New technology to support therapy and development

A LOCAL Geelong organisation has introduced a new interactive therapy gaming system to the region.

Partnering with Inception HealthTech, Liberty Disability Services has added the Obie Interactive Gaming Projector to their range of supports.

The system transforms any surface into an immersive play area, equipped with more than 100 interactive games, encouraging cognitive development and social interaction.

Obie’s interactive games are designed to challenge and develop cognitive functions while multiplayer games help promote communication and teamwork among participants.

Liberty Disability Services director Elle Cooper said the organisation was ecstatic about receiving the piece of technology, believing it will be a huge benefit to the community.

“It’s going to get kids who might otherwise disengage from traditional therapies. They’ll be learning the skills that they would in a normal therapy session without even realising they’re doing that.

“I’m really hoping to see some significant engagement, especially in those families that find therapies really difficult to stick to.

“You might have kids with behaviours or they’re struggling with being able to calm down enough in sessions to be able to make persistent and progressive positive changes.”

Inception HealthTech is based in Queensland and specialises in delivering cutting-edge health technologies for improving therapeutic outcomes.

The rare piece of equipment is only the second in Victoria.

As she is passionate about rural and remote areas, Ms Cooper said she was keen to get one into Geelong, especially with recent changes to NDIS funding.

“You have to think of innovative ways that we can still ensure participants are able to access really solid therapies while saving on their budget. A way of doing this is with Obie, where we are able to use therapy assistance rather than therapists in session, at almost half the cost.”

At the moment, Obie is available for people with NDIS funding, with the possibility of doing private sessions in the future.