About Us | Mysite

Welcome

Click here for our Vision, Mission, Values

At Little Buds OT we love helping children who are struggling with everyday life skills, whether these are at home, kinder or at school. We also focus on preparing children for the best possible transition to school.

Therapy is never as effective when it is forced or not fun. We let the child lead so that they feel like they are the most important and valued person in the room. When we truly get to know each other and therapy becomes meaningful to the child, that's when we see them flourish.

We know that parents/caregivers are the expert on their child and we value the importance of parental involvement in therapy sessions. Therefore whenever possible we work with you and your child to achieve the best outcomes. If you can't be at therapy sessions, we make sure to provide you with progress notes, photos and sometimes videos, so that you can follow-up on what we are working on, at home.

All our therapists are registered to practice as Occupational Therapists through Allied Health Practitioners Registration Authority (AHPRA) and are members of their professional association Occupational Therapy Australia.

We look forward to hearing from you and supporting you and your child.

Meet Our Team

Kat Peters Director/ Occupational Therapist

I graduated as an Occupational Therapist (Masters of OT Practice) from LaTrobe University in 2006. I have worked in community health, in private practice with adults with acquired brain injury, and in paediatric community health. After having my own children 13 years ago, I needed more flexibility and started up my own private paediatric practice to provide much needed services in my local areas of Casey and Cardinia.

I have worked with children with varying needs and difficulties and I have enjoyed being part of their journey and seeing them flourish.

I am always striving to learn more about how to help the children we see, and I regularly attend professional development opportunities. Some of these have included:

Primitive Reflex Integration Training - RMTi (Moira Dempsey)
DIR Floortime Certificate of Proficiency 201 - ICDL
Using Gravity to Facilitate Development in Infants & Young Children
Decoding Autism - Kim Barthel
The Alert program - “How Does your Engine Run?”
Traffic Jam in My Brain – Gen Jereb
M.O.R.E - Integrating the Mouth with Sensory and Postural Functions
Making Sense of the Senses – Gillian Griffiths and Shannon Downey
Handwriting - Getting it Write - Lisa Scott & Suzanne Wakefield
Cognitive Orientation to Daily Occupational Performance - CO-OP
Eyesight to Insight - Visual Vestibular Assessment and Treatment
Sensory Processing and Everyday Life - Dr. Winnie Dunn

Emma Occupational Therapist

I am an Occupational Therapist who has always been passionate about working with children and their families, with a strong interest in self-regulation, emotional regulation and behaviour. I graduated from the Australian Catholic University with a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy. My passion for working with children has led me to volunteer in specialist schools and I have a Professional Certificate of Education Support.

Professionally I have experience working with children of all ages, including teenagers, with a variety of diagnoses and I believe that utilising a child’s/teenager's strengths is the best way to achieve their goals.

Personally I have experience of disability with my younger brothers, which I believe helps me be a better therapist and gives me insight into the families I work with. I come from a big family and love spending time with my four siblings, as well as my dog, cats and chickens!

Some recent professional development I have completed includes:

Primitive Reflex Integration Training - RMTi (Moira Dempsey)
DIR Floortime 101 & 201 Certificate - ICDL
Using Gravity to Facilitate Development in Infants & Young Children
Traffic Jam in My Brain – Gen Jereb
Handwriting and the CO-OP Approach
The Zones of Regulation
Talking Toileting

Taya Occupational Therapist

I completed my Masters of Occupational Therapy at Swinburne University.
I have worked with people of all ages in a variety of roles including personal care assistance in aged care and disability support work within the community.

I am passionate about working with children and have experience working with children with a variety of needs, including within the school setting. I love being part of their journey and seeing them achieve their goals.

I value the principles of DIR Floortime and I enjoy learning from the children I see, just as much as I enjoy teaching them and seeing them grow. I also have a particular interest in being able to communicate with people in any way possible and have recently completed a certificate in Auslan Level 2.

Personally, I enjoy keeping fit and have been a volunteer junior netball coach for many years.

Some recent professional development I have completed includes:

Primitive Reflex Integration Training - RMTi (Moira Dempsey)
DIR Floortime 101 & 201 Certificate - ICDL
Alert Program, How Does Your Engine Run?

Merna Occupational Therapist

I graduated with a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy from the Australian Catholic University in 2016. Since then I have gained experience through my employment with adults and children in a range of areas including hospitals, community health, return to work (Occupational Rehabilitation) and paediatrics.

I found my passion to work with children after having my own daughter in 2021. I highly value working with children and their families with a respectful, honest and supportive attitude. I am passionate about enabling children to reach their full potential through fun and engaging child led therapy.

Personally, I enjoy spending time with my family and volunteering at my local church.

I recently completed the Primitive Reflexes and Rhythmic Movement training with Moira Dempsey, which I look forward to utilising in my therapy sessions.

Ebony Occupational Therapist

I completed my Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Honours) at Monash University. Over the duration of my studies, I have gained experience in working with individuals of all ages within a variety of settings including mental health, physical rehabilitation and neurological rehabilitation. As a recently graduated OT, I look forward to continuing to progress my career and attend regular professional development opportunities.

Whilst I am passionate about enriching the lives of all individuals, I am particularly passionate about the field of paediatrics and supporting children to achieve their goals through fun, meaningful, strengths-based therapy.

I am a positive and enthusiastic individual and always strive to develop a safe and trusting therapeutic environment for those that I work with. I recently completed valuable training in Primitive Reflexes and Rhythmic Movement.

Personally, I grew up playing netball and have always loved being active. In my spare time, I love spending time with my family and my very much loved dog, Riley.

Michelle Therapy Assistant

I am currently undertaking my Bachelor of Applied Science/ Masters of Occupational Therapy at La Trobe University. What drew me to study occupational therapy was the prospect of being a part of someone's journey to improve quality of life and happiness. I truly believe occupational therapists can assist people and their families by helping them see their potential and build their confidence to live their best lives.

I really enjoy connecting and working with children. I love their creativity and ability to come up with ideas, the stories they end up sharing, their curiosity, and capacity to learn. I have previously worked as a support worker to assist families with young children with ASD in their daily activities, such as bathing, online school, reading, play, and dressing. These experiences have deepened my motivation to add value to children’s lives.

My interests are all things arts and crafts. I’ve tried my hand in all sorts of mediums including printmaking, polymer clay, pottery, sewing, painting and film photography. I recently completed the DIR Floortime 101 Certificate through ICDL.

Kerrie Therapy Assistant

I am currently studying a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (honours) at Federation University. My passion for Occupational Therapy is founded on my interest in paediatrics and my kind nature of helping individuals progress toward accomplishments that are meaningful to them.

I have gained experience working on home modifications with the elderly as well as assisting children to complete activities such as drawing a picture in a day-care setting. I am looking forward to gaining more experience supporting children to achieve their therapy goals with Little Buds OT. The parts of my job I enjoy most are catering activities to the specific needs of each individual to reach the best outcomes, and the way the children tend to light up my day with their constant positive energy.

I’m passionate about my health and fitness, with pilates being a part of my weekly routine. My other interests are very travel related as I enjoy the outdoors, exploring new places, and fun summer activities such as paddle boarding.

I recently completed the DIR Floortime 101 Certificate through ICDL, and I look forward to utilising this amazing way of interacting with my clients.

enquiries@littlebudstherapy.com
Call: 0493 595 548