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23 December 2020
The Occupational Therapist Building a Better Life for Children
Rochelle Mutton
Director & Senior Occupational Therapist, Motivate Kids
Senior Physio at Atlas Rehabilitation
Bachelor of Applied Science (Occupational Therapy) now Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Honours)
Rochelle Mutton’s Occupational Therapy journey began when she was seeking a meaningful career that would combine a vocation she loved and her natural inclination towards working with children.
Noticing a need for supportive early intervention programs to help children that were struggling to meet their milestones, understand themselves, and adapt to their world, is what led Rochelle to a fulfilling dream career in Occupational Therapy.
This passion to support children to grow and live their best lives, was a beacon throughout her early career and eventually inspired her to establish, Motivate Kids.
Motivate Kids is a private Occupational Therapy practice that provides a unique therapeutic approach that addresses the root cause of a child’s developmental difficulties.
Rochelle, together with her team of therapists, aim to create lasting change that enables a smooth transition into the future lives of children. Her signature open-plan setup ensures the benefits of therapy sessions are transferrable to the outside world, focusing on helping these children reach their full potential through personalised therapy plans.
“The most exciting achievement of my professional career has been launching Motivate Kids in Prospect in September 2017, which has recently expanded to a second studio in Blakeview and a third in Salisbury to meet the needs of families,” says Rochelle.
“Being able to create a model that fit with my core values and moulded to the needs of clients and their families has been the most uplifting and exciting adventure I have created.”
“My core values around innovation, passion and integrity inspire the way in which I work, as well as the many mentors I am grateful to have in my life; professionally and personally. Yet, quite simply, being able to support children to grow and live their best lives is the greatest inspiration of all!”
Rochelle has accumulated her expert Occupational Therapy knowledge from all around the world. In addition to mastering the foundational building blocks of Occupational Therapy at UniSA, Rochelle had the opportunity to complete an international student volunteer placement that took her to the Dominican Republic.
Here, she explored grassroots development initiatives working with adults to rebuild a house and paediatrics to teach hand and dental hygiene.
This opportunity allowed her to gain an understanding about the relationship between the community and their political, economic, cultural and ecological environment and how resources could be mobilised to improve their quality of life. Following this, Rochelle studied in Southern California and worked in London, further expanding her skills and expertise.
These skills remain significant to Rochelle and she continues to employ the practices she learnt here in her work today.
“I am grateful to be able to draw on my experiences from California and my time spent in a private paediatric practice in London to bring an innovative approach to the Occupational Therapy domain of Adelaide and Australia,” she says.
Back in Adelaide, Motivate Kids – now three years-old – is going from strength to strength.
Rochelle has become adept at coordinating and leading an incredible team of therapists and support staff to create a community, as well as parent and child centred opportunities, that build the capacity of the entire family.
The team has staged events such as Sensory Sensitive Halloween, Sensory Sensitive Santa Photos, Meditation sessions and Family Connections through Yoga, enabling a child’s whole support network to be involved.
“As the Director and Senior Occupational Therapist of Motivate Kids my role is truly exciting each day.”
“My vision for our children, their caregivers, and the therapists who work alongside me is to create a community of therapy support as we strive to help children be the best they can be.”
“I have a grand vision and it’s exciting watching it unfold with the remarkable team of Motivate Kids. For children to be able to play, learn and become independent, we are setting the foundational building blocks for adulthood.”
An unstoppable career in health begins at UniSA. Discover 20+ health qualifications including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech pathology, podiatry, clinical exercise physiology, pharmacy, medical radiation sciences and more, and graduate career-ready with UniSA.
