WHEN Anne-Marie Youlden began her career as a child psychologist in 1999, she had completed three master's degrees - in primary education, school counselling and special education - and was completing her PhD.
She was also raising two young sons with her husband, Bruce.
"I'm glad I didn't start until I was 38 because by then I had my own children and life experience and it's a major advantage to be a bit older in my field," Dr Youlden says.
Twenty years on, the passion the Finnish-born founder of multi-disciplinary firm Educare has for helping children with special needs and their families is clear.
"There needs to be a tribe to raise a child, in the past community support was more present," she says.
"The main purpose for a psychologist is to increase awareness: if a child is misbehaving, what are the triggers? There is always a reason for behaviour. That really has been the main theme of my work. To help parents see, rather than tell the child to be quiet, there is a reason."
Educare moved from Dr Youlden's lone room in Belmont to a larger space in Warners Bay before relocating to Sky Central, in Charlestown, in 2011. At the time, she says it was the first allied health practice of its type, with specialists including psychologists, psychiatrists, occupational therapists and speech pathologists. Seventy per cent of Educare's clients are primary-aged children, with the remainder teenagers, and a small percentage of adult clients.
Dr Youlden's husband Bruce is now Educare's managing director, after leaving his former lengthy role as founding principal of Macquarie College's Wallsend school.
Educare's wait list for assessment of autism in children is long. The bulk of its work with children relates to anxiety, adjustment difficulties, learning and behavioural difficulties.
Pointing to findings of the productivity commission into mental illness, Dr Youlden says early intervention is key.
"I love it when I can see a child who is three or four, because so much can be done to set good routines in place," she says. "It's heartbreaking when you see a 13-year-old and a lot of wrong things have already been done."
Dr Youlden believes more government-funded support services must be offered to families from the moment a child is born.
