Mater Health and Wellness services

• Occupational Therapy
• Physiotherapy
• Speech Pathology
• Assessment to assist with diagnosis including access to NDIS
• Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS-2) Assessment to support diagnosis of Austism Spectrum Disorder (Ages 31 months - 14 years)
• Therapy to support your child's needs and goals
• Diagnostic hearing and assessment services

• 0 - 14 years specialised multidisciplinary feeding clinic
• 0 - 14 years comprehensive dietetic assessment and tailored nutrition advice
• Speech Pathology to assess chewing and swallowing
• Occupational Therapy to assess feeding and meal time concerns
• Follow up appointments to assist with achieving therapy goals

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Children (0-14 years)

• Growth concerns and nutrition optimisation
• Food allergies and intolerances
• Fussy eating
• Tube feeding
• Constipation and digestion problems
• Disability and disease requirements including NDIS participants who are self-managed or financially managed

Infants and young children (0-3 years)

• Expert developmental screening and support for ex-preterm infants
• Developmental assessment and intervention for movement and posture concerns
• Musculoskeletal management eg. toticollis, plagiocephaly

Infants and young children (0-Prep)

Assessment and intervention for:

• Fine motor skills, play and learning
• Kindy and Prep/School readiness
• Toileting and other self-care skills
• Sensory/emotional/behavioural regulation
• Specific hand conditions eg. thumb anomalies

A range of paediatric splinting including:

• Ear splints
• Camptodactyly splinting
• Clasped thumbs splinting
• Pollicisation rehabilitation

Children (0-14 years)

• Feeding and mealtime concerns referred through the Multidisciplinary Feeding Clinic, including NDIS participants who are self-managed or financially managed

Mater’s speech pathologists provide specialist assessment and therapy for children aged 0–14 years, supporting communication and feeding development from infancy through to the school years.

Communication Support (0–Prep)

We help infants and young children develop:

• Early communication skills, including support for toddlers who are not yet talking
• Social interaction and engagement, helping children connect with others
• Speech clarity and expression, for children with unclear or limited speech
• Alternative communication methods, such as key word sign, picture-based systems, and iPad-supported tools

Feeding and Mealtime Support (0–14 years)

Our speech pathologists provide expert care for infants and children experiencing feeding challenges. We offer both individual appointments and multidisciplinary team (MDT) clinics, depending on your child’s needs. 

Individual Speech Pathology Appointments

In a one-on-one session, our speech pathologists:

• Take a detailed feeding history and discuss your concerns
• Observe your child during feeding (e.g. breast/bottle, solids, tube feeds)
• Assess oral motor skills such as sucking, chewing, and swallowing
• Identify signs of feeding difficulty, fatigue, or aspiration risk
• Provide practical strategies and education to support safe and effective feeding
• Work with families to set collaborative therapy goals tailored to your child

Multidisciplinary Feeding Clinics

In our MDT clinics, speech pathologists work alongside occupational therapists, dietitians, and other specialists to provide a holistic assessment. Together, we:

• Address feeding from multiple angles—nutrition, motor skills, mealtime behaviours, and safety
• Share insights and recommendations to create a coordinated care plan
• Support children with complex needs, including those with tube feeding
• Partner with families to set shared goals and guide ongoing therapy

Whether your child is just beginning solids or managing complex feeding needs, our team is here to help.

Mater provides comprehensive audiology assessments for people of all ages, including:

• Newborns (from one day old): Especially those at risk of hearing loss or with suspected hearing issues.
• Children with hearing problems, middle ear issues, speech/language delays, and learning difficulties.
• Specialised testing: 
  • Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) for babies (birth to 4 months).
  • Diagnostic hearing assessments for children under and over 3 years.
• Earplug fitting: Soft, hypoallergenic earplugs for water activities.

Children 12 months – 14 years old

The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule – 2nd Edition (ADOS-2) is a standardised and semi-structured assessment administered by qualified clinicians to assist in diagnosing Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The assessment involves a series of activities, conversations and play to observe and code a child’s communication, social interaction and restricted or repetitive behaviours. The ADOS-2 is considered the gold standard for the assessment of possible ASD. This assessment cannot be used to make a diagnosis in isolation, it also requires gathering of clinical history and direct observation which will usually be completed by the child’s treating paediatrician.

Assessment Involves:

• Completing and returning provided Questionnaire at least two weeks prior to appointment date
• A 60 – 90 minute appointment undertaking the ADOS-2 assessment (activities, conversation and play)
• Scoring and interpreting the collected data
• A follow up 30 minute phone call/telehealth appointment with parents or care givers to discuss observations 
• A written report prepared and sent to family and referring paediatrician (about 60 minutes allowed for this)

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Mater Health and Wellness provides Audiology services for people of all ages:

• Adults with hearing, tinnitus, balance, dizziness and/or vertigo symptoms
• Adults with severe or profound hearing loss seeking advice about cochlear implant
• Diagnostic hearing assessment
• Vestibular assessment of balance function
• Fitting of soft hypoallergenic earplugs for water activities
• Advice regarding amplification devices to assist with hearing and communication
• Pre-employment baseline hearing assessment

Nutrition and Diet Support Services

Our dietitians are focused on helping to optimise wellbeing through nutrition for our cancer patients through supporting with:

• Individualised nutrition advice to manage symptoms impacting appetite  
• Optimising nutrition status before, during or after treatments

Occupational Therapy

Our Occupational Therapists can provide assessment and intervention to support your  wellness throughout your cancer treatment phase and recovery after treatment.

Areas that our Occupational Therapists focus on include:

• Memory and attention issues
• Peripheral neuropathy impacting your engagement with everyday life.
• Anxiety related to procedures such as needle cannulation, portacath access, CT scans
• Lymphoedema
• Learning mindfulness skills that assist with resilience and stress management-both individual and group programs available
• Return to work support and guidance 

Physiotherapy Services

Clinical research has established exercise as a safe and effective intervention to counteract the adverse physical and psychological effects of cancer and its treatment (e.g. loss of muscle strength and fitness, fatigue, stress). Our experienced physiotherapists can guide you in developing an evidenced based management  plan. Such plans are tailored to your individual needs and include; assessment, strategies for physical symptom management and  appropriate exercise prescription. 

Physical Symptom Management

Our Physiotherapists provide assessment and treatment for:

• Loss of general strength and fitness
• Fatigue
• Altered sensation and balance
• Pain when moving, stiffness, swelling
• Post-operative complications (e.g: cording, scar sensitivity, adhesions and restriction of movement)
• Continence symptom management (bowel and bladder)

Exercise prescription 

The Clinical Oncology Society of Australia call for exercise to be embedded as part of standard practice in cancer care. 

Read more about this initiative

You can start exercising anytime during or after your cancer treatment. However, early adoption of exercise helps prevent deconditioning of your body and promotes tolerance of your treatments.

It is optimal for exercise to be prescribed under the direction of a Physiotherapist with experience in cancer care.

Our Physiotherapy team can offer:

• Individual and group support
• Access to gym facilities
• Flexible services including telehealth and face-to-face at our clinic
• Tailored programs to suit your individual abilities and stage of treatment
• Rehabilitation plans that facilitate return to work and sport readiness
• Advice and education to maximise wellness and quality of life

Our Occupational Therapists specialise in hand therapy and scar management. Our dedicated hand therapists provide hand therapy services to treat and rehabilitate injuries in the hand, wrist, forearm, elbow and shoulder.

The services they provide include:

• Splinting
• Oedema management
• Scar management
• Wound care
• Exercises
• Preparing you to return back to work/daily life
• Support for the management of lymphoedema 

They can also provide a range of paediatric splinting including:

• Ear splints
• Camptodactyly splinting
• Clasped thumbs splinting
• Pollicisation rehabilitation

Our occupational therapists have advanced knowledge and skills in lymphoedema assessment and management.

What is lymphoedema?

Lymphoedema presents as a swelling of a limb or other body parts when the lymphatic system is not functioning normally. It may arise from congenital malformation of the lymphatics (primary) or damage to the lymphatic vessels and/or lymph nodes (secondary). It is a chronic condition that is not curable at present but may be managed with many symptoms alleviated with appropriate care. The earlier treatment is commenced, the more successful the outcome.

Treatment for lymphoedema

Our highly skilled occupational therapists are Australasian Lymphology Association Accredited Lymphoedema Practitioners who are able to deliver a wide range of assessments and treatments. 

Including:

• Early detection and ongoing assessment of lymphoedema using SOZO & LymphScanner
• Prescription and fitting of compression garments and wraps (both off the shelf and custom made)
• Compression bandaging (including traditional multilayer short stretch bandaging & Coban2)
• Manual lymphatic drainage and prescription of self-lymphatic drainage
• Compression pump therapy
• Low level laser therapy
• Kinesiotaping
• Negative pressure treatment with the LymphaTouch

Our team can help you recover from work, sport, accident and illness related injury. No referral is required.

We are registered to provide WorkCover, DVA and Medicare Chronic Disease Management services.

Physiotherapy

Physiotherapists are experts in movement analysis, diagnosis and rehabilitation and are a great support in the recovery process. 

Our highly skilled physiotherapy team deliver a range of treatments including:

• Pain relief techniques including massage, dry needling and taping
• Movement support techniques including mobilisation and stretching
• Individualised rehabilitation programs to restore function
• Customised strengthening programs to support your return to work and recreation
• Expert advice and education tailored to your recovery needs

When you consult with a Mater physiotherapist you will receive a comprehensive, hands-on assessment of your movement problem, as well as a personalised treatment plan in the first appointment.  If required, your physiotherapist can also refer you to see other health professionals within Mater Health and Wellness as part of your ongoing treatment and rehabilitation.

Our accredited practising dietitians provide expert, personalised nutrition advice to help our patients achieve their health and wellness goals.

Our dietitians specialise in the nutritional management of:

• Gastrointestinal diseases (e.g. inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and Coeliac disease)
• Pre- and post- surgical advice to optimise nutritional status and recovery
• Nutrition support
• Weight management
• Type 2 diabetes
• Heart disease, stroke and cardiac rehabilitation
• Maternal Nutrition
• Renal

Psychosocial Occupational Therapists aim to assist their clients to achieve stress reduction and improve occupational performance through evidence-based and practical interventions. Research has shown that stress and anxiety management strategies improve quality of life during stressful life experiences such as adjusting to changed life roles (e.g. parenthood or illness).

Mater Health and Wellness Psychosocial Occupational Therapists are registered with Medicare and able to provide interventions under ‘Focused Psychological Strategies Services’ – Better Access to Mental Health and/or Chronic Disease Management Programmes.

Areas we are skilled to work with are:

• Pregnancy 
  We can assist with the transition to motherhood and the perinatal mental health journey before and after birth.
• FND 
  Functional neurological disorder.
• Young adults 
  Navigating the transition into adulthood.
• Chronic Pain Management 
  Understanding the Nervous System and maintaining optimal quality of life.
• Cancer survivorship 
  Living well with optimal quality of life during and after your cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Our speech pathologists provide specialist care for adults (18+) with swallowing and communication disorders, including:

• Voice disorders (following ENT diagnosis)
• Acquired speech and language disorders (e.g. dysarthria, aphasia)
• Upper airway and laryngeal conditions (e.g. chronic cough, vocal cord dysfunction, post-respiratory or ENT assessment)
• Swallowing difficulties (dysphagia) impacting eating and drinking

We offer thorough assessments and personalised therapy to support safe swallowing, clear communication, and improved quality of life.

Nutrition and Dietetics - preconception and natural fertility support

Our dietitians provide tailored nutrition advice and support to optimise fertility.  We also provide specialist support to help clients with polycystic ovarian syndrome.

Nutrition and Dietetics

• Nutritional advice on healthy eating to support optimal nutrition and gestational weight gain
• Dietetics services for women with gestational diabetes and type 2 diabetes

Occupational Therapy

• Hand therapy for wrist and thumb pain related to pregnancy
• Compression garment prescription for the managment of pregnancy related varicose veins
• Stress management for balancing life roles, body image adjustment, sleep support and development of baby care skills
• Relaxation/mindfulness for pregnancy and birth preparation and procedural anxiety

Physiotherapy

• Low and mid back pain, pain in the pubis/SIJ or pelvis or buttocks (or discomfort in the pelvis, back and hips)
• Abdominal bulging (rectus diastasis)
• Bladder control problems or constipation/straining
• Exercise advice
• Preparing for birth
• Pregnancy and antenatal education

Nutrition and Dietetics

• Support to help women achieve their nutritional requirements for breastfeeding
• Dietetic advice relating to postnatal weight loss

Occupational Therapy

• Hand therapy for wrist and thumb pain persisting after pregnancy
• Compression garment prescription for management of varicose veins
• Psychosocial support with:
  • parent-baby bonding
  • adjustment to parenthood role
  • activities of daily living including balancing selfcare, return to work, and routines.

Physiotherapy

Physiotherapy services to treat and manage:

• Abdominal wall stretch (rectus diastasis)
• Discomfort in the pelvis, back and hips
• Pelvic floor dysfunction, tears and prolapse
• Bladder / bowel control, incontinence and constipation
• Hand and wrist pain
• Lactating breast conditions (mastitis and blocked ducts)
• Return to exercise or sport