About Us — Qualia Occupational Therapy for Children

What is occupational therapy for children?

Paediatric occupational therapy is all about helping children participate more successfully in the everyday activities that are important to them and their family. Whether it's getting dressed independently, joining in at school, making friends, managing big emotions, developing handwriting skills or enjoying play, our focus is always on helping children build the skills and confidence they need to participate in everyday life.

Every child has their own unique strengths, interests and way of experiencing the world. At Qualia, we begin by understanding what matters most to your child and family, then work together to identify meaningful goals that will make a genuine difference in daily life. Rather than focusing on a diagnosis or a single area of difficulty, we consider the whole child—their strengths, their challenges, the environments they spend time in, and the people who support them.

Using evidence-informed assessment and intervention, we identify the factors influencing your child's participation and integrate a range of therapeutic strategies within meaningful, functional activities. We celebrate children for who they are while providing the right balance of support and challenge to help them continue to grow.

By working closely with families, educators and other professionals, we aim to create lasting improvements in children's confidence, independence and participation at home, school and in the community.

The story of Qualia

Qualia (pronounced kwa-li-ah) is a theory explaining how unique individuals each perceive the world differently in relation to their sensory, emotional and environmental influences.

Qualia started in 2010 and has been supporting children and their families ever since. Our dedicated team of experienced occupational therapists consider this theory in all that they do.

Meet the Team

Avalon Nixon

FOUNDER & DIRECTOR

Avalon has extensive experience working with children in both Perth and Sydney, for over 20 years. In addition to her Bachelors degree, she has completed a Masters in Occupational Therapy to specialise in paediatrics, and has started a PhD considering the impact of cognitive strategy on performance. Avalon started Qualia in 2010 with the wish to create the highest quality service for children and their families. Avalon remains committed to evidence based practice and ongoing learning.
Avalon is married to the lovely Perth fellow she moved interstate for all those years ago and has three beautiful children – Henry, and twins, Madeline and Odette. Avalon is certainly able to empathise with a busy family life and maintaining a work/life balance each day.
Avalon’s favourite game to play with a child is hopscotch and if she could time travel she would travel to the future!
Sophie-Anna Barling

DIRECTOR

Sophie-Anna has been part of the Qualia family for almost 13 years, with prior experience in paediatrics in a variety of settings, including at the Children’s Hospital Network, within schools, preschools and home environments. Sophie-Anna is a deep thinker who carefully considers support that embraces a child’s strengths, while challenging them to be the best they can be. She cares deeply about supporting the people around the child, including the parenting role.
Outside of Qualia, Sophie-Anna is a convenor for the OT Australia NSW/ACT Paediatric Special Interest Group. Sophie-Anna is also mum to 3 little people – Dorothy, George and Penny. She loves playing music, sewing and craft, with (and without!) children by her side.
When Soph was a young girl she loved painting fairy trees in her garden for the fairies to live in. She still does!
Sarah Bookey

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST

Sarah is a passionate and caring occupational therapist, who completed her masters degree at University of Canberra. Sarah has worked in a range of paediatric settings for over ten years. She is committed to working collaboratively with schools, teachers and families.
Sarah loves seeing the change in confidence within kids when they reach their goals. Sarah is mother to the delightful Alfie who she adores. In her spare time Sarah enjoys playing netball, going to plays and spending time with her friends.
Sarah loves to play dress ups with children she works with. When she was little, her favourite toy was a doll called Rosie.
Elisa Galizia

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST

Elisa has a passion for working with children and their families to achieve goals in a supportive, fun and creative manner. Elisa completed her Bachelor of Occupational Therapy at the Australian Catholic University. In addition to her years as an OT, she worked for over 3 years as a Disability Support Worker, where she worked alongside children, families and allied health teams to provide personalised care and programs. This experience shaped how she shows up as an OT.
In her spare time, Elisa loves to play netball and attend pilates. She loves spending time with her family and friends, especially when discovering new places to eat! She also loves travelling and learning about new cultures.
Ella Smuskowitz

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST
Ella is a compassionate and dynamic Occupational Therapist who is committed to supporting children and their families to thrive in everyday life. She believes deeply in the power of play, connection, and movement, and thoughtfully integrates these with evidence-informed practice to support meaningful change that carries beyond the therapy space.
Ella works through a trauma-sensitive, sensory integrative lens, supporting children to feel safe, regulated, and empowered as they build independence and confidence. She values collaborating and working closely with families, knowing that the most powerful progress happens when therapy is embedded within a child’s natural relationships and daily routines. With a strong commitment to ongoing learning, Ella is continually expanding her skills to provide responsive, high-quality care. She has experience working with children across all ages and stages of development and has been guided by a long-standing belief in inclusion, belonging, and equity for all children.
Outside the clinic, Ella loves going to the beach, finding flow through running and Pilates, and starting her mornings with a hot cup of coffee!
Sirena Lam

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST
Sirena is an enthusiastic and passionate occupational therapist who graduated from the University of Queensland in Brisbane. She strives to provide family centred and culturally competent services to support children in reaching their fullest potential. Her practice is driven by her passion for client and family education and collaboration, to equip them with the skills to progress towards their goals beyond the clinical setting.
Sirena hopes to be an encouragement and empowerment to clients and their families during her partnership with them.
Outside of the clinic, Sirena tries to attend reformer pilate classes regularly to make up for all her food adventures!
Elisabeth Fanning

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST
Liz discovered her passion for working with children while completing the Master of Occupational Therapy at the University of Sydney. During this time, she worked as an OT assistant at a private paediatric clinic and undertook an extensive paediatric placement at a different practice.
Liz loves how joyful and unexpected working with children can be – you never know what they might say next! – and is passionate about building capacity and confidence in the areas that are meaningful to them and their families. Liz is mother to a beautiful baby boy, Alessandro and is currently enjoying parental leave.
Having grown up on a farm, Liz enjoys being outside in her spare time and visiting family in Wagga during her holidays.
Sue Kropp

CLINIC ADMINISTRATOR
Sue is Qualia’s wonderful clinic administrator. Sue really enjoys having the opportunity to be a warm and welcoming face for children and families visiting Qualia. She is compassionate and cares about everyone’s experience and she loves supporting the team. She focuses on keeping things organised and running smoothly. Sue has a background in reception and administration in the Not For Profit community sector within Financial Inclusion.
In her spare time Sue likes to have fun at Zumba and Bollywood dance class which she uses to try and counterbalance her passion for Italian food and Korean BBQ.