Paediatric Occupational Therapy near Lewisham
Helping your child build skills and confidence.
Guiding your child's progress
Whatever stage your child has reached, we’re ready to support your family. Whether they live with a developmental delay or disability, are neurodivergent, or need some added support, our playful occupational therapy services are designed to guide your child towards independence.
The team at Inner West Paediatrics has supported children with many different abilities and disabilities. Among these are autism, global developmental delay, cerebral palsy, intellectual disabilities, genetic differences, learning difficulties, ADHD, social-emotional difficulties, trauma, and behavioural differences.
What our occupational therapy team can offer
We work with your child on essential skills for participating in meaningful everyday activities, including play, going to school, and self-care (feeding, dressing, and toileting).
These areas span fine and gross motor skills, strategies to encourage attention and concentration, play and social interaction skills, and emotional, sensory and behavioural regulation strategies. There are also a variety of ways to access our care, including:
In-person OT
Mobile occupational therapy
Online OT
How we help skills grow
Fine and gross motor skills
Our therapists will look at underlying motor skills, including strength and endurance, stability, balance, coordination, and motor planning. We develop strategies to support your child so they can engage joyfully in the activities they love.
Self-care tasks and activities of daily living
We break daily living tasks such as dressing, toileting, eating, sleeping, and personal hygiene into manageable steps to support your child to carry them out with greater independence.
Play and social interaction
We spend time understanding what your child enjoys, their sensory preferences and aversions, how they interact, and the level of play they’re at. We also consider the skills and understanding of family members and other important people. We then develop enjoyable play ideas and strategies to help your child form meaningful social connections and interactions through daily routines, and to build the capacity, skills and confidence of the important people around your child to take part in meaningful play.
Regulation (Emotional, Sensory, Attention)
Our occupational therapists guide your child in developing strategies to support emotional regulation, sensory regulation, and attention, helping them engage in important activities with as much comfort and independence as possible. We also support you and the other important people in your child’s life to learn practical strategies and skills, and to adjust tasks and environments so your child may thrive.
Functional Capacity Assessments
An FCA offers clear, evidence-based recommendations that may support NDIS applications or reviews, advocate for the right supports, and guide therapy planning and collaboration with schools and other professionals. We spend time with you and your child to gather all the information needed and prepare a comprehensive report on your child’s abilities. We may also suggest therapies, accommodations, assistive technology, and next steps.
Community and School Participation
Our occupational therapists can support you and your child to recognise the school and community activities they value, and to develop strategies that encourage their participation.
Let's find the right support for your child.
Our paediatric occupational therapists partner with families to offer personalised support shaped around your child’s individual strengths and needs.
How research shapes our OT
- DIR Floortime principles
- SCERTS®
- Cognitive Orientation to Daily Occupational Performance (CO-OP Approach)
- Learn to Play approach
- Occupational Performance Coaching
- Handwriting Without Tears programs
- Toileting interventions
- Sleep interventions
- Zones of Regulation
- Alert Program
- Autism Level UP
- Regulation and sensory supports
- Upper limb programs including CIMT & bimanual skill programs
- Cognitive interventions
Questions we're often asked about occupational therapy
What is occupational therapy all about?
Occupational therapy aims to support people to build independence and improve their quality of life by addressing physical, cognitive, and emotional challenges.
What can an occupational therapist support my child with?
Occupational therapy can help to address a wide range of issues, including difficulties with fine motor skills, coordination, and self-care tasks, as well as social skills, emotional regulation, and attention.
Might my child benefit from occupational therapy?
If your child is struggling with everyday tasks, like getting dressed, holding a pencil, managing emotions, or engaging with peers, it may be worth exploring OT support. If you’re unsure, get in touch, and our team will help you determine what they may benefit from.
How do your occupational therapists approach intervention?
Our occupational therapists begin by working with you and your child to understand your priorities and establish meaningful goals. From there, intervention focuses on activities that build the skills your child needs, while adapting tasks, environments or routines where appropriate to support participation in everyday life.
What types of speech and occupational therapy do you provide?
- Hanen Programs (It Takes Two to Talk, More Than Words, Target Word, Talkability, Learning Language and Loving it)
- DIR Floortime Principles
- Learn to Play approach
- Key Word Sign
- Paediatric Autism Communication Therapy (PACT)
- SOS Feeding Approach
- Responsive Feeding Approach
- The Lidcombe Program
- Sounds~Write
- Meaningful Speech for Gestalt Language Processors
- Occupational Performance Coaching
- High and Low Tech AAC assessment, trial and intervention
- Handwriting Without Tears programs
- Cognitive Orientation to Daily Occupational Performance (CO-OP Approach)
- Toileting interventions
- Zones of Regulation
- Alert Program
- Regulation and sensory supports
- Upper limb programs including CIMT & bimanual skill programs
- Cognitive interventions
Can parents and carers get resources to use at home?
Yes. Our therapists share practical resources and strategies with parents and carers to support their child’s development between sessions, since meaningful progress happens in everyday life rather than in the clinic.
What funding is available for occupational therapy support?
What areas do you service?
We service areas around:
And more!
Support your child beyond OT
What makes Inner West Paediatrics different
Matched care
Through a thorough triage process, we carefully pair a therapist with your child and family based on the details you share, so the right support is in place from day one.
Centred on family
Our team works to build the confidence and skills of parents and carers, empowering them to support their child's independence over the long term.
Proudly local
Independently owned and locally operated, Inner West Paediatrics offers community-first care that puts your family first.
Where Lewisham families turn for children's OT
We believe all children should be given the tools they need to grow and learn with confidence, which is why we offer tailored OT support in Lewisham. If your child is struggling with daily activities, reach out to our committed team today.