SQUISH Kids is on a mission to change the lives of children with special needs, offering tailored therapy in the Redlands.
Squish Kids, a vibrant centre for occupational therapy, caters to children with autism, ADHD, developmental delays, genetic conditions, and more.
Founder and director Beth Dermer said Squish Kids collaborated with local businesses, including psychology, speech pathology, paediatrics, and physiotherapy, to create a tailored multidisciplinary team for each child.
For 14 years, Squish Kids has flourished in the tight-knit Redlands community, with three sites across the area.
“The Redlands feels more like a regional town than the outskirts of Brisbane,” Beth said.
“It’s a small and friendly community where the locals are very supportive.”
The Squish Kids team consists of nine OTs, an occupational therapy aide, a practice manager, and three reception staff.
“We have a supportive mix of very experienced clinicians and the addition of two new graduates in mid-January,” Beth noted.
“We value supporting and developing our newest colleagues.”
Having operated before the NDIS, one of Squish Kids’ standout qualities is its deep understanding of the challenges families face.
“We are experienced in advocating for help as well as making the funding stretch to meet the needs of each child,” Beth said.
Beth passionately discusses the critical role of early intervention to support different or delayed development.
“We know that early intervention has a positive effect, with the key benefits impacting motor control, independence, social skills, behaviours, academics and more,” she said.
“For kids, this means helping them to build their essential skills such as movement, emotional and thinking skills.”
Recognising that every child is unique, Squish Kids extends its personalised approach through a mobile therapy service, offering a variety of sessions at schools, daycare, or home when needed.
Exciting times lie ahead for Squish Kids as they plan to expand their team and launch partnerships with Y School in Victoria Point and the Social Mums Club.
“In 2025, Squish Kids will be providing education sessions for local daycare and kindergarten centres,” Beth explained.
“We aim to support staff at those centres to understand traits and behaviours and how to help those children.”
