Dr. Sarah Wilkes-Gillan
I am a registered occupational therapist with expertise in paediatric practice. I completed my Bachelor of Applied Science (Occupational Therapy) with First Class Honours (2010) and PhD (2015) at the University of Sydney.
I have over 10 years experience supporting children, their parents, families and schools. I also have over 10 years experience conducting clinical intervention research trials with children and their families. I have worked most extensively with children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
I place primary importance on children feeling valued, connected, understood, confident and included as well as building positive parent-child relationships and behaviour in children.
I also work for the University of Sydney as a Lecturer in Occupational Therapy. I teach paediatric units of study to undergraduate and masters students and supervise a number of honours and PhD research students. My research focuses on developing effective interventions to enhance the play, social and communication skills of children with ADHD and ASD.
I am also passionate about helping professionals, such as occupational therapists, speech pathologists and teachers develop their skills through mentoring and professional development activities.
As a mum of three young children, this has deepened my understanding of supporting children and their families.