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Meet Our Team

 Our therapists work as a team, constantly consulting with each other so our patients receive the best possible program developed just for them. Our clients are assessed by one of our Senior Occupational Therapists, who will then advice on the best member of our staff complement to carry out the OT Program with you.

Qualifications

In Sync Kids OT maintains Sensory Integration (Ayres Sensory Integration®) as the core treatment modality.

 

All therapists at In Sync Kids OT are provided with opportunities to further their knowledge and skills in this approach. All staff at In Sync Kids OT have or are completing The Certificate in Ayres Sensory Integration (CASI), offered through  the Collaborative for Leadership in ASI (CLASI), is an advanced training program or the Sensory Integration and Praxis Test (SIPT) certification course. These education programmes are  produced according to the guidelines of the International Coalition of Education in Ayres Sensory Integration®, promoting excellence in scholarship, assessment, and education in ASI. 

 

We have embraced evidence-based research and Ayres’ SI to ensure that our services meet the needs of our clients. We have used the ‘Fidelity Measures in SI’ to guide the training of staff at In Sync Kids OT and as such planned and invested in our clinic equipment to meet these requirements.

Carlyn Cooper

Director & Senior Occupational Therapist

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Carlyn Cooper (BSc Occupational Therapy (Honours)) has extensive experience working in the UK and Brisbane as a qualified, registered Occupational Therapist. She has consulted in a range of settings including state, private and special needs schools, and has found that treatment in collaboration with teachers, parents and the learning support team is more successful.

 

Her experience has ranged from Autistic Spectrum Disorder to specific learning difficulties such as Dyslexia and Dyspraxia. Additionally, she is passionate about educating teachers, parents and educators, and has completed many workshops in Europe, the UK and Brisbane to provide a better understanding of the impact of Sensory Processing in the classroom and at home. 

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Carlyn also continues to advocate for the need for providing services to children in mainstream schools, with attention and mild learning difficulties, and for the early intervention for children who were born prematurely. Her specialism is treatment of Sensory Processing Disorders through Sensory Integration treatment and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, which can have a significant impact on a child's ability to successfully function at home and school.   

Kelsey Hackett

Senior Occupational Therapist & Team Leader

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Kelsey (Bachelor of Psychology & Master of Occupational Therapy) has worked as a paediatric occupational therapist since 2015 in the United States, relocating to Brisbane in 2021. She has a Bachelor of Psychology from Texas Tech University and Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) degree from Texas Woman’s University. She has over eight years' experience working in school-based and clinic-based paediatric settings for children aged from birth-18 years with a wide range of diagnoses.

 

Kelsey has worked as part of many multidisciplinary teams to achieve the highest level of outcomes for her clients. She aims to improve their function and participation in their home, school, and community environments.

 

Kelsey specialises in sensory integration and her postgraduate training include Certificate in Ayres Sensory Integration® (CLASI) modules, Handwriting Without Tears, Zones of Regulation, Dyslexia and Dysgraphia, and many more. She has also spent time volunteering with Special Olympics and is passionate about increasing independence and participation for children with severe disabilities, developmental delays, and sensory challenges.  

Karen Gibson

Senior Occupational Therapist & Team Leader

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Karen (Bachelor of Occupational Therapy) is an Occupational Therapist from South Africa. She completed her Occupational Therapy degree at the University of Pretoria in 2011. She relocated to Brisbane with her family in 2022. Karen joined In Sync Kids in March 2023.

Karen has 10 years of experience in the paediatric field and has a special interest in developmental delays, sensory processing disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD and mental health. Karen enjoys working in a multi-disciplinary team and with families, treating clients as holistically as possible.

Karen has worked in a variety of settings, including hospitals, private practice and schools. Karen values continuous professional development and obtained her Ayres® Sensory Integration (ASI) certification through the South African Institute of Sensory Integration (SAISI).

Karen is passionate about each of her client’s unique needs and strives to make her sessions fun while reaching their therapeutic goals. 

Christine Cross

Occupational Therapist

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Christine (Bachelor of Occupational Therapy) has had experience working with children in various settings including private practice, schools and sports organisations. Prior to becoming an Occupational Therapist, she was a gymnastics coach where she supported children to reach their goals and develop both physically and mentally. She integrates her coaching skills with her Occupational Therapy knowledge to provide fun, motivating and meaningful therapy sessions for her clients.

 

Christine believes therapy sessions should be engaging and tailored to the child's interests to maximise progress. She works collaboratively with other health professionals, teachers and family members to ensure strategies and recommendations are being implemented to support the child's development.

 

Christine uses Sensory Integration and Neurodevelopmental approaches to enable children to meet developmental milestones and become in tune with their body and the world they live in.

Andres Gutierrez Navarro

Occupational Therapist

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Coming Soon!

Jasmine Sayeed

Occupational Therapist

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Jasmine completed a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy at Southern Cross University in 2020. She is a passionate Occupational Therapist with experience working with children in settings including private practice, hospitals, schools, kindy and the community. Her passion for supporting children and families is firmly integrated into her practice, as is having fun and achieving therapy goals. She has a special interest in ASD, trauma, and family coaching.

 

Before becoming an OT, she worked for Queensland Health, supporting newly arrived refugees to navigate Australia’s health system and supporting Queensland special schools with the Department of Education.

 

Jasmine looks forward to completing her Certificate in Ayres Sensory Integration® (CLASI) Modules and integrating her learning into sessions.

Mariana 'Dani' Rodriguez

Occupational Therapist

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Coming Soon!

Alison Ikeda

Occupational Therapist

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Alison (Bachelor of Science & Master of Occupational Therapy) is a new graduate Occupational Therapist. After working as an AHA following the completion of her Bachelor of Science degree in Health Science and Exercise Physiology at Simon Fraser University, she relocated to Brisbane in 2022 where she completed her Master of Occupational Therapy studies at the University of Queensland.

Prior to becoming an Occupational Therapist, she was a certified gymnastics coach. Here she learned to prioritise the fundamentals and the scaffolding of skills to promote the child’s feeling of success and develop intrinsic motivation. Alison also has experience working with kids with neurodevelopmental disabilities such as ASD, ADHD, GDD, and Down’s syndrome in a play-based environment which focused on motor, behavioural, and social skills. She is passionate about utilising sensory integration to assist children and families achieve their goals in a fun and engaging way led by the child’s interests.

 

Alison looks forward to completing her certificate in Ayres Sensory Integration® to further support and develop children’s abilities and participation in their daily activities.

Isabelle Stone

Occupational Therapist

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Isabelle is one of our new graduate Occupational Therapists who recently completed a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy at Australian Catholic University. Isabelle completed her final university placement at In Sync Kids, which sparked a strong passion for sensory integration therapy and working with children. Throughout her studies, she has gained experience working in a wide range of clinical settings including hospitals, schools and not-for-profit organisations.

 

Isabelle has quickly gained experience working with children with sensory processing challenges, autism spectrum disorder and ADHD. She strongly believes in client-centred and family-centred practice to ensure all family members are getting the most out of therapy. She is kind, empathic, adaptive and ready to work with anyone in a fun environment.

Patricia Flores

Occupational Therapist

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Coming Soon!

Laura Rodriguez Escobar

Allied Health Assistant

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Laura has attained a Bachelor Of Occupational Therapy and is a passionate Occupational Therapist from Colombia. Since 2014 she has worked with children with learning difficulties developmental delays, ASD, ADHD, Down syndrome and sensory processing disorders.  Laura has also worked in a number of different settings such as kindergartens, clinics and private practice advocating for each child's therapy needs.


Laura is passionate about contributing to the well-being of children and the development of their skills, whilst recognising that each child is unique and has individual needs to support their development.


Outside of work, Laura enjoys playing sports such as soccer, basketball and volleyball, as well as practicing piano with her nephews.

Karen Theron

Business Support Team - Rosalie clinic

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Karen has a Bachelor degree in law, and 30+ years of experience in administration and finance. After working for the South African Tax Office for 18 years, Karen and her family decided to pack up their life and start a new adventure in Australia.

In Australia, Karen started her new career doing contract work with the Department of Communities, Department of Health & Ageing, and Govia. She then took on a permanent position with an engineering firm where she started as a Technical Secretary and moved over to the finance side, eventually performing the duties of a Project Accountant on a state and national level.

Karen loved working with the engineering team but always had a dream to one day be part of a team where she could make a difference in peoples' lives and not just perform administration tasks for the sake of internal processes and procedures. After 11.5 years, she decided to make the bold move and resign from her engineering job to follow her dreams, joining the In Sync Kids team in late 2021.

Karen is still new to the world of healthcare administration but loves to come to work everyday to see the friendly, happy faces of the children and caregivers.

Giulia Hayward

Clinic Co Ordinator

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Giulia has been an allied health medical administrator in the paediatric speech pathology and occupational therapy space for over 6 years, and thoroughly enjoys being able to support families on their therapy journey.  Prior to this, Giulia worked as a piano teacher for 18 years and still enjoys playing today.

 

Giulia joined the business support team at In Sync Kids in July 2023 and loves getting to meet all of the lovely families and assist them with their day-to-day enquiries whilst seeing all of the happy and smiling faces of the children.

 

In her spare time, Giulia enjoys listening to music, reading, watching and playing sports, cooking and spending time with her family and friends.

Stephanie Ryan

Education Specialist

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Stephanie (studying a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy) is a Key Worker/Teacher Liaison with teaching experience in early childhood and primary education. She is passionate about advocating for children and helping all children play and learn. Stephanie builds rapport with children and families, focussing on the importance of relationships & child success. Stephanie has extensive experience in teaching students with a wide variety of learning needs and working with their families & therapists. Stephanie joined the InSync Team to pursue her interest in Sensory Integration and Occupational Therapy.

 

Stephanie advocates for children and ensures they can achieve success in their learning environment by providing a clear link between families, therapists and educators. She works collaboratively with therapists and educators to ensure all stakeholders work together to meet the needs of the child. Stephanie visits learning settings and provides teachers & families with educational and therapeutic adjustments and support.

Franziska Lane

Occupational Therapist

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Franzi (BSC Health Studies - Master of Occupational Therapy) graduated from the University of Canberra with a Masters in Occupational Therapy. Whilst studying in the ACT, Franzi also worked with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and ADHD, developing a pilot program for children with disabilities, enabling them to learn how to swim and be safe in the water.

 

Realising a lifelong passion for working with children, Franzi completed her last university placement at In Sync, and accepted the invitation to join the team and specialise in sensory integration therapy.

 

Currently completing her certificate in Ayres Sensory Integration® (CLASI), Franzi is committed to providing client-centred therapy, working closely with families to achieve their goals towards a happy and healthy lifestyle.

 

Originally from Germany, Franzi enjoys cooking, baking, the great outdoors, and spending time with her family and friends.

Carol Allen

Practice Manager - Chermside & Rosalie clinics

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Carol is the Practice Manager at In Sync Kids across both centres. She has over 30 years experience in the health/medical administration management field, and brings a wealth of experience and operational knowledge to the clinics in billing, human resources and general team support.


Carol joined In Sync Kids in November 2020 to expand her knowledge into paediatric occupational therapy.

 

Carol enjoys spending time with her family on the weekend, as well as gardening and baking.

Carolina Acuña

Senior Occupational Therapist & Team Leader

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Carolina (Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Honours Class I)) has been working as an Occupational Therapist with children since 2014 in Argentina. She has experience with children who present with developmental delays, congenital conditions and disorders, learning difficulties and/or autism.

 

Carolina moved to Australia in 2020 to improve her English skills and to pursue her PhD. She specialises in Pathophysiology and Therapeutics of Childhood, completing her postgraduate training in Sensory Integration (University of Southern California, completing a Masters in Social Science and Humanities. She is passionate about research in sensory integration and early intervention.


Carolina enjoys a holistic and child-centred intervention approach, supports our team during assessment and intervention processes, and hosts complemental sessions focusing on children's and families needs.

Carolina is currently completing her PhD in Paediatric Occupational Therapy.

Brianna Burkhardt

Senior Occupational Therapist & Team Leader

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Brianna is a passionate Occupational Therapist with a love for working with children. She completed her degree in Occupational Therapy in 2015 at the University of Sydney. Brianna has over seven years' experience working in private paediatric practice with a strong focus on helping the child and their families achieve their goals in a fun and playful way. She understands that no two children are the same, so values the importance of getting to know each child and their family by using a family-centred approach to therapy, so that the child can reach their full potential. Brianna also highly values the importance the family plays in therapy, and will support them to develop the knowledge and tools to best support their child. 

 

Brianna’s post-graduate training includes DIR Floortime, Therapeutic Listening, the Wilbarger Therabrushing Protocol, M.O.R.E – Integrating the Mouth with Sensory and Postural Functions, TheraSuit Method®, Key Word Sign, as well as a vast array of further training in sensory integration.

Georgia Waples

Occupational Therapist

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Georgia has a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy from Griffith University. Georgia completed a university placement at In Sync Kids and jumped at the opportunity to join the team and specialise in sensory integration therapy.

 

Georgia is from a family of teachers and is passionate about giving kids the boost they need to engage and thrive in life and the classroom. She is keen to work as a team with the kids, their parents, teachers and other healthcare professionals to achieve their goals to ensure they live a happy, healthy and fulfilled life.

 

Georgia has had experience working with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), learning disabilities, and sensory processing disorders since she was a young Girl Guide at a week-long camp. Here she helped guests to do a variety of activities, including abseiling, and she often credits this experience as the one that started her passion for wanting to work with children with disabilities.

 

Outside of work life, Georgia is very involved in her local community and volunteering, as well as baking and playing board games with friends.

Jaime Hope

Occupational Therapist

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Jaime completed a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy with Honours at Central Queensland University in 2020. She is a passionate occupational therapist with experience working with children in settings including in clinic, schools, kindy and the community. Her passion for supporting children and families is firmly integrated into her practice, as is having fun and achieving therapy goals. She has a special interest in ASD, trauma, teens and family coaching.

Jaime has recently moved from a private paediatric practice in Rockhampton to pursue her interest in Sensory Integration. She has experience working within a multidisciplinary team to assist children with ASD, ADHD, trauma, learning disabilities and sensory processing disorders.

Jaime is a positive and fun therapist who believes therapy sessions are to be designed to suit the child’s strength and interests to support meaningful engagement in therapy. She aims to help all children and families achieve their goals in a fun and child-led way using a family-centred approach. Jaime works collaboratively with family members, health professionals and teachers to ensure strategies are being implemented to support the child’s development.

 

Jaime is looking forward to learning and completing her Certificate in Ayres Sensory Integration® (CLASI) Modules and integrating her learning into sessions. 

Dayna Jonkers

Occupational Therapist

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Dayna (Bachelor of Occupational Therapy with distinction) has recently moved over from New Zealand. She has experience working with both adults and children in a variety of settings such as schools, mental health, vocational rehabilitation, and palliative care, with her passion lying in paediatrics’. Dayna has worked in early childhood centres and coached children in both gymnastics and cheerleading prior to beginning her occupational therapy studies. This experience has provided her with the tools and a range of skills to adapt and utilise within her therapeutic environment and work with families to support their involvement throughout their child’s development.

Dayna is enthusiastic about helping children reach their potential and achieve their meaningful goals. Dayna is excited to follow her passion for paediatrics and continue to learn and grow as an occupational therapist. Dayna is looking forward to increasing her knowledge in Ayres sensory integration. She believes that therapy should be individually tailored to each child to ensure the process of development is fun, engaging and maximises progress towards participating in everyday activities.

Outside of work, Dayna enjoys being active, going to the gym, going out for walks and spending time with friends and family.

Bushra Pervaiz

Occupational Therapist

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Coming Soon!

Sara Reed

Occupational Therapist

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Sara (BSc Occupational Therapy) is a passionate Occupational Therapist from South Africa, where she completed her Occupational Therapy degree at the University of Cape Town. She has now relocated to Brisbane, where she has joined the In Sync Kids team. 

 

She has worked as an Occupational Therapist in mental health and pediatric settings. She has worked with children with developmental delays, Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Intellectual Disabilities and psychiatric disorders. 

 

Sara is passionate about helping children achieve their full potential in their everyday lives.

Zoe Cox

Occupational Therapist

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Zoe graduated from Australian Catholic University with a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy. Zoe completed her final university placement at In Sync Kids, where she discovered her love for sensory integration and jumped at the chance to join the team.  

 

Zoe has experience working with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), ADHD, global developmental delays and sensory processing difficulties from her previous work, placement and volunteering experiences.

 

Zoe is kind, empathetic and motivated, with a passion for working collaboratively with children and families towards meaningful goals while having fun.  

Chloe Marshman

Allied Health Assistant

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Chloe is an Allied Health Assistant at In Sync Chermside. She gained experience in a variety of caseloads throughout her  university placements including paediatrics, and believes in a holistic, fun and engaging approach to therapy. She is  soon to graduate a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy. 

 

Chloe also has a  keen interest in circus - understanding the value of movement in regulation. As well as the importance of engaging in meaningful activities to support growth and development of new skills. She aims to enable all children she works alongside to achieve their goals and improve their overall wellbeing. 

Katrine Winter

Systems and Processes Co Ordinator

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Katrine is an experienced medical receptionist of over 30 years. She has worked in specialist areas and psychology practices, as well as setting up day hospitals and new clinics.  

 

She loves to kayak on the weekends and travel. She has been involved in netball, indoor netball and basketball to an elite level in the past. Her interest has taken her all around Australia, and she still enjoys it now. 

Katrine is at In Sync Kids three days a week at the Chermside clinic to assist families and staff with bookings and allocations, service agreements, systems implementation and business support administration.

Ellie Saw

Client Liaison Officer

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Ellie has over 11 years' experience in health/medical administration. Coming from a Podiatry and Physiotherapy clinic, she wanted to broaden her horizons through learning other areas of health and joined the In Sync Kids team in December 2022. 

She is fascinated by sensory integration therapy and seeing the progress children make as they grow. 

On weekends, you'll find her enjoying quality time with family and she enjoys arts and craft and a bit of baking.

Eimear Woods

Business Support Team - Chermside clinic

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Eimear has over 10 years’ experience as a team leader, coming from Sleep and Oncology clinics.  Eimear has worked with a range of people and wanted to broaden her horizons by learning other areas of health and joined the In Sync Kids OT team in February 2024.

Eimear loves a chat and enjoys creating a bond with families, getting to know them in person and building a relationship.

 

On weekends, Eimear loves sports such as Gaelic football, the Brisbane Broncos in the NRL, tennis and the list goes on. 

 

Eimear is originally from Ireland and moved to Australia 18 years ago.  Now that her family is older and wiser, the Woods clan travel around Australia with their caravan, so plenty of sweet family adventures await. 

Claire Portener

Senior Occupational Therapist & Team Leader

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Claire joins In Sync with over 12 years of experience in paediatric occupational therapy, working across Queensland and more recently, in the United Kingdom. She has worked in a range of clinical settings including non-government organisations, private practices, public health services and schools.

 

Claire has experience working in multidisciplinary teams with children from birth to 18 years who present with conditions including Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, global developmental delays, cerebral palsy, profound and multiple learning needs and Down Syndrome. She has specialist experience working with children with sensory food aversions and has completed further training into therapeutic approaches for managing aversive and oral sensitive feeders.

Claire completed her Postgraduate Certificate in Sensory Processing through the University of Ulster whilst working in the UK. Since then, Claire has utilised a sensory integrative framework in her practice for assessment and management of children with additional sensory needs. In particular, Claire developed an interest in assessment and treatment of dyspraxia and Developmental Coordination Disorder and has worked alongside paediatricians to provide specialist assessments and feedback to assist the diagnostic process.

 

Claire loves to incorporate a family-centered approach in her therapy sessions and values the importance of parent engagement and education to ensure the best therapeutic outcomes for both child and family.

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