Anthea Nagel (BOccTher)
Anthea Nagel is a dedicated occupational therapist with extensive experience in paediatric care, boasting international and local experience across hospitals, private practice, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Occupational Therapy and is Ahpra licensed, committed to enriching the lives of children and their families.
Her journey in occupational therapy began with her comprehensive training in early intervention, where she honed her skills in identifying and addressing developmental delays in infants and toddlers with special needs in South Africa.
Anthea’s training and professional background diversified in the UAE and Australia, evolving within the profession alongside occupational therapists and health professionals worldwide.
She has over 15 years experience working with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and developmental delays.
With a focus on functional capacity assessments, Anthea meticulously evaluates children’s abilities from infancy throughout childhood and teenage years. She designs personalised intervention plans to nurture their development, functional independence, and quality of life.
In her tailored face-to-face occupational therapy sessions, she places a strong emphasis on addressing the specific needs of each child, empowering them to develop self-awareness, interoception, sensory and emotional regulation skills.
During her sessions, children learn to actively engage, observe, learn, imitate, and explore new play ideas and activities. Families and educators can collaborate on incorporating play and therapeutic activities, along with planned involvement in daily routines between sessions, to enhance learning opportunities.
This helps children practise and use the social, motor, play, self-care, and thinking skills they learn during occupational therapy, at home, preschool, daycare, school, and the community.
Anthea utilises goal-setting tools and practical strategies to support caregivers and educators with compassionate care, recognising the challenges involved in raising and teaching children with special needs.
To help achieve goals, methods such as environmental modifications, utilising practical resources, breaking tasks into smaller steps, and employing SMART goals with families often simplify and ease the path to accomplishment.
For older children, Anthea’s sessions focus on teaching skills like goal setting, planning, and organisation. Anthea collaborates closely with older children to improve their interactions and relationships, emphasising flexible thinking, enhanced self-perception, and better understanding of social cues. By guiding children to think about anticipated outcomes, they gain insight into making behavioural choices in an environment where they feel safe and secure.
Anthea also offers handwriting assessments and intervention for primary to high school students, ensuring they acquire essential skills for academic success.
Committed to ongoing professional development, Anthea is dedicated to staying abreast of the latest methodologies in the occupational therapy field.
Anthea skillfully integrates internationally recognised evidence-based approaches into her therapy sessions. She prioritises collaboration with allied health teams, advocating for a multidisciplinary approach to holistic care.
As a mobile therapist, she delivers her services directly to clients’ homes, ensuring convenience and accessibility for families.
In addition to in-person sessions, Anthea offers online therapy services, leveraging technology to reach children in various settings.
Anthea Nagel is not just an occupational therapist; she is a compassionate advocate for children’s well-being, dedicated to empowering them to reach their full potential in all aspects of life.