Joyce-Lyn Smith
Clinic Director of PoDDSS
oyce-Lyn Smith is a passionate, caring professional with expertise working with people with disabilities having worked in the field for over 25 years.
Joyce-Lyn started her career working with people living in complex situations as a support worker and has progressively worked in different situations to hone her skills and knowledge. This has included working at Disability Services Queensland for 10 years in the Intensive Behaviour Support Team providing specialist advice to families and organisations, as well, providing resources. Joyce-Lyn did a brief stint at NDIS developing her understanding of NDIS and the planning process.
Joyce-Lyn specialises in Positive Behaviour Support and was trained by a well-known expert in the field, Dr Gary La Vinga from the Institute of Applied Behaviour Analysis in Los Angeles.
Up to the Challenge
oyce-Lyn has dreamed of owning her own business to pursue her passion of working with people with complex needs because she knows that she can make a positive difference and improve the quality of life for people with disabilities.
Joyce-Lyn created the name PoDDSS with the assistance of her good friend, Dr John Livingston, Clinical Psychologist. Joyce-Lyn is aware working with people with complex needs can be challenging, particularly for families and support organisations. PoDDSS take their role of mentoring services to work with people who display behaviours of concern very seriously and are very keen to develop the capacity of organisations to do this work.
Joyce-Lyn’s training and experience has allowed her to have many positive outcomes with people whose situation was extremely challenging. She owes it to her behaviour background in which she believes that every behaviour serves a function and constantly questions, what is this behaviour trying to communicate?
She brings her wealth of knowledge on sensory supports, movement differences and has a special interest in Prada Willi syndrome, Intellectual Disabilities and Autism. Joyce-Lyn specialises in Positive Behaviour Support and was trained by a well-known expert in the field, Dr Gary La Vinga from the Institute of Applied Behaviour Analysis in Los Angeles. Recently Joyce-Lyn has completed her Advance Diploma in Community Sector Management which is a qualification specific to working in the Disability Sector.
oyce-Lyn strives to recruit highly experienced professionals with the aim of providing high quality advice, supports and services. Joyce-Lyn provides mentoring and supervision to PoDDSS team to support her vision of THINK BIG, START SMALL, MOVE SLOWLY, GROW.
Joyce-Lyn prides herself on thinking outside the box and trialling various evidence-based techniques that might better support the person or families involved, as well as improving functional capacity, and their ability to interact with those around them.
Joyce-Lyn is very aware of the effect of sensory processing and the effect when behaviours of concern occur. She was lucky enough to be part of a mentor’s group with international experts Professor Anne Donnellan and Martha Leary (SLP) and as a result of that she designed a program with her good friend Mr Karl Jacks to assist those supporting people with sensory processing challenges & movement difference to understand what is happening for them.
Joyce-Lyn has a strong passion for visual supports and all her team members utilise this to prompt independence or as platform to communication new information.
Joyce-Lyn provides the following services:
Joyce-Lyn encourages ‘walk ins’ from informal supports, organisations and participants. Joyce-Lyn is always up for a chat and coffee if you can find her in the office!
The Right People In The Right Jobs
Joyce-Lyn strives to recruit highly experienced professionals with the aim of providing high quality advice, supports and services.
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