Ashleigh van de Sande

Ashleigh graduated with a Bachelor of Science (Occupational Therapy) with Honours in 2017 from the University of the Witwatersrand. Since graduating, she has had 6 years’ experience as a paediatric OT.

Having completed a compulsory community service year in a town where she established and led the Occupational Therapy Division, she handled a diverse caseload encompassing paediatric, adult neurological, geriatric, psychiatric, and wheelchair prescription cases. Subsequently, from January 2019 to June 2022, she worked at a private paediatric practice in Johannesburg, South Africa specializing in assessing and treating children aged 4 to 10 with developmental delays and sensory integration issues. Relocating to Brisbane, Australia, from October 2022 to December 2023, she joined RAR Therapy, focusing on neurodiverse children, addressing concerns related to Autism, ADHD, behaviour, emotional regulation, trauma, sensory modulation, processing disorders, and learning difficulties. Working in various settings, including schools, client homes, clinics, and telehealth, she navigated the NDIS and Medicare systems, collaborating with allied health professionals.

• Executive Function Master Course for Paediatric OTs – Using the Train Model, Therapeutic Edge, January 2024.
• DIR 101: An Introduction to DIR and DIRFloortime, Interdisciplinary Council on Development and Learning (ICDL), September 2023.
• First Aid Training certification including CPR and basic emergency life support, Australia Wide First Aid, February 2023.
• Sensitive Conversations with families, Healthy Kids, November 2022.
• SASIC 4: Intervention Course, The South African Institute for Sensory Integration (SAISI), September 2020
• SASIC 3: Interpretation Course, The South African Institute for Sensory Integration (SAISI), September 2019
• SASIC 2: Test Administration Course, The South African Institute for Sensory Integration (SAISI), April 2019
• SASIC 1: Sensory Integration Theory Course, The South African Institute for Sensory Integration (SAISI), March 2019
• ADD & Medication, Impact Learning, March 2019.
• Ashleigh is a certified Sensory Integration therapist.

Ashleigh employs a versatile approach tailored to each child’s needs. She incorporates a strength-based perspective, aiming to build confidence and success in various aspects of a child’s life. Her therapy is focused on making the process meaningful and enjoyable, looking beyond diagnoses to create an optimal environment for overcoming challenges and promoting skills, self-confidence, and independence. Ashleigh adopts a child-led and play-based approach, emphasizing collaboration with caregivers, schools, and other stakeholders. She prioritizes family concerns and values, integrating therapeutic strategies into everyday life. Specialising in children aged 4 to 12 years, Ashleigh addresses sensory integration and modulation difficulties, attention issues, learning challenges, and motor planning and coordination difficulties using a range of sensory strategies.

• Born in Johannesburg, South Africa.
• 2018 – Compulsory community service year – Invaluable year of experience as the only occupational therapist in the town, working at various clinics, hospitals and an old age home. In this year, she set up and headed the Occupational Therapy Division. Cases included paediatric physical, hands, adult neurological, geriatrics, psychiatric and wheelchair prescriptions. Furthermore, she was the community service representative for the North-West Province. Caseload included both individual and group client sessions, report writing, client related administration and department administration.
• Jan 2019 to June 2022 – Worked from a private paediatric practise in Johannesburg, South Africa. Assessing and treating children between the ages of 4 and 10 years with developmental delays, sensory integration, and modulation difficulties. She worked in various private school settings. Ashleigh worked closely with Speech therapists, physiotherapists, psychologists, and teachers making the appropriate referrals when necessary. Caseload included both individual and group client sessions, report writing and client related administration.
• Oct 2022 to Dec 2023 – Relocated to Brisbane, Australia. Worked at RAR Therapy assessing and treating children between the ages of 3 and 16 years. Working in various private and state schools, client’s homes, in clinic, and over telehealth with particular focus on neurodiverse children, Autism, ADHD, behaviour, and emotional regulation difficulties including previous trauma, sensory modulation, processing disorders, and learning difficulties. Through this role, she became familiar with both the NDIS and Medicare systems. She has had the opportunity of working alongside various other allied health care professionals including Speech Pathology, Physiotherapy, Psychology, Positive Behaviour Support and Dietetics. Her current caseload consists of around 40 clients per fortnight, report writing and client related administration.

Going to church, spending time with family and friends, trail running, birding/ photography, spending time enjoying the outdoors, playing tennis, and Pilates.

Sometimes, despite our best efforts, you or the therapist may find that you are not a good fit. If your therapist feels that he or she is not best suited to you, he/she will discuss this with you and recommend a more appropriate therapist.

If you feel that your therapist is not a good fit within the first three sessions, simply discuss this with our admin team who will find a more suitable therapist.