Lynne Bullen

Lynne is an experienced occupational therapist and RDI Consultant. She helps parents incorporate RDI and Occupational Therapy goals into their typical interactions with their children.

Lynne has worked in preschool and school settings, as well as with peak government and non government therapy and assessment teams for children. When government funding initiatives made specialised ASD services for children more widely available, Lynne started working in a team specialising in autism. Finding that there were gaps in what standard services could provide due to limited understanding and training in autism, Lynne moved into private practice in 2010 to enable her to train in, and then provide, RDI.

Lynne believes that the Guidelines for Best Practice in Early Childhood developed by Early Childhood Intervention Australia and endorsed by NDIA are met very well by an RDI approach to intervention for all ages, not just children under 7 years of age. The guidelines refer to:-

• Learning best through everyday experiences and interactions with familiar people in familiar contexts.
• Working with and supporting the family and caregivers in a highly individualised and dynamic way.
• Honouring the child and family’s preferences, learning styles and cultural beliefs.
• Focusing on functional outcomes that reflect the family’s needs and priorities.
• Using processes and strategies that are based on current research and keeping abreast of relevant new information

Parents of children with autism are often desperate for their child to be able to interact with other children and form friendships. And rightly so! However, they are usually advised that this will be achieved by placing their children amongst other children at child care or preschool. Unfortunately, awareness and connection doesn’t happen by osmosis for children with Autism. It requires much more mindful and persistent modelling by the adults who know them best.

Lynne is passionate about fostering connection in the home environment first, as this is the foundation for being able to adapt to the unpredictability that children with autism encounter and are overwhelmed by when with other children. She sees three and four-year-olds who have ASD wanting to join in with other children at the park or in child care, but all they can do is stand by and watch or push the other child as a way to connect, or knock over what they are doing. They end up playing on their own or in parallel, but not with other children, and it’s very confusing for them. It’s very satisfying to gradually be able to change that..

Services Offered Include:

• Assessment of relationship skills using the RDI assessment protocol.
• Coaching and support of parents to guide their child during their day to day interaction in ways that develop communication, engagement and reciprocity in relationships, flexibility, self-regulation and dynamic thinking.
• Practical ways to incorporate the development of play, self-care and fine and gross motor skills into day to day living.
• Strategies to promote more relaxed mealtimes and enjoying a wider range of foods.
• Strategies for sensory sensitivities and sensory processing difficulties.
• The Safe and Sound Protocol
• Collaboration with other services including schools and preschools to integrate remediation programs and to assist smooth transitions, limit anxiety and maximize your child’s learning.