Perth Hills Allied Health

07/09/2026

You know the child who can clearly do the task, who's done it easily before, and then the moment you ask, they shut down or push back. That's not wilful behaviour, it's information.

My upcoming webinar unpacks what demand avoidance actually is, how PDA fits into that picture, and what actually helps in the room, so you can keep working towards meaningful communication goals while respecting the child in front of you.

Friday 25 September, 10:30am to 12:30pm AWST.
$150
2 months of recording access,
a resource pack and Certificate of Attendance

https://adultlearningzones.perthhillsalliedhealth.com.au/pda-speech-therapy-webinar



Di Van der Walt is a speech therapist with over 20 years experience in the Allied Health space who is passionate about advocating for her industry and creating a safe space for the people helping the people to get the support they need through the Therapists Haven community.

31/08/2026

Is it "defiance," or is it a nervous system in distress? If you've sat across from a child who can clearly do the task, has done it before with no bother at all, and then shuts down or pushes back hard the second you ask, you already know it's not that simple. I'm running a live 2 hour webinar on how to actually support demand-avoidant children in speech therapy. Not just the theory. What to do in the room, how to explain it to parents and teachers, and two strategies you can use in your very next session. Friday 25th September. 10:30am to 12:30pm AWST. Live on Zoom. Certificate of Attendance included. Recording available for 2 months. Link in bio to register. ------------------------------ Di Van der Walt is a speech therapist with over 20 years experience in the Allied Health space who is passionate about advocating for her industry and creating a safe space for the people helping the people to get the support they need through the Therapists Haven community.

20/08/2026

The Therapists Haven session is on today. 10:30am AWST, online via Zoom.

If you've never been before, you can come along to this one for free. If you've been meaning to, this is your sign.

Register here: https://link.tekmatix.com/widget/form/EGv1VvO4L2YVUNYd5fos



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is a speech therapist with over 20 years experience in the Allied Health space who is passionate about advocating for her industry and creating a safe space for the people helping the people to get the support they need through the Therapists Haven community.

19/08/2026

You know the child I mean.

They can do the task, you've watched them do it, no bother at all. Then the moment you ask, everything shuts down. Or they push back hard over something small, and you walk away from the session wondering what actually just happened in there.

If that sounds familiar, this webinar is for you.

I'm running a live 2 hour session on how to support demand-avoidant children in speech therapy, built from real clinical moments rather than just definitions on a slide.

We'll cover what PDA actually is, the hidden demands that show up in ordinary therapy tasks (praise and direct questions included), how to build your sessions so demand comes down before it becomes a problem, and how to explain all of this to parents and teachers without it sounding like an excuse.

You'll leave with strategies you can use straight away, not just a new way of thinking about it.
Friday 25th September,
10:30am to 12:30pm AWST
live on Zoom with 15 minutes of live Q&A
Certificate of Attendance. Recording available for 2 months.
$150.
Register here: https://adultlearningzones.perthhillsalliedhealth.com.au/pda-speech-therapy-webinar

Practical PDA and demand avoidance strategies for speech pathologists. Learn to reduce pressure, support autonomy and adapt therapy.

04/08/2026

I'm very excited and very proud to be announced as a finalist for Speech Pathologist of the Year for 2026.

04/08/2026

Curious about The Therapists Haven but not sure what you're actually signing up for? Here's the honest version.

It's online, on Zoom, about an hour. There's no pressure to have anything figured out, no expectation you'll speak if you don't want to. Some sessions we work through something practical together, some sessions it's just good to be in a room where everyone gets the private practice life.

If you've never been before, your first session on August 21st at 10:30am AWST is free: https://link.tekmatix.com/widget/form/EGv1VvO4L2YVUNYd5fos



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is a speech therapist with over 20 years experience in the Allied Health space who is passionate about advocating for her industry and creating a safe space for the people helping the people to get the support they need through the Therapists Haven community.

03/08/2026

That quiet discomfort you feel mid social skills session? That's worth paying attention to.

On 7 August I'm bringing Liz Baird to the Adult Learning Zones community for Getting Out of the Social Skills Bubble, and I am so here for this conversation.

Liz is an Autistic speech pathologist and the founder of ND Therapy. She knows this topic from the inside out, and she is going to help us move beyond the frameworks that were never designed with Autistic people in mind.

If you support Autistic teens or adults with social goals, this one is for you. Practical, affirming, and genuinely useful. Live online, Friday 7 August, 12:00pm AWST. Recording included.

https://adultlearningzones.perthhillsalliedhealth.com.au/gettingoutofthesocialskillsbubble

30/07/2026

The Therapists Haven is getting together for an August Catch Up!

Friday 7 August, 6:30pm to 9:30pm at the Guildford Hotel. No agenda, just a casual chat and good company.

It's free to attend, just grab your own drinks or a meal.

RSVP to Di on 0418 884 765 so I can sort the booking numbers. Bring a colleague along if you like.



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Di Van Der W