Senior Occupational Therapist

Debra Khan

As an OT, I get to learn everyday and I get to work with kids and their families to achieve their goals.

Some Fun Facts About Deb

Where did you grow up?  Straddie

 

What did you love to do as a kid?  Lie on the trampoline & look at the clouds.

 

What did you want to be when you were growing up?  I wanted to travel the World.

 

What is your favourite food?  Coconut Gelato

 

Where is your favourite holiday destination?  Straddie

 

Where in the world would you like to go where you haven’t been before?  Bhutan

 

Tell us an interesting fact about you.  I am a yoga teacher.

 

What is your life motto?  If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.

Deb has enjoyed being a paediatric occupational therapist for more than 15 years and brings her experience and passion for working with children, young people and their families to enable them to reach their goals and potentials.

Deb has practised in community settings and in Children’s Hospitals, specialising in rehabilitation therapy for children with cerebral palsy, acquired brain injury and other neurological conditions.  She has worked collaboratively within multidisciplinary teams with a wide range of health professionals and believes good teamwork assists families in achieving their goals.

In addition to childhood developmental OT, Deb has developed specialist skills in upper limb and cognitive rehabilitation and in translating the best available research into clinical practice through her work at CP Health, Queensland Paediatric Rehabilitation Service and the Queensland Cerebral Palsy and Rehabilitation Research Centre.  As a research OT she provided therapy to babies at risk of developing cerebral palsy for a research study which is measuring the impact of early intervention on these babies’ development.  Deb is enthusiastic about using her knowledge and skills from the hospital and research centre to therapy for children in the clinic, at home, in their schools and their community.

Deb believes in forming strong therapeutic partnerships with children, young people and their caregivers to provide the most relevant and engaging (fun!) therapy sessions, achievable strategies to keep progressing at home and in ensuring the gains made in therapy translate into optimal engagement and partici[ation in everyday life.

Deb is a certified assessor using the

  • General Movements Assessment (Level 1)
  • Hand Assessment of Infants (HAI)
  • Mini Assisting Hand Assessment (Mini-AHA)
  • Assisting Hand Assessment (AHA)
  • Both Hands Assessment (BoHA)
  • Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development Scales
  • Perceive Recall Plan Perform (PRPP) System of Task Analysis

 

Deb has completed training in the following interventions:

  • Cognitive Orientation to Occupational Performance (CO-OP)
  • Learn to Play (Stagnetti)
  • Splinting and Casting for Upper Limb Hypertonicity
  • Home Program to Improve Function
  • Occupational Performance Coaching
  • Functional Hand Use in Hemiplegia
  • Improving Function and Behaviour following Acquired Brain Injury
  • OT intervention for sleep and rest
  • Neurodevelopmental Treatment (NDT) Foundation Course
  • Functional Handwriting and Visual Perceptual Skills.

Deb is a member of OT Australia and a Level 1 Yoga Teacher.  Deb works from our Cleveland clinic.