NDIS
24 February 2025
Helping Kids Tackle Toileting Challenges With Confidence: Meet Continence Hub
- By Pia
- Updated:
Toileting challenges are something many families face—but few talk about openly.
Whether it’s constipation, accidents, bedwetting, or toilet refusal, these issues can deeply impact a child’s comfort, health, and confidence. That’s where the Continence Hub comes in.
Led by passionate occupational therapist Tabby Poole and continence clinician Selina Roberts, the Continence Hub specialises in helping children and families manage continence with care, expertise, and real-world strategies.
Based in Perth but offering support Australia-wide, this service is changing lives — one successful trip to the toilet at a time.
I sat down with Tabby to learn more about their approach and why families and health professionals trust them with this crucial part of children’s wellbeing.
From Paediatric OT to Continence Specialist
Tabby’s journey into continence care started during her work as a general paediatric occupational therapist.
“I loved working with kids, but when it came to toileting, I realised I hadn’t learned the real-world skills families needed,” Tabby explains. She sought additional training through PEBBLES, the highly regarded continence service at Therapy Focus.
What struck her most was how life-changing continence support could be: “Kids weren’t just toilet trained—they slept better, ate better, even moved better. It was amazing to see the flow-on effects.”
After an eight-year secondment, Tabby never looked back. Together with Selina and a growing team, the Continence Hub now offers specialised services that focus solely on continence.
Common Challenges Families Face
Continence Hub sees a wide range of toileting concerns, including:
- Chronic constipation (the number one reason for referral)
- Toilet refusal and fear of the toilet
- Urinary issues such as overactive bladder and daytime wetting
- Bedwetting (nocturnal enuresis)
- Toileting challenges in new environments (like school or public places)
Tabby highlights that constipation often presents indirectly: “Families might call about toilet refusal, accidents, or selective toileting depending on the environment. Part of our job is detective work—unpacking what’s really going on.”
Toilet Tourism: Making Toileting Outside the Home Easier
One unique service Continence Hub offers is “toilet tourism”— a fun, supportive way of helping kids get comfortable using public toilets.
“New environments can be overwhelming—different smells, sounds, scary hand dryers,” Tabby says.
“We go out with families to practice, choose child-friendly toilets, and build confidence step by step.”
It’s a vital service for families who want to enjoy outings without toileting anxiety holding them back.
Modern Continence Support: Focus on Interoception and Body Awareness
Instead of relying solely on behavioural strategies like sticker charts, the Continence Hub helps children build interoception skills — learning to tune into their body’s signals for when they need to go.
“We teach kids about their digestive system, help them recognise how their body feels when it needs the toilet, and use mindfulness techniques,” says Tabby.
Visual tools, anatomical dolls, and playful education make learning accessible even for young children or those with additional needs.
Supporting Neurodivergent Children and PDA Profiles
The team at the Continence Hub has developed strong expertise in working with neurodivergent children, including autistic children, ADHD, sensory processing differences, and Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) profiles.
“PDA kids need a flexible, choice-based approach. It’s about collaboration, education, and empowering them to feel in control of their bodies without pressure,” Tabby explains.
This neurodiversity-affirming approach helps children feel safe, respected, and capable.
Flexible Support: Home Visits, Telehealth, and Team Collaboration
Continence Hub operates a hybrid model:
- Initial assessments via video or phone call (Australia-wide)
- Home visits available across Perth metro and Mandurah
- Collaboration with local OTs, GPs, pelvic health physiotherapists, and dietitians when needed
- Real-time ultrasound technology, portable equipment for positioning, and child-friendly materials help deliver high-quality care in environments where children feel most comfortable.
“Continence is a team sport,” Tabby laughs. “We work alongside other health professionals because a multidisciplinary approach always gets the best results.”
Upskilling and Support for Allied Health Professionals
Continence Hub supports families and children with complex bladder and bowel health needs, and will actively liaise with the client’s entire support team to provide comprehensive care.
Continence Hub also offers clinical supervision, training, and consultative support to OTs, physiotherapists, and other allied health practitioners who want to build their toileting expertise.
Whether it’s one-off case consultations or broader training in bowel and bladder management, the team is passionate about building capacity across the sector.
A Fast-Track to Support—Without the Wait
Families can self-refer via the Continence Hub’s website without needing a doctor’s referral. Wait times are usually short — often within two to three weeks — thanks to the team’s efficient “upskill and empower” model.
“Our goal is to make ourselves redundant as soon as possible. We build families’ skills so they feel confident managing at home — and know they can always come back if they need help down the track.”
Families are considered clients for life, meaning quick reaccess if challenges resurface after big transitions like a new sibling arriving, moving house or starting school.
“If it all goes to poo, clients know that they can call us again to help them get back on track,” Tabby says.
Why It Matters: Real-World Outcomes
At the end of the day, it’s not just about dry undies. It’s about freedom.
“When a child becomes continent, suddenly the family can go camping, visit the zoo, take a holiday without fear,” Tabby says. “It transforms their life.”
And yes—there’s the occasional celebratory text with a triumphant photo of a poo in the toilet. Tabby proudly says those messages are the best part of her job.
How to Get in Touch
📍 Location: Perth, WA and surrounding areas
🌐 Website: Continence Hub
📧 Email: Contact Us
📲 Socials: Instagram: @thecontinencehub
Want to refer a client? Need support for your child? Continence Hub is ready to help families across Australia move forward with confidence.
Pia
Since our first kiddo was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect 10 years ago, our family has been on a mystery-shopping tour of (seemingly) every kind of paediatric specialist and therapist in Perth.
Along the way we have met the most amazingly talented and dedicated people who are passionate about helping our little (and big) people to flourish. Whatever that looks like and means to them.
Perth Kids Hub has given me a creative outlet and a way of helping families to find their own amazing team, who can help their child or children understand how their brains and bodies work.
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