Meet Laura Simmons

B. App Sc (Occupational Therapy)

Laura is a passionate paediatric occupational therapist, helping families and working with children living with range of disabilities, providing them with early intervention treatments.

In 2018, Laura decided to take action to make change in the allied health industry and created Theratrak with the goal of extending the reach of therapy outside of 1-1 sessions.

Laura’s Story

Laura has worked across Sydney in the private health sector for over 10 years. In this time across private practice and a range of clinical settings, Laura noticed a distinct lack of innovative technology solutions targeting the ongoing care of clients outside of direct therapy - and how this is impacting the client’s overall treatment.

Laura graduated from the University of Western Sydney with a Bachelor of Applied Science, Occupational Therapy in 2012. Since graduating, Laura has been passionate about paediatrics, working across Sydney in community, schools, and private clinics.

Theratrak is a global award-winning digital health platform that supports allied health therapists to create and track digital therapy home programs.

Laura is passionate about seeing her participants succeed both in and out of therapy and gets the most excited when her client’s graduate therapy and no longer need her services anymore!

Since launching Theratrak, Laura has participated in a number of professional, startup, technology and clinical development programs including:

• SheStarts, a startup accelerator program run by BlueChilli which helped create the first Theratrak MVP (minimal viable product)

• Australian Clinical Entrepreneur Program, a 12-month industry leading innoation program designed to advance clinician-led transformation

• SBE Springboard Life Science, a program for women-led companies to scale

• Kenneth Myer Innovation Fellow with the Sidney Myer Fund & the Myer Foundation, a program supporting breakthrough solutions to Australia's most pressing social and environmental challenges

To stay up to date with participant needs, Laura founded Live Be Explore - a mobile and telehealth occupational therapy service that provides home, school, and community supports to children living in Sydney's lower north shore and online to clients outside this region. The goal is to meet families where they are and support them in their natural environment.

Laura supports children 3 to 17 years in developing the goals they need to live as independently as possible. Laura’s expertise as an OT involves supporting children and famillies who may be experiecing a range of challenges including:

• Autism spectrum disorder

• ADHD

• Motor coordination challenges

• ARFID (avoidant restrictive food intake disorder)

• Cerebral palsy

• Sensory processing

• Emotional regulation

• Play skills and engagement

• Behaviour management

• School readiness skills

• Motor skills delays including fine, gross and visual-motor integration

• Attention and concentration

• Fussy eating and feeding challenges.

Through her work, Laura has experience providing services via telehealth and supporting children living in rural and remote communities. 

Laura uses a family centred and parent coaching approach to her therapy sessions. She loves to work with actively involved families. Therapy sessions will focus on building skills to integrate therapy strategies into everyday life so that children and families can feel empowered and take charge of their health.

Connect with Laura via LinkedIn and via Twitter.