Kay Malta
"My role is to be a curious detective: to listen deeply to the child and the family, and to work out what might be making participation harder."
The joy of taking part
What draws me to this work is the joy of children participating, engaging and interacting with family, friends and community.
After thirty-five years, I continue to be inspired by the resilience and persistence of children and their families.
All behaviour is communication
All behaviour is communication. I believe my role is to be a curious detective: to listen deeply to the child and the family, and to help analyse the environment and the factors that may be affecting participation.
My approach is to collaborate and to invite possible solutions, to allow choice and control, and to make a situation that minimises distress and lets the child shine.
A curious detective, listening deeply to the child and the family.
Mostly on the floor
I am mostly on the floor playing, or sitting with children, collaborating together.
I love to bring in books, music and movement to spark joy and learning.
Predictability, with room to move
I have to admit to a love of Officeworks and Kmart, particularly for the stationery and the organisational containers.
I work efficiently with routine and predictability, and I bring an element of that to my work with children. Of course there is space for the unexpected, and for a bit of organised chaos.
Thirty-five years with young children
I am a paediatric occupational therapist and key worker, and I have supported young children and their families in a variety of settings. A few things that shape how I work:
Early childhood
Young children and the people around them, in the settings where their ordinary days actually happen.
Key worker practice
One person who knows the whole picture, so a family is not repeating themselves to everybody.
ESDM trained
The Early Start Denver Model, used inside play and everyday routines rather than apart from them.
Psychology
A Graduate Diploma in Psychology alongside the OT, which shapes how I think about behaviour.
Noticing what the body is saying
I am currently reading and learning about interoception: how our sense of internal awareness — temperature, heartbeat, thirst, hunger — is closely tied to our ability to regulate our emotions and to participate fully in our environment.
Once we are able to notice those signals more readily, we can learn to make adjustments around us, feel more comfortable, and take part with a sense of happiness rather than distress.
Routines keep me regulated
Routines keep me regulated, including a strong morning coffee and quiet time by myself at the end of the day.
Reading, and walking, and recently reminding myself to look up at the tree tops and the sky, which always puts a different perspective on the world.
Look up. It changes the view.