Rachel van der Linden

Since graduating in 1993, Rachel has dedicated her career to supporting children and families, both in Australia and the UK

Her interests and passions lie in working with children who are showing difficulties in learning and managing their day-to-day activities, and she believes strongly in working with families in natural settings, and within natural routines.

Over her 30+ years of experience Rachel had attended many courses and workshops, and integrated ideas into her clinical practice, covering many different areas including sensory processing, play, toileting, sleep, mealtimes, relationship-based practices, neuroscience behind behaviour and learning, parent coaching, nature-based practice, neurodiversity affirming practice, trauma-informed practice, and clinical supervision practices

Rachel is also deeply committed to empowering other paediatric occupational therapists. She loves to support her colleagues in reflecting on and enhancing their clinical skills, ensuring they have access to the help and resources they need.

Nicole Oppermann

Since graduating in 1996, Nicole has worked across diverse clinical settings within Australia and the UK. Her career has encompassed acute medical and surgical inpatient care, physical and mental health rehabilitation, community education and preventative healthcare, home assessment and modification, and worksite assessment and vocational rehabilitation.

For the past decade, her focus has been in paediatrics, working to support children to utilise their existing skills and develop new skills to enhance their participation in daily life activities.

Nicole is known for her strong commitment to building close working relationships with all key stakeholders, including families, teaching staff, and other treating practitioners. She believes in collaborative teamwork to create supportive environments, whether at school or at home, in order to optimise children’s developmental and functional outcomes. She enjoys engaging with children, fostering a positive and encouraging atmosphere to help them thrive.

In addition to her clinical work, Nicole contributes to the field by tutoring at UniSA, imparting her experience and knowledge to future occupational therapists.  

Steph Carman

Since graduating in 2008, Steph has primarily worked with children and families in community settings. She has also gained experience in hospital settings, providing acute care and rehabilitation for both children and adults.

Steph works to build relationships and connections among children, families, and educators to deepen their understanding of child development and implement effective strategies. She delivers targeted therapy to support children in reaching their goals, operating across environments such as homes, childcare centres, Early Learning Centres (ELC), kindergartens, and schools, seamlessly integrating her interventions into daily life and activities.  
Steph has a diverse skill set and holistic approach, not limited to but including training in Key Word Signing, Hanen – SPARK Communication, Circle of Security Parent Training, SOS Approach to Feeding, Sleepwise, Sensory Defensiveness, Equipment Prescription and Home Modifications.