Allied Health Link Round Up Blog – November & December 2021
- Allied Health Support Services
- November 26, 2021
ALLIED HEALTH SUPPORT SERVICES is always looking for ways to save you time… On that note, here is our monthly LINK ROUND UP BLOG for your enjoyment!
Is there anything you want to see featured or chased up? Please let us know! At the end of each month, we publish this awesome round-up blog!
For this month, a special mention goes out to all of our colleagues working in the NDIS space!
The NDIS supports individuals with permanent and significant disabilities to achieve their goals and enjoy a meaningful life. We’ve put together interesting articles, resources, and blogs all for you. Happy reading!
With the 2021International Day of People with Disability approaching, let’s join together in promoting awareness, understanding and acceptance of people with disabilities and celebrate their achievements and contributions. Promotional material, including digital resources, are available to download!

LEADERSHIP
How to lead your team when you feel stressed and tired
The past year has been hard on all of us – so how exactly are leaders supposed to ‘keep smiling’?
It’s important for all workers and especially leaders to be aware of their own limits and wellbeing. It’s important to practice good self-care and look at ways to maintain and improve mental health, just as we would do with physical health. Too often this gets ignored. Full article here
FEATURED
Verve OT was founded in October 2018 by SARRAH COLLISION, an OT and one of the occupational therapy of the year finalists at the Australian Allied Health Awards.
Verve OT provides quality and affordable professional clinical training by experienced occupational therapists!
ARTICLES
Gene therapy for rare form of autism may treat an autism-linked condition
Increasing expression of the gene that is faulty in Rett syndrome lowers repetitive behaviors in a mouse model of a different autism-linked condition called Pitt-Hopkins syndrome, a new unpublished study demonstrates.
Pitt-Hopkins syndrome results from mutations in a large gene called TCF4. Because the gene is nearly 443,000 DNA ‘letters’ in length, it is difficult to deliver as a gene therapy, says Cassandra Dennys, a research scientist in Kathrin Meyer’s lab at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, who presented the work.
Hearing services and the NDIS
Hearing services provided by the Government to eligible people have changed.
The National Disability Insurance Scheme and the Australian Government’s Hearing Services Program have different roles in providing supports to people with hearing difficulties. But they aim to work together to make sure that quality hearing services continue to be available to people of all ages. Read more…
$1.27M to improve disability support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
A group of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations across Australia are receiving a total of $1.27 million in grants to improve the delivery of National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) support services.
The $22,000 Indigenous Business Support Funding grants have been awarded to 57 organisations.
Awarded for the first time this year, the scheme was administered by the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO), which represents 143 community health organisations.
The grants are being provided as part of the Federal Government’s NDIS Ready project. Read more…
CLINICAL
Guidelines and regulations in relation to restrictive practices are a recent yet pervasive area of practice for many Allied Health Professionals. In order to help you understand and navigate this area of practice, Allied Health Support Services has compiled some information (to the best of their knowledge) and resources for you! Read more…

Peruse our awesome Allied Health blog offerings here!
We are expanding!!
RESOURCES
The Disability Gateway
The Disability Gateway has information and services to help people with disabilities, their family, friends, and carers, to find the support they need in Australia. Learn more here…
Resources for disability workers
eSafety provides resources and professional development for disability specialists and frontline workers in the domestic and family violence sector.
eSafety training helps disability specialists who support clients with intellectual or cognitive disabilities to learn about technology-facilitated abuse and build awareness around support pathways. Resources for disability workers.
NDIS Quality and Safeguards Resources
These resources are for anyone working in the sector and wanting to further understand NDIS Quality and Safeguard topics.
These resources provide support for providers to understand and meet registration conditions; engage with the NDIS Practice Standards; and drive continuous quality improvement to raise both the standard and safety of service delivery to NDIS Participants. Learn more here.
National Disability Practitioners
National Disability Practitioners (NDP) strives to build and maintain a community of capable, professional and engaged individuals who are committed to delivering high-quality supports and life opportunities for people with disabilities.
NDP represents a diverse community of more than 14,000 members, ranging from disability support workers to allied health practitioners, leaders, business support staff, students, and volunteers. Read more.
Intellectual Disability Mental Health Core Competency Framework: A Manual for Mental Health Professionals
The Intellectual Disability Mental Health Core Competency Framework: A Manual for Mental Health Professionals describes the specific skills and attributes required by mental health professionals for the provision of quality services to people with an intellectual disability. It outlines the necessary approaches to clinical practice when working with people with an intellectual disability and identifies the core competencies that mental health professionals require to work in this area. The Framework also includes a self-assessment tool to help professionals determine their current skillset and guides readers to resources that support professional development in intellectual disability mental health.
The Framework was developed in consultation with key stakeholders and was funded by Mental Health Children and Young People, NSW Ministry of Health.
NDS’s NDIS Sector Development Podcast
Tune in as they talk about the NDIS and disability sector topics. In this podcast series, the NDS team along with studio guests explore the changing shape of the sector. You will hear the voices of experts in the sector and people with disabilities providing real-life examples and operational advice for disability service providers. Listen here.
Allied Health Support Services has a library of FREE resources, including webinars and presentations, for health professionals! Topics range from business and marketing to neurological rehabilitation and paediatrics. Sign up today to access amazing resources, podcasts, webinars and blogs for FREE!
RESEARCH & LITERATURE
Acquisition of cognitive and communication milestones in infants with Down syndrome
This study provides foundational information that can contribute to the formulation of a developmental schedule for cognitive and language milestone acquisition in infants with down syndrome (DS). This information can contribute to a broader understanding of norms of development among infants with DS, which may make it possible for clinicians to interpret an individual infant’s presentation, and to anticipate intervention and treatment needs in more personalised ways.
Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, S. Onnivello,E. K. Schworer,L. A. Daunhauer,D. J. Fidler, https://doi.org/10.1111/jir.12893
Health & Wellness
25 Christmas Wellbeing Tips
Christmas is supposed to be a time of joy, excitement, and love with family or friends.
However, for some Christmas may be met with some apprehension and challenges, particularly for those living with mental health challenges or for those who are supporting a loved one living with mental health challenges.
Amid all the flurry of Christmas, taking time out to remember a few simple ways to protect your wellbeing could make all the difference. So here are 25 tips from HelpingMinds® to make this festive season a little more manageable. Read more…
ALLIED HEALTH EVENTS
Melbourne Disability Connection Expo 2022
The Melbourne Disability Connection Expo 2022 will be presented by Afford, on January 18th and 19th. This Expo can change lives by bringing hundreds of NDIS business providers and thousands of participants together under one roof for two fantastic days of fun and information.
The event focuses on supporting participants to access disability service providers, early intervention, allied health capacity building supports, and disability/complex case services for aged and childcare.
Victorian Disability Sport and Recreation Festival
The Victorian Disability Sport and Recreation Festival began in 2010 and promotes and celebrates physically active lifestyles for people of all abilities on International Day of People with Disability each year. Activities commence at 10 am and end at 2pm.
Date: 3rd December 2021
Injury prevention among people with a disability webinar
This training would benefit health professionals who work with people with disabilities as a disability carer, support worker, advocate, aged care worker, physiotherapist, and occupational therapist.
Date: 6th December 2021
Child & Adolescent Mental Health Conference
Hear insight from industry experts who will discuss the latest research and developments, increase your network of fellow professionals and unite to improve mental health practices with children and adolescents.
Date: 28-30 March 2022
Research to practice 2022
The Conference Co-Chairs, Committee and Exercise & Sports Science Australia (ESSA) are excited to bring you Research to Practice 2022. After a hugely successful 2021 event, the conference will remain virtual, providing the opportunity for delegates throughout Australia and beyond to participate. Super early bird registration closes 16th December 2021
Date: 19 – 21 May 2022

Thank you all so much for your kind words of support throughout the year, I absolutely and truly appreciate connecting with each of you.
Wishing EVERYONE a wonderful restful break with your loved ones… Happy Christmas!
Subscribe to our FREE NEWSLETTER to keep UP TO DATE with all the latest Allied Health information for 2022!
Sarena Jones
Director @ Allied Health Support Services
Founder @ Australian Allied Health Awards
Director @ Allied Health Therapies
