Janelle, Blake and Tyler

Geraldton mum Janelle knows only too well the challenges of juggling work, parenting, and being a wife, all while fighting for appropriate and timely support for kids with disabilities living in regional WA.

Her own seven-year journey to get the right diagnosis and supports for her son, Blake, was a difficult one. However, her tireless efforts to get her boys the support they need – after both Blake and her second son Tyler were diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) – led Janelle and her family to Rocky Bay.

Janelle’s was one of the first regional families to access a week-long intensive therapy program working alongside the Rocky Bay clinical team, made possible by the refurbishment of Lady Lawley Cottage. She drove down from Geraldton, staying in hotel accommodation in Cottesloe so her boys could access Lady Lawley every day.

“We provided our own accommodation and transport,” Janelle says. “Now that they have the accommodation there that would make it so much more beneficial.

“They [Blake and Tyler] developed so much in that week. They were able to actively engage with people they didn’t know and build friendships,” Janelle says. “We were able to have our week-long therapy, but we could also have all our reports and our behaviours to take home and implement as a family.”