Paediatric Occupational Therapy near Annandale
Skills, confidence and independence, one session at a time.
Nurture your child's growth
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, our team has experience working with children who have a broad range of abilities and disabilities. This includes autism, global developmental delay, cerebral palsy, intellectual disabilities, genetic differences, learning difficulties, ADHD, social-emotional challenges, trauma, and behavioural differences.
The role our occupational therapists play
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
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 work through daily living tasks such as dressing, toileting, eating, sleeping, and personal hygiene step by step, helping your child build the independence to do them on their own.
Play and social interaction
We invest time in learning about your child’s interests, their sensory likes and dislikes, their interaction skills and where they’re at with play. We also explore the skills and understanding of family and other key people in their world. With this in mind, we shape fun play ideas and strategies that support your child to engage in meaningful social connections and interactions through daily routines, while building the capacity, skills and confidence of the important people around them to share in meaningful play.
Regulation (Emotional, Sensory, Attention)
Our occupational therapists help your child build strategies for emotional regulation, sensory regulation, and attention, so they may join in important activities as comfortably and independently as possible. Alongside this, we support you and other important people in your child’s life to develop strategies and skills, and to modify tasks and environments that allow your child to thrive.
Functional Capacity Assessments
An FCA sets out clear, evidence-based recommendations to support NDIS applications or reviews, advocate for suitable supports, and inform therapy planning and collaboration with schools and other professionals. We take the time to work with you and your child, gathering the necessary information and putting together a comprehensive report about your child’s abilities. Where relevant, we may also recommend 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.
Not sure where to start with your child's support?
Our paediatric occupational therapists partner with families to offer personalised support shaped around your child’s individual strengths and needs.
Therapy approaches grounded in evidence
- 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
Occupational therapy FAQs
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 sorts of things can an occupational therapist assist with?
Occupational therapy can support a wide range of areas, including difficulties with fine motor skills, coordination, and self-care tasks, as well as social skills, emotional regulation, and attention.
How can I tell if my child might need 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 plan intervention?
Our occupational therapists first work with you and your child to understand what matters most to you and to set meaningful goals. Intervention then builds around activities that grow the skills your child needs, while adjusting tasks, environments or routines where suitable to support participation in everyday life.
Which speech and occupational therapies do you offer?
- 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 offer resources for parents and carers to use at home?
Yes. Our therapists give parents and carers practical resources and strategies to support their child’s development between sessions, because meaningful progress happens in everyday life, not just in the clinic.
How can OT support be funded?
Support your child beyond OT
What makes Inner West Paediatrics different
The right therapist match
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 at the centre
Our team is focused on growing parent and carer confidence and skills, so they feel equipped to support their child's long-term independence.
Proudly local
Inner West Paediatrics is independently owned and run locally, providing community-first care that puts your family first.
Local occupational therapy your family can count on in Annandale
Every child deserves the tools to grow and learn with confidence, which is why we offer tailored OT support to families in Annandale. If your child is struggling with everyday activities, connect with our committed team today.