Annual Professional Development Day
Monday October 7, 2024
St Hilda's School

Rowan Pearce is the Head of the Complex Care Clinic and Senior Physiotherapist at Western Kids Health. Rowan sees young people with complex conditions such as functional neurological disorders, hypermobility spectrum disorder/Ehlers Danlos syndrome, complex pain, chronic fatigue and juvenile arthritis. He leads a multidisciplinary team of physiotherapy, occupational therapy, psychology and dietetics to support the individuals and families get back to meaningful activities such as school and physical activities.
 

Community Education Officer

Innovation, Strategy and Brand - Anglicare WA.

Tegan works in Community Education for Anglicare WA.  She has worked in the not – for – profit and charity sector for over 20 years with experience in health promotion and health professional and community  education and training.  Currently Tegan is working with Anglican Schools delivering the It Only Takes One education initiative.

APNA School Nurses Handbook Launch

Dr Anita Moyes is a lecturer at Edith Cowan University and a researcher in school nursing. A former school nurse, Anita is currently leading the Australian Nursing in Schools Project.

Anita's expertise is in child and adolescent mental health, child and adolescent development, primary health care, and community nursing. She is particularly interested in lifespan development from the prenatal period to young adulthood and how the social and physical environment influence mental health across the lifespan.

WA's only Paediatrician and Child Psychiatrist, also a Clinical Senior Lecturer at UWA, involved in teaching and assessing medical practitioners, psychiatry and paediatrician trainees.  Johana has extensive experience in child and adolescent psychiatry including Complex ADHD and Autism. She works collaboratively with Paediatricians, Psychiatrists and schools to achieve the best outcome for her patients and their families.

Heidi is the mum of a 22 yo autistic young adult with a Pathological Demand Avoidance profile and a 17 yo neurotypical young adult. She was an occupational therapist and ergonomist for 20 years and has been a full-time volunteer in the autism community for over 15 years. Heidi is the author of 4 editions of the WA Autism Parent Handbook (2013 to 2023) which has been distributed to over 75,000 families, educators and health professionals in Western Australia. The handbook is widely considered the “go-to” source of autism information, support and resources by paediatricians, psychiatrists, psychologists, therapists, educators and families across Western Australia. Heidi was nominated as a member of the WA Department of Education (DoE) Disability and Inclusion Committee by Developmental Disability WA in 2023 and works with DoE School of Special Educational Needs : Disability staff in the development of staff training on autism & PDA. Having been very isolated as the parent of a child with a PDA profile, when no-one in Perth had ever heard of PDA, Heidi has set up multiple parent peer support groups over the past 15 years. She founded and currently administers the online and face-to-face PDA Perth WA Parent Community & Support Group (2000+ members), and founded and administers the online PDA Perth WA Interest Group for Educators & Health Professionals (850+ members). She has been lobbying the federal and state governments and providing advocacy for families, driving the long-overdue recognition of PDA in Australia and WA in 2024. Heidi is the recipient of the Town of Cambridge Volunteer of the Year Award and the Connect Groups Leadership Excellence Award. Her PDA Perth WA Parent Community and Support Group was a Finalist in the Support Group Recognition Awards in 2023 and has recently been nominated for the 2024 HESTA Community Service Awards. In April 2024, Heidi set up PDA Training Australia, a training consultancy service, to continue her passion for sharing knowledge and understanding of neurodivergence (particularly autism, ADHD and the PDA profile of autism). She conducts workshops and presentations for educators, health professionals and parents, & provides individual training and advocacy for parents and families.

Dr Vance Locke is a clinical psychologist who teaches at the University of Western Australia and works privately with young people and adults, with an interest in treating functional neurological disorders and chronic pain. Dr Vance has significant experience working with individuals, families and schools with his active role in setting up the Complex Pain Service at Princess Margaret Hospital and the Complex Care Clinic at Western Kids Health.

Anna is a Specialist Concussion Physiotherapist. Her expertise arises from 7 years of working, researching, and lecturing in concussion in Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand. Following her undergraduate Physiotherapy degree in Ireland, Anna relocated to Auckland where she found her passion for concussion and became certified in Level 1 and 2 Concussion Management through ABI New Zealand. She furthered her education with a Masters degree in Sport and Exercise Medicine at Trinity College Dublin in 2021. Here she conducted research into Sport-related concussion assessment and management and is now a lecturer on the Sport and Exercise Medicine Masters Course. Her involvement in concussion research underscores her commitment to evidence-based management across various trauma types and populations. Over the past 2 years Anna has fulfilled a niche role as the Concussion Physiotherapist for Western Force Rugby and Promotion Health in Claremont. This has given her the opportunity to work with both professional athletes as well as concussed children, teens, adults and elderly. She has been heavily involved in the management of paediatric concussions from the surrounding schools. In addition to treating symptoms and vestibular, cognitive and oculomotor rehabilitation, she assists children, alongside their parents, school nurses and teachers to navigate appropriate return to school and sport.

Pelvic Pain Foundation 

Veronica is the WA Clinical Educator for The Periods, Pain, and Endometriosis (PPEP Talk®) Program, an initiative of the Pelvic Pain Foundation of Australia (PPFA). The PPEP Talk® Program, currently offered free to schools in Western Australia, provides engaging and medically accurate information on pain management, particularly benefiting students with severe period and pelvic pain. The program emphasises early intervention, supporting students, families, and schools to manage pain effectively and reduce its impact on education and daily life.

With over a decade of clinical experience as a Registered Nurse and Midwife, Veronica has worked across various women's health specialties including fertility and reproductive health, midwifery, gynecology, oncology, and emergency care. She brings a wealth of knowledge and a deep passion for empowering young people through education to her role.

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Symone Wheatley – Hey is a neurodivergent parent of two autistic, ADHD boys, both of whom have complex support needs and face significant barriers to school engagement, including school can’t and school-related trauma. Her background is in senior executive support roles, however she has found her passion and purpose through her advocacy work, which stems from her own journey in advocating for her children in mainstream public schools and her work as national coordinator of Square Peg Round Whole.

 Through lived experience, she has developed a deep understanding of the challenges and obstacles that many families and educators face. With a passion for helping others, she focuses her advocacy work at a systemic level, where she advocates for the rights and needs of neurodivergent children and their families, and to support those working in education environments to advocate for equity, accessibility and inclusion within their own school communities.

Her advocacy work has made a significant impact in the community, providing support and resources for families in need and raising awareness to create change. Through her dedication and commitment, she has become a respected voice in the field, inspiring others to make a difference in their own lives and on a community and systemic level.

Throughout her 25-year teaching career Fiona has had the privilege of working with countless children, each with their unique qualities. Supporting and advocating for every student has inspired her to specialize in ADHD education. With 25 years of international and local teaching experience, Fiona has been able to pursue her passion for learning and share it with all the wonderful students she has had the opportunity to teach. Understanding how the brain functions and the learning processes involved is the first step towards overcoming challenges and embracing one's true self. Witnessing the diverse ways students learn and think has been enlightening and motivating. It has led Fiona to embark on a path dedicated to helping students and their families succeed.