Early Links has been operating in the Sutherland Shire since 2010. Since then we have worked closely with families, children & adolescents, and their wider support networks to achieve meaningful goals that ultimately “make life easier”. We are a small team of passionate people; learning and innovating to provide clinical excellence in trauma-responsive and neuro-affirming service delivery.

While we are a small team, we make a big impact; our staff are involved with research publications, supervising University Clinical Placements, advocacy and consultation for Primary Health Networks, and providing training for other health professionals in the areas of Sensory Processing & Regulation, School Refusal, and the role of OT in Elite Sport. Each team member is encouraged to actively pursue their professional development goals through projects or consultation opportunities, and at quarterly meetings, we discuss how to grow their responsibilities within the Early Links Team.

Early Links moved into a wonderful new location last year with multiple rooms, each with unique environmental affordance for playfulness, connection, and exploration. We have a public park 2mins walk from the clinic, public gardens 10mins walk away, and access to public transport which easily allows nature settings and community access to be incorporated into your therapy planning. Being in the heart of Caringbah, means a huge range of cafes are conveniently available for lunchtimes or meetings. We have a range of assessments, intervention resources, and therapy tools that can be included in session plans when indicated by clinical reasoning, including; the Safe and Sound Protocol, Therapeutic Listening, Heart Rate Variability, Rezzimax, and Dynamic Taping. Senior occupational therapists in the team have additional training in Play, Soft Tissue, Vestibular Integration, Mellilo Method Primitive Reflexes, and Craniosacral Therapy, and they will provide joint sessions and training to maximise your client’s access to additional interventions while you’re completing training courses.

Our clinicians are often in contact with peadiatricians, psychiatrists, and other allied health professionals, from across Sydney, who make referrals to our service, particularly for neurodivergent adolescents with complex sensory & developmental profiles. We also work closely with schools and teachers to support children with neurodevelopmental conditions, and developmental delays. We encourage our team to lead collaboration with other professionals to acknowledge the client’s individual differences and find ways to include playfulness, explaining theory, nurturing connections, and reducing heightened threat perception in their therapy plan.