Peer-reviewed article
'I Do Often Feel Like We Were Given a Magic Wand' - Children's and Families' Experiences of Allied Health Services for Developmental and Disability Needs in Rural and/or Remote South Australia.
Gosse G, Kumar S, Banwell H, Pate J ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This qualitative study explored how children with developmental and disability needs and their families experience allied health services in rural and remote South Australia. Through interviews with 13 parents, 1 carer, and 8 children, the researchers identified what matters most: therapists who are fun, knowledgeable and caring, seeing their children make progress, and having flexible services that fit community life. The findings suggest that understanding local community assets and centring families' perspectives are essential for improving how allied health services are delivered in remote areas.
Key points
- Children and families value therapists who make sessions enjoyable and engaging, with 'fun' being a critical but often overlooked element of therapy
- Parents appreciated seeing their children grow and develop through services, and valued therapists' individual qualities and consistency
- Families need support navigating the healthcare system, funding models, and accessing services
- Strong community connections and therapists being known locally are important to service quality
- Flexible environments and service delivery models are needed to work within rural and remote contexts
Limitations
This is a small qualitative study with 22 total participants from one region, so findings may not generalise to other rural and remote areas or countries. The study captures experiences but does not measure clinical outcomes or compare service effectiveness across different delivery models.
Abstract
Background Children in rural and remote areas are increasingly developmentally vulnerable compared to metropolitan peers. Allied health professionals are positioned to provide services to support children with developmental and disability needs but face barriers to delivering services in rural and remote areas. Research has highlighted the need to understand context, for quality care delivery; however, critical gaps remain in understanding assets within our communities. Objective The aim of this study was to explore parents/carers and children's experiences receiving services for disability and developmental needs in rural and remote South Australia. Design Qualitative appreciative inquiry methodology using semi-structured interviews and. Setting and participants Participants were purposefully recruited via snowball sampling through allied health professionals and included parents/carers and children receiving allied health services for developmental and/or disability needs. Results Thirteen parents, one carer and eight children participated in interviews. Findings were inductively structured into a socio-ecological framework. Themes included 'the importance of having fun', 'therapy makes us grow', 'my child and therapist are parts of the community', 'consistent, knowledgeable and caring therapists', 'flexible environments and health services' and 'accessing funding models and the healthcare system'. Discussion These findings tell us that the value of 'fun' and community within health services should not be overlooked. Parents/carers value therapists' individual qualities, seeing their children grow and being supported to understand the healthcare system. Conclusions Children's and parents/carers perspectives should be centred so communities are positioned to drive sustainable and practical improvements in allied health service delivery. Patient of public contribution This study sought experiences from parents/carers and children with developmental or disability needs in rural and remote South Australia. The lead author is an allied health professional who has been working with this population. All participants were sent the results for feedback. The findings will inform stakeholders developing models of care for delivering allied health services to this population.