Meet Bernadette Shannon
Director and Principal Occupational Therapist
Bernadette Shannon has a wealth of experience, with over 25 years working in paediatric occupational therapy. She graduated with a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy from the University of Queensland in 1998. She has worked as a Paediatric OT in a wide range of paediatric settings throughout Australia and the United Kingdom, including tertiary hospitals, child development services, educational settings, private practice and home-based early intervention research.
She currently also enjoys working for the Queensland Cerebral Palsy Rehabilitation and Research Centre, in home-based early intervention studies for babies at high risk or with a diagnosis of cerebral palsy. She loves coaching parents and helping to facilitating changes in their home environment, to help babies develop to their full potential.
Bernadette has a passion for working with babies born prematurely, and babies or children with cerebral palsy, acquired brain injury, autism or other neurodevelopmental conditions. She enjoys working alongside families to optimise their child’s development and facilitate their ability to play, learn and participate in everyday activities. Bernadette believes in the power of early intervention and the importance of addressing challenges in the early years to support children’s long-term success.
Bernadette is a member of the Australian Association for Occupational Therapy (AAOT). She is a certified Advanced Prechtl General Movement Assessment (GMA) Scorer. This Prechtl GMA is an assessment tool used as part of best practice in the assessment of premature infants and infants at risk of cerebral palsy. Bernadette is a certified Infant Massage Instructor and loves to teach parent how to massage their baby and the many benefits of infant massage.
Bernadette lives with her husband and three children. She enjoys travelling, keeping active and lots of beach time with her family.
If your child could benefit from paediatric occupational therapy, contact Best Start Occupational Therapy today. Let's work together to unlock your child's full potential and ensure they thrive in their early years and beyond.