physiotherapy support someone with a disability?

The NDIS brings an opportunity for Physiotherapists to support people of all ages with physical conditions like Cerebral Palsy, Multiple Sclerosis or with lifelong injuries such as Spinal Cord Injury or Acquired Brain Injury. Also, people who have activity restrictions caused by non-physical conditions such as intellectual or psychosocial disability or autism can benefit from physiotherapy.

The possibilities are endless, but a good Physiotherapist always starts with the person and what they want to be able to do that they can’t do already, and where they want to head in life.

Once a goal is set, such as joining a local sports club or entering the workforce, an assessment helps understand where a person is now, and what barriers they face in achieving those outcomes. This helps to create an individually tailored interdisciplinary therapy plan to achieve those outcomes, which is often focussed on building opportunities for people to practice newly developed skills within their everyday routine.

For example, Physiotherapy can support a young man who is living with Autism who loves moving and has many sensory needs and preferences. Let’s say that young man finds sitting still for mealtimes a real challenge. His family would love for him to join them for a family meal at a restaurant when they can. A Physiotherapist will look at his mealtime set up at home, and his daily routines. They then identify motivating opportunities to incorporate movement safely into his routines, both before and during mealtimes. These strategies, as a part of an interdisciplinary approach, can help this young man to sit and eat for longer periods with his family.

How physiotherapy helped Lewis achieve his goals

Trish Hill, a passionate Everyday Independence Physiotherapist with extensive experience in Paediatrics, talks about how she supported Lewis to achieve his goals.

“Lewis is a young man living with Cerebral Palsy who I’ve been supporting since he was in Prep. He moved to warmer pastures in the Gold Coast last month, but thanks to our Everyday Independence team, he’s been able to keep his supports consistent and doesn’t have to start all over again. I’m still supporting him online until he gets settled, and then it’s high school next year for him! He’s pictured here with his dog Melody, who is having a ride in his wheelchair.”

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