Celebrating International Women’s Day – Laura Harvey, Tiny Dots Early Intervention

The Geelong Community Foundation is proud to highlight some of the incredible women working in the for purpose sector in our community, in the lead-up to International Women’s Day on March 8.

 

Laura Harvey, a speech pathologist, is the founder of Tiny Dots Early Intervention and after the organisation became a charity in 2021, she assumed the role of CEO.

Tiny Dots screens babies, toddlers and young children for free in its community care clinic, when parents are concerned about their child’s development.

“We provide speech pathology and occupational therapy assessments to babies and toddlers needing expert therapists to detect subtle development differences, and provide short-term therapy to bridge the waiting time for families stuck on therapy waiting lists,” she said.

“This year we will begin visiting childcare and community centres to assess babies and toddlers for free, and help families unable to access our centre in Belmont.”

Tiny Dots simplifies and accelerates access to therapy for babies and toddlers to give them the best start in life, built on the philosophy that babies and toddlers have the right to therapy in their most important years.

“Since starting Tiny Dots, we have screened and assessed 151 children, almost all of them needing therapy. We are glad to have been able to give their parents guidance on where to go and what to do to help their child,” said Laura.

“One wonderful story is about a toddler who received short-term therapy because they didn’t understand how to communicate. In a matter of weeks this toddler learned to play, interact with people and even say words.”

When asked about her hope for the future of the organisation, Laura says it is that Tiny Dots will unite the healthcare and education community of Geelong.

“That together we guide families down a simple, streamlined path so babies and toddlers can get therapy quickly, while it is most effective.”

When asked what International Women’s Day means to her, Laura said that it was to celebrate the strength and balance of women.

“Women have the strength to achieve incredible feats but their ability to balance other aspects of their lives, the needs of their loved ones, careers and community is what makes them extraordinary.”

When asked if she had any advice for other women in the for purpose sector, she said it would be to believe that you can make a difference in this big, wide world.

“That the difference you make may affect one, 100 or 1,000,000 people but your effort is worth it because you can change lives.”