For families in the Riverland navigating the NDIS, accessing the right support at the right time can feel like searching for gold. One service that’s been particularly hard to find locally? Occupational therapy. But that’s about to change.
Support & Connect is excited to announce the launch of S&C Allied Health, bringing local occupational therapy (OT) services to our Riverland community. For families who’ve been stuck on waiting lists or travelling hours for appointments, this is a game-changer. We sat down with Support & Connect founder Dylan Blackley to talk about why this matters, what it means for local families, and how OT services will work alongside the mentoring and disability support programs you already know and trust.
Filling a Critical Gap in the Riverland
“OT is like liquid gold down here in the Riverland,” Dylan says, and he’s not exaggerating. For years, families have struggled to access occupational therapists locally. Many have been forced to travel to Adelaide or rely on remote teletherapy, which just isn’t the same as having someone who can work face-to-face with your child or young person in their own environment.
Dylan has wanted to offer OT services since Support & Connect first opened its doors. As a mentoring provider, he saw firsthand how many young people were falling through the cracks without access to this specialised support. “Being able to provide such an important service as OT (such a specialised service), is huge for not just pediatrics but everyone. Especially though for pediatrics, that early intervention is definitely important.”
The new service launches under the S&C Allied Health umbrella, which sits alongside Support & Connect’s mentoring programs. It’s still run by the same great team you know, but it’s designed as a specialised branch that can offer therapeutic interventions that go beyond what mentors can provide.
What Actually Is Occupational Therapy?
If you’re not familiar with OT, you’re not alone. It’s one of those services everyone knows is important, but not everyone understands what it actually involves.
Dylan breaks it down: “Essentially, occupational therapy is helping participants of any age, particularly ones on the NDIS with disabilities, lead a fulfilling life. It’s about improving their skills, adapting tasks, and modifying their environment so they can live more independently and reach their goals.”
That might sound broad, and it is. OT isn’t just about one thing. It can involve sensory integration (working with big movements and small movements to help kids regulate), fine motor skills (like holding a pencil or using cutlery), toileting support, school consultations, and even community-based training like navigating the shops or managing money.
“It could be finding practical solutions for the challenges that clients are facing, and that doesn’t just mean physical. It can mean cognitive, sensory, or emotional difficulties,” Dylan explains. An OT will observe, identify concerns, and put a personalised support plan in place that complements what’s already happening at home, at school, or in the community.
Meet Emma: Your Local Riverland Occupational Therapist
Leading the new S&C Allied Health service is Emma, a qualified occupational therapist with several years of experience who’s eager to bring her skills to the Riverland. She’s been working in the OT space and is now expanding her expertise to serve local families.
Emma will offer a range of services, including sensory integration sessions in the soft play area at the Support & Connect Hub, in-home and in-school consultations, functional capacity assessments, and support with daily living skills. Whether it’s helping a young person learn how to navigate the supermarket, improving their ability to focus in the classroom, or developing a toileting plan that works for the whole family, Emma’s there to help.
The best part? She’s local. That means she understands the community, can build real relationships with families, and can collaborate face-to-face with teachers, mentors, and other support workers. “Having those connections with not just the client but with the families and the other stakeholders is just huge,” Dylan says. “Having that great community feeling between our team and the parents is just massive.”
How OT and Mentoring Work Together
If your child or young person is already working with a Support & Connect mentor, you might be wondering how OT fits into the picture. The short answer? Beautifully.
“It’ll work quite nicely,” Dylan says. “Mentors will still be providing their great mentorship, and they’ll be able to work in conjunction with Emma to implement some of the strategies she sends clients home with.”
Let’s say Emma works with a young person on sensory regulation strategies or social skills in the community. She’ll develop a support plan, and mentors can help put that plan into action during their one-on-one sessions. It’s a team approach that makes sure progress happens not just in therapy sessions, but in real life.
“At the end of the day, Emma doesn’t just put a plan in and walk away,” Dylan explains. “She’ll help implement that plan. It could mean going down to the shops, watching them, observing how they interact with the cashier, how they find things, whether they struggle with money. Then she’ll put in a specialised plan to work on those goals.”
And for families worried about funding, S&C Allied Health also has Allied Health Assistants on the team. These assistants work under Emma’s guidance to help implement strategies between OT sessions. It’s a way to stretch your NDIS funding further while still getting consistent, high-quality support.
Riverland Counselling Services: Another Piece of the Puzzle
Alongside occupational therapy, S&C Allied Health is also launching counselling services. Just like OT, access to psychologists and counsellors is limited in the Riverland, and many families are looking for face-to-face support rather than remote sessions.
“Being able to provide a service like counselling is hugely beneficial,” Dylan says. “We’re looking to get another two counsellors on next year, so we’ll have hopefully three all up. That will definitely bridge the gap.”
Counselling and OT often complement each other beautifully. A young person might be working with Emma on sensory strategies or daily living skills, while also seeing a counsellor to build confidence, manage anxiety, or work through emotional challenges. It’s all part of a holistic approach to support that recognises people as whole human beings, not just a list of goals.
What to Expect When You Reach Out
If you’re interested in occupational therapy for yourself or your child, the process is simple. You can fill out a referral form on the Support & Connect website or give the team a call. One of the admin team will get in touch to arrange an initial consultation with Emma.
During that first session, Emma will meet with you as the parent or caregiver to discuss your young person’s goals, challenges, and the supports that may help. She’ll go through your child’s history, current limitations, and what you’re hoping to achieve together. From there, she’ll develop a tailored support plan and start putting it into action.
“We’re pretty much already at full capacity, which is amazing,” Dylan shares. That’s where the Allied Health Assistants come in. They’ll help implement the strategies Emma develops so more families can access support without long wait times.
Emma will begin her initial consultations in early December, and support plans will be rolled out from then. It’s an exciting time, and the response from the community has been overwhelming.
Why Local Matters
Dylan has always been passionate about bringing services home to the Riverland. He’s seen too many families struggle to access support, too many young people stuck on waiting lists, and too many gaps in the system.
“Therapeutic services and supports like OTs, speeches, developmental educators, and counsellors are all very sought after and hard to come by here in the Riverland,” he says. “Trying to bring new services to this community to bridge those gaps is something I’ve always been passionate about. OT and counselling is one thing I’ve been able to tick off, and hopefully I can continue to build the services.”
And he’s not stopping there. Dylan is already in talks with a physiotherapist friend about expanding S&C Allied Health services, and he’s keen to bring on a developmental educator and possibly a behavior support practitioner in the future.
But it all comes back to the same core value: providing person-centered, local support that meets people where they are. “Having a plan in place that’s person-centered means you’ve got to take into consideration what the client wants as well,” Dylan says. “Really focusing on what they need and want is hugely important.”
What’s Dylan Most Excited About?
When asked what he’s most looking forward to with the launch of OT services, Dylan’s answer is simple and heartfelt.
“It’s just been such a passion of mine to see a lot of the people I’ve built connections with, being my existing clients, but I know I’m going to be building it with new clients as well. Seeing that I’ve been able to provide them with a service that they’ve maybe been on a waiting list for years, or haven’t been able to find the right connection with an OT because they’ve been remote or from Adelaide. Being able to give them that connection with a local OT, that can implement some really cool strategies and skills, that can communicate with other stakeholders face-to-face in our community, and really see some goals get ticked off. That’s my main objective. Making sure these clients and families have their goals met is what I’m in it for at the end of the day.”
Your Next Step
If you’ve been searching for occupational therapy support in the Riverland, your wait is over. Whether you’re looking for help with sensory challenges, daily living skills, school support, or just not sure where to start, the team at S&C Allied Health is here for you.
Dylan’s message to local families is simple: “Do your research. Chat to us first. Ask all the right questions. Make sure we are the right fit for you. Reach out, give us a go, have a chat, and I’m very confident that we will be a great fit.”
Support & Connect has always been about more than just ticking boxes. It’s about building real relationships, understanding the unique needs of each person and family, and working together toward meaningful goals. Now, with occupational therapy and counselling services added to the mix, we can offer even more ways to support young people and families across the Riverland.
Ready to learn more or get started? Visit the Occupational Therapy page, give us a call, or drop by the Hub. We’d love to chat about how we can help you or your young person live a more independent, fulfilling life.