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About CPEC

Our values

Who are we?

The Cerebral Palsy Education Centre (CPEC) provides therapy services to people (0-65 years) living with Cerebral Palsy and similar conditions that result in movement challenges. Many of our clients have complex communication needs. We are an innovative and experienced service based in Glen Waverley, Melbourne with a strong focus on “Learning for Life”.

 

The CPEC vision is that people with cerebral palsy and similar conditions are able to live an inclusive life on their own terms confident in their knowledge, skills and supports to achieve their own goals and active participation in life.

Who we are

These core principles guide our services and are embedded in everything we do ...

  • Being able to communicate is a basic human right

  • Belief that every individual can learn

  • Benefits of the experiences of role models and mentors for clients, families and staff

  • Goals and aspirations of families are our focus

  • Commitment to up-to-date, evidence-based or research-based therapies that facilitates long term outcomes for clients and families

  • Building each child’s self-esteem and confidence in themselves and their abilities

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Our organisation

What do we do?

CPEC services provide access to teams of speech pathologists, physiotherapists, and occupational therapists through small group programs and individual sessions. Our team works in close partnership with clients to identify supports they may require. Children, teens, adults and their families, learn skills and strategies they can incorporate into all aspects of their daily life – “Learning for Life”

 

Children of all ages, adults and families are supported at CPEC sites as well as in the community – at home; at childcare, kindergartens, school settings; tertiary education and other community settings. Services are designed to be embedded into everyday life activities.  

 

Our therapists believe strongly in the importance of family and professional collaboration. We actively seek to collaborate with other professionals working with our clients.

What we do
Young boy working with CPEC therapist

Our therapy services include:

  • Early Intervention services 
    (0 to 6 years of age)

  • Services for students enrolled in mainstream schools 
    (6 to 18 years of age)

  • Individual Services 
    (0 to 65 years of age)

Why choose CPEC?

Why choose CPEC

Therapy Service with over 30 years experience

  • Currently supporting over 230 families

  • Holistic, goal-centred approach

  • Individual & Group programs using a "learning for life" philosophy

  • Key stakeholder for physical disability for the Victorian Department of Education

  • Supporting students in over 50 schools and early childhood settings

  • Delivering professional development to Victorian Department of Education Employees

  • Created Pragmatic Organisational Dynamic Display (PODD) Books 

Expert Knowledge and Skills

CPEC therapists are trained and mentored specifically to work with individuals living with neuromotor disorders and movement challenges, including people with communication challenges. The team have extensive knowledge and experience of successful approaches to enable learning to move, communicate and participate.

Innovative Group Programs

CPEC group programs are a feature of our services and are available across the range of CPEC clients. The group programs are tailored to meet the individual movement, communication and specific age relevant needs of each participant.

Communication Expertise

CPEC is an inclusive communication community with members using speech, sign and/or aided Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). All CPEC team members respect the varied ways our community communicates and are able and ready to interact using a range of AAC systems and strategies.

Movement Expertise

CPEC has internationally acknowledged skills in teaching movement. CPEC therapists engage with each person to work on their own goals, utilising strategies based on current research and clinical evidence. This enables each child or adult to learn skills and live life on their own terms.

Transdisciplinary

As a transdisciplinary service we bring specialists from different fields together to support each person. CPEC utilises a wide range of best practice strategies, depending on the needs of the individual and their family. The CPEC model is specifically designed to support the learning process of children and adults with motor disorders. It aims to work with the person as a whole rather than individual symptoms, to assist the person to be actively engaged in their goals and learn to move to the best of their ability, no matter how severe the disability.

Research

CPEC partners with Monash University to collaborate in an ongoing range of research projects focussing on supporting families to raise their child with a disability.

Advocacy

CPEC takes a proactive approach to supporting families. CPEC actively represents family needs at government and early childhood forums, lobbies local politicians, and provides feedback to reform documents, new initiatives, surveys and inquiries.

 

CPEC also supports parents and young people who access CPEC services who would like to present at local and national conferences, or other forums, so that their voices can be heard.

Young boy with cerebral palsy climbing play equipment at CPEC
Our people

Meet our team

CPEC therapists have specialised knowledge and skills working with individuals living with cerebral palsy and similar conditions, including those with communication challenges. The team has extensive, combined experience and understanding of teaching - learning approaches to support learning to move and learning to communicate. Some members of staff and CPEC Board of Management have lived life experience of cerebral palsy or raising children who have cerebral palsy.  

 

CPEC has a strong ongoing commitment to staff training and mentoring ensuring that our therapists are highly skilled. Our therapists have developed innovative education and training programs and are requested as guest lecturers at universities, conferences and workshops domestically and internationally.

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