Toddlers and Preschool Aged Children (2 to 5 years)

The first five years of a child’s life are critical for development. The experiences children have in these years help shape the adults they will become. Development is the term used to describe the changes in your child’s physical growth, as well as his or her ability to learn the social, emotional, behaviour, thinking and communication skills he or she needs for life. All of these areas are linked, and each depends on and influences the others.

Specific Problems we Help with in this age group
Separation Anxiety (i.e. when your child is having difficulty being away from their parent)
Other anxiety and phobia (e.g. fear of the water, fear of the dark, fear of sleeping alone)
Sadness, grief, trauma and loss
The Impact of Parental Separation
Sleeping, feeding and toilet training issues
Issues with challenging behaviour (e.g. tantrums, non-compliance, hyperactivity)
Problems with social development
Difficulties managing strong emotions such as anger
Obsessions and habits (e.g. thumb sucking, hair pulling)
Elective Mutism (e.g. when your child doesn’t talk even though they are able to)
Learning, communication or developmental difficulties
Assessment Services for this age group may help
Discovering your child’s individual learning profile (strengths and weaknesses)
Children with learning difficulties
Children who may be intellectually gifted
Determining school readiness
With specialized clinical assessments for disorders such as Autism Spectrum Disorders or Attention Deficit Disorder
Therapy Services for this age group include:
Family centered therapy – we work with your preschooler, your and their teaching and child care professionals and other services (where involved) to create a dynamic change for the child across all their settings.
Play based therapies (we conduct counselling and teach new skills via a range of age appropriate actcities. Children usually find this process fun and engaging.
Behaviour management programs – many
Learning enhancement programs
Home and Kindergarten sessions are sometimes appropriate for this age group