Ciara Baxter Email & Phone Number

United Kingdom

Team 21 is a highly specialised multidisciplinary team, ambitious about offering evidence-based therapeutic services, educational support and bespoke training to maximize the potential of children with Down syndrome from birth to adulthood

London, United Kingdom

I am a qualified Occupational Therapist (19 years) and qualified child counsellor (8 years). Currently holding a varied case-load of children between 2 months-16 years, working with individuals with autism, Down Syndrome, cerebral palsy, dyspraxia, dyslexia, coordination difficulties, sensory processing difficulties, developmental delay, handwriting difficulties, emotional and behavioural difficulties. Ongoing consultation and support given to parents, families and school staff. Provide expert analysis and detailed assessments alongside individualised and group treatment programmes across a wide range of contexts including schools, nursery, home and clinic setting.Recruited to consult with schools staff on a wide range of special educational needs.·Being innovative and creative so I can provide specific recommendations for children based on the resources available to schools and families and to avoid a “one fits all” service. Consultant specialist working with staff and their adult clients with severe and profound difficultiesExclusive previous contracts with behaviour support clinic, Irish Centre of Behaviour Support and Research, The Portland Hospital, Down Right Excellent and Down South London

London

The Chelsea Group of Children in an independent primary level special education school based in the south west of London. It caters for children with mild to moderate and sometimes complex special education needs from 4 -11 years of age. Past Roles: OT Clinical Supervisor 2015-2021Deputy Head Of The School/Head of Assessment, Strategic Planning, Pupil outcomes and behavioural outcomes for the school. February 2017-2020Clinical Lead Occupational Therapy 2018-2021 Clinical Lead Emotional Support Team 2018-2021EHCP Lead 2017-2022Interim Head Teacher February 2017-April 2017Interim Head Teacher September 2020-December 2020Senior Leadership Team 2016-2022 -Lead in all EHCP matters for the school working with 14 different local authorities across London. -Responsible for overseeing all clinical As Head of Therapy, I oversaw the running of three therapy departments (Occupational therapy, speech and language therapy and play therapy) in the school. -Developed new clinical supervision structures and caseload management structures for the Therapy Department with SALT Clinical Lead-Held caseload of children who present with the most complex needs in the school-Worked alongside SALT Clinical Lead to develop the therapy department strategic plan-Developed a new specialised classrooms for children with Autism and significant emotional difficulties in association with the Head Teacher and the Director of the School-Responsible for the development of emotional support for students and staff in the school. -Expanded and developed the "Talktime" programme in the school (an in-house 1:1 play therapy sessions). -Created and developed the position of an in-house child counsellor. -Delivered termly in house whole school training on self awareness, emotional and mental health wellbeing training.-Delivered whole school staff and Family Training yearly e.g Handwriting Development, Sensory Processing Development, Understanding causations of behaviour.

Ethiopia

Working with Reach Another Foundation as part of their international specialist team to provide services and promote the awareness, further education and training of autism in Ethiopia. Supported the development of the first three non fee paying autism schools in Ethiopia. Our ongoing working also includes expanding autism awareness in Ethiopia and in liaison with the Minister of Mental Health, Professors of University Addis Ababa and University of Awassa and other leading paediatricians and consultants to develop a national agenda for autism in Ethiopia. Have delivered autism training to over 100 teachers and parents across Ethiopia. In addition, also working with ReachAnother in developing rehabilitation services for children with neural defects. Have funded the surgery of over 2000 children with spina bifida and hydrocephalus since 2011. Liaising with the Pediatric Neurosurgical team of Great Ormond Street, the Neurosurgical training programme in Ethiopia and hospitals across Ethiopia to raise awareness of neural defects. Our current focus has expanded to support the development of rehabilitation needs for children with neural defects.

Pakistan

Working with Smiling Angel, a non profit organisation to support and develop autism services in Pakistan. Have delivered training to parents and professionals working with children with Autism in Pakistan and supporting the organisation in developing a specialist preschool for children on the autism spectrum in Islamabad, Pakistan.

Naas

I worked as senior clinician with Enable Ireland Services Kildare. Enable Ireland provides free services to children and adults with disabilities and their families from 40 locations in 14 counties in Ireland. Took responsibility as leading Occupational Therapist on the specialist Early Intervention team with children with physical disabilities carrying a caseload of 70+ with children between 0-6 years. As part of a multi-disciplinary team we specialised in the diagnostics of cerebral palsy, developmental delay, developmental coordination disorder and sensory processing difficulties related to premature birth.

Maynooth/Celbridge

Qualified dance teacher with the International Dance Teachers Association

Ireland

Responsible for all Assessment of Need (AON) OT Assessments for Community Service Carlow/Kilkenny HSE Services.·Providing specialised paediatric assessments to explore and identify the needs of children under the age of eight years with high incidence of assessments for children under the age of five years.·Recommending and implementing innovative and pragmatic recommendations to support the ongoing development of the Carlow/Kilkenny occupational therapy community services with a particular focus on reducing waiting lists and expanding the types of services available to clients and their families. ·Directly contributed to the reduction of the paediatric assessment waitlist by 50%, despite an increase of referrals of 232% in 2010.

Cork City And County

Senior Clinician on a diagnostic and intervention service for children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).·Responsible for the management of a caseload of over 100 children, delivering services to them in clinic, home and school settings. ·Worked in collaboration with school principals and the Department of Education and Science in supporting the development of autism classes within mainstream school settings and working collaboratively in establishing new pre-school and primary school ASD classes within the North Lee HSE region. ·Undertook the role of a supervisor and educator both as a Practice Tutor for Occupational Therapy students of University College Cork and acted as a supervisor to staff grade occupational therapists within the COPE OT department.·Managed a variety of caseloads including adults with challenging behaviour and severe physical disabilities, childrenwith mild, moderate and severe/profound intellectual disabilities in schools and in early intervention service.·Guest speaker at teacher conferences, parent seminars, post diagnostic support groups and invited to lecture at University College Cork. ·Represented my department and the organisation at local, national and international conferences promoting collaborative working between Speech and Language therapists and Occupational therapists working with children with severe/profound intellectual disabilities.

Master'S Degree, Child Counselling

Postgraduate Professional Training with Place2Be and UEL

Bsc (Hons) Occupational Therapy, Allied Health

Education record