Who are we

Staff Profiles

Joanna Buttfield, Founder, Clinical Director
BAppSc (OT) (Hons), BA Occupational Therapist Accredited by OT Australia

Joanna was always certain that she wanted to ‘help people’ which resulted in her completing a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Psychology upon leaving school. This was followed by a Bachelor of Applied Science in Occupational Therapy, with the view to working with adults who were at a crisis point having suffered an injury. Her interest in recovery from injury contributed to her undertaking Honours (first class) with her thesis focusing on the socio-emotional impact of injury on adults after stroke. Due to her research skills, Joanna was sought out to work in a variety of research positions, before taking off overseas to ‘see the world’ by working as a therapist in the USA.

The USA was the turning point for Joanna, who initially worked as a travelling therapist, changing jobs and states every 3 months or so. When attending a hands-on paediatric workshop at one of the largest specialty paediatric clinics in the USA, her ‘inner child’ was noted by the facilitators who offered her the opportunity to work with and learn from them.

It was at this workshop that her passionate interest in children emerged and her ongoing friendship with co-founder Danielle Lord developed. Joanna subsequently spent two years immersed in intensive and specialist paediatric training (travelling the country to undertake every possible paediatric professional development course)Upon returning to Australia, Joanna worked in a private paediatric practice until 1998, when her vision for establishing a purpose-built paediatric Occupational Therapy clinic, specialising in the treatment of developmental delay in sensory and motor functions in children came to fruition…. and Kid Sense was born, on December 17, 1998.

Since then, Joanna has nurtured her first baby ‘Kid Sense’ to its 10 year birthday. As the business grows, she continues to wonder at the rewards it provides the whole team. She is now also nurturing her infant son and undertaking a Master of Business Administration degree at Adelaide University School of Business, while maintaining her role of Company Director and mentor to the Kid Sense Clinical team. 

 

Renée Romeo
BAppSc (HumMovmt)(SA) MOT(GE)(SA) Occupational Therapist Accredited by OT Australia

Renée has now been employed as an Occupational Therapist at Kid Sense Child Development since July 2007, though she did not initially think that would be her career path. As a young teenager she was a member of the South Australian Sports Institute soccer team and also competed at national championships. From her experience there, Renée became interested in the sports science and biomechanics of sports. This led her to study a Bachelor of Applied Science Human Movement.
Despite the fact that Renée enjoyed her studies in Human Movement, she felt limited as to the impact that she could have in that area and there seemed to be limited opportunities. With a keen interest in working with children and helping people progress and achieve, Renée decided to continue her studies in as she then enrolled in a Masters of Occupational Therapy. Through her studies she experienced and became aware of all the possibilities Occupational Therapy had to offer, however she had a strong desire to work with children.

Following her interest in sport Renée became involved in coaching sports such as soccer, touch football and tennis throughout her university days.

She has also enjoyed the rewards of teaching children and adults to swim, with student’s ages ranging from toddlers to adults. In addition to her coaching experience Renée’s 14 year involvement in Martial Arts has proven to be invaluable with the skills that she has developed. She now runs her on club with kids and adults classes which allows her to utilize her human movement and occupational therapy knowledge. She has the added benefit of being able to inspire and motivate people to be better, more active members of the community.

Kid Sense has allowed Renée to continue her learning experience in a well structured and professional manner. Her passion for assisting children in play and learning is evident in her demeanour in the workplace. She continues to be an integral part of the team as she works collaboratively to develop further clinical and operational materials and is excited about the future of the business.

 

Emma Oertel
BAppSc (OT), Occupational Therapist Accredited by OT Australia

Emma is a passionate and enthusiastic member of the Kid Sense Occupational Therapy team. She has always had a passion to work with kids and has done so in extracurricular activities since her early teenage years.

Emma began her own dance school, Dance Fusion, after she finished high school and has seen it grow to over 60 students. She has taught classes for 5 year olds through to adult and thoroughly enjoys the mix of ages. Emma has passion to see kids unlock their potential and find self-confidence through expressing themselves in dance. Learning to manage the stress of study, balanced with the challenges of running a business has taught her a great deal of patience and time management! Having finished her studies she now manages the school and oversees the teaching staff, enabling her to work full time.

In the past, Emma has been involved in developing and running the children’s program at her local church. This has included weekly programs and also a number of camps and personally mentoring primary school aged kids. She is always encouraged by the capacity and potential of the kids she works with and their ability to continually teach her new things.

Emma and her husband now run the youth department of their church, which keeps her busy and thoroughly entertained by teenagers! This role has helped her think on her toes and develop as a leader, an encourager and a friend.

Combining her love for the arts and children, Emma loves getting involved in Christmas productions, teaching the kids songs and managing stage presentation. She also sings in a band. Emma is passionate about helping people recognize their full potential and is a great encourager to those around her.

Denise Phillips, Client Coordinator

Denise is married with 3 grown children and has 2 young grandchildren.  As well as introducing her to Thomas the Tank Engine, the Wiggles, the Fairies etc, Denise believes her experiences as a mother and grandmother hold her in good stead for her role as Client Coordinator.

Denise’s experience covers 46 years in various sectors including pharmaceutical, medical, retail and a business owner within the hospitality industry.Her wealth of knowledge in a clerical/customer service role was initially gained as an employee in a General Practitioner Medical Practice that specialised in Gynaecology, Obstetrics & Paediatrics. Denise has also had 18 years experience within the retail industry in Sales, Customer Service and Marketing for a well known Adelaide-based water filtration company.

As a business proprietor, Denise owned a Coffee Lounge in Paddington NSW for 2 years and after moving back to SA, she owned and operated a very well known country service station which employed 35 staff, for just over 5 years.Having been a business owner herself, Denise clearly understands that to operate a successful business staff must always focus on the needs of the customer, and for team members to maintain an efficient and friendly work environment. Her pride in her work has created a sense of ownership over her role which encourages her on a daily basis to seek solutions rather than focus on problems.

Denise's motivation is to provide the best customer service possible and ensure all Kid Sense clients, parents and carers are in an environment that is safe, friendly, efficient and organised. Most of all, she ensures that Kid Sense is a place where parents know someone can help their child develop a brighter future.