Little leaps are the key to success

Growing up in Mount Gambier, Jaylee Clark was sure about one thing – she wanted to work with children.

The starting point for most young people with that career goal in mind sees them gravitate towards teaching and that was Jaylee’s initial plan as well but a suggestion from a teacher saw her eventually head down the occupational therapy path and it has proved to be the perfect fit.

She has built a reputation and a skillset that is so invaluable, especially in regional areas, and has taken the leap into establishing her own business with her efforts in the occupational therapy space seeing her named as a finalist in the Rural Doctors Workforce Agency Rural Health Award.

Jaylee is one of two Limestone Coast based finalists in the 2024 7NEWS South Australian Young Achiever of the Year Award with Bordertown’s Sophie Orrock a finalist in the Skills SA Outstanding Apprentice Award. Sophie was profiled in last week’s Mt Gambier Times.

Jaylee started her tertiary education in psychology but it wasn’t the fit she was looking for and she ended up at Geelong, completing a four year Occupational Therapy degree.

Robe was the first regional town to benefit from Jaylee’s passion for working with children and it was also her first eye opener to the gaps in services.

“Early intervention didn’t really exist as a concept,” she said.

And that’s where her the idea for her mobile business, Little Leaps Therapy & Support, was germinated – officially opening in January this year.

She had built beautiful relationships with a number of the region’s schools and child care centres but she was committed to her strong belief in the value of early intervention, reaching a child before they turn six, and so she spent 12 months, researching and planning her own operation.

“I guess I wanted less clients but being able to do a better job and spend more time with each of them,” Jaylee said. “If you can work with a child before they turn six it makes the biggest difference.

“I did a few courses online, market research and getting my head around the NDIS.”

Response to her business exceeded her wildest dreams.

She knew there was a service gap but she did not realise how quickly her appointments would fill.

“I basically launched the business on social media and in 48 hours my books were full,” Jaylee said. “It was a complete shock how quickly the community got around a new business.”

Just how she goes about working with children is summed up with her business name – Little Leaps.

“The expectation of people tends to be they want massive changes and massive gains really quickly but in children it is about making little leaps. It is about small changes not overwhelming changes.”

Jaylee offers her services regionwide, including Penola, Bordertown and Robe, and in keeping with best practice takes her services to the family home.

“Research tells up going into the child’s natural environment is best – it sees us become a natural part of their life,” she said.

Being named as a finalist in the Young Achievers Award has given Jaylee a platform to talk about the importance of occupational therapy – tackling that on two fronts.

She is letting families know just how important a service it can be in child development and also letting young people know it is a rewarding career opportunity when it comes to wanting to work with children.

And she might have barely started running her own business but she has a grand vision and she can’t wait to take on students and hopefully see them choose to return to the region to work once they graduate.

“I hope by hosting students out of university we can attract more people to the workforce in this region,” she said.

will be presented and winners announced at an Awards Gala Presentation Dinner to be held at Stamford Grand Adelaide, on Friday, May 17. Category winners will each receive a prize package including a 1-on-1 mentoring package thanks to Jess Taylor Consulting.

One of the eleven category winners will be chosen as the and will receive an overall winner trophy.

The Young Achiever Awards have been in existence since 1988, with the purpose of acknowledging, encouraging and promoting the positive achievements of all young people up to and including 29 years of age.

The Young Achiever Awards aim to encourage nominee’s positive energies, talents and creativity, which set a positive example to others throughout South Australia.