Paediatric occupational therapy in Sydney
Helping your child build skills and confidence.
Support your child’s development
No matter what stage your child is at in their development journey, we are here to support you. Whether they have a developmental delay, disability, are neurodivergent, or need extra support, our fun occupational therapy services help your child move toward independence.
At Inner West Paediatrics, we have experience supporting children with a wide range of abilities and disabilities. These include autism, global developmental delay, cerebral palsy, intellectual disabilities, genetic differences, learning difficulties, ADHD, social-emotional difficulties, trauma, and behavioural differences.
How our occupational therapists can help
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 skills include fine and gross motor skills, developing strategies to support attention and concentration, play and social interaction skills and regulation strategies (emotional, sensory and behavioural).
We also offer a variety of ways to access care, including:
In-person OT
Fun, engaging sessions designed around your child’s unique needs.
Mobile occupational therapy
If you’re in Sydney’s Inner West and surrounds, but can’t come to us, we can come to you.
Online OT
Online occupational therapy offers quality support from the comfort of home.
Our approach to skills development
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 down daily living tasks such as dressing, toileting, eating, sleeping, and personal hygiene to help your child perform them with increased independence.
Play and social interaction
We spend time learning your child’s interests, sensory preferences and aversions, interaction skills and play skill level. We also explore the skills and level of understanding of family and other important people. Then, we develop fun play ideas and strategies to help your child engage in meaningful social connections and interactions through daily routines and build the capacity, skills and confidence of important people around the child to engage in meaningful play.
Regulation (Emotional, sensory, attention)
Our occupational therapists help your child develop strategies to support their emotional regulation, sensory regulation, and attention so they can engage in important activities as comfortably and independently as possible. We also support you and other important people in your child’s life to learn strategies and skills, and how to modify tasks and environments that help them thrive.
Functional capacity assessments (FCA)
An FCA provides clear, evidence-based recommendations to 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 necessary information and create a comprehensive report about your child’s abilities. We may also recommend therapies, accommodations, assistive technology, and next steps.
Community and school participation
Our occupational therapists can support you and your child in identifying the school and community activities that are important to them and in developing strategies to support their participation.
Looking for the right support for your child?
Our paediatric occupational therapists work alongside families to provide personalised support that fits your child's unique strengths and needs.
Our evidence-based OT techniques
Every child is different, which is why our fully qualified and accredited occupational therapists use a wide range of personally tailored therapy techniques. Here are some of the approaches our therapists have extensive training and experience in:
- 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
Common questions about occupational therapy
What is occupational therapy?
Occupational therapy (when working with children and young people) aims to help people to participate in the everyday activities that are important to them, such as playing, learning, self-care, making friends, and joining in at home, school, and in the community. We work with children, families, and educators to build skills, support participation, and help children thrive in their daily lives.
What can an occupational therapist help with?
Occupational Therapy can help to address a wide range of concerns including difficulties with fine or gross motor skills, self care skills, play and social interactions, and regulation (related to sensory experiences, emotions and attention).
How do I know if my child needs 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 OT 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 speech and occupational therapies do you provide?
Our therapists are highly skilled and pursue additional training in a range of areas to provide meaningful therapy. Some of the services and approaches we can offer include:
- 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
Do you provide resources for parents and carers to use at home?
Yes. Our therapists equip parents and carers with practical resources and strategies to support their child’s development between sessions, because meaningful progress happens in everyday life, not in the clinic.
What funding options are available for OT support?
Occupational therapy can be funded through the NDIS, Medicare, or private health insurance, depending on your child’s needs and circumstances. Visit our therapy funding options page to find out what your family may be eligible for.
Support your child beyond OT
What sets Inner West Paediatrics apart?
Matched care
We carefully match a therapist to your child and family based on the information you provide, through a thorough triage process, so you get the right support from the very start.
Family-centred
Our team focuses on building parent and carer confidence and skills, empowering them to support their child's long-term independence.
Locally operated
Inner West Paediatrics is independently owned and locally operated, offering community-first care that puts your family first.
Your children’s OT in Sydney
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 Sydney. If your child is struggling with daily activities, reach out to our committed team today.
