Paediatric Occupational Therapy near Forest Lodge
Skills, confidence and independence, one session at a time.
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.
Here at Inner West Paediatrics, we bring experience supporting children across a wide spectrum 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.
The role our occupational therapists play
We help your child develop the important skills for joining in meaningful day-to-day activities, from play and school to self-care such as feeding, dressing, and toileting.
These skills cover fine and gross motor abilities, strategies to support attention and concentration, play and social interaction skills, and regulation strategies across emotional, sensory and behavioural areas. We also provide a range of ways to access care, including:
In-person OT
Mobile occupational therapy
Online OT
Our approach to skills development
Fine and gross motor skills
Our therapists take a close look at foundational motor skills like strength and endurance, stability, balance, coordination, and motor planning. We create strategies to support your child so they may joyfully join in the activities that matter to them.
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 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 support your child to develop strategies for emotional regulation, sensory regulation, and attention, so they may take part in important activities as comfortably and independently as they can. We also work with you and other important people in your child’s life to build strategies and skills, and to adapt tasks and environments that help your child thrive.
Functional Capacity Assessments
An FCA provides clear, evidence-based recommendations designed 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 alongside you and your child to collect all the information required and develop a thorough report about your child’s abilities. We may also recommend therapies, accommodations, assistive technology, and suggested next steps.
Community and School Participation
Our occupational therapists can help you and your child pinpoint the school and community activities that are important to them, and build strategies to support taking part.
Not sure where to start with your child's support?
Our paediatric occupational therapists work together with families to provide tailored support that reflects your child’s unique strengths and needs.
The evidence behind our therapy
- 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 exactly is occupational therapy?
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 help with?
Occupational therapy can address a broad range of areas, such as fine motor skills, coordination, and self-care tasks, along with social skills, emotional regulation, and attention.
When should I consider occupational therapy for my child?
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.
What does your approach to intervention look like?
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.
What speech and occupational therapy services are available?
- 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 provide 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 occupational therapy?
What areas do you service?
We service areas around:
And more!
Support your child beyond OT
What makes Inner West Paediatrics different
Thoughtfully matched support
We take the information you provide and, through a thorough triage process, carefully match a therapist to your child and family, so you have the right support from the very beginning.
Family-centred
Our team focuses on building parent and carer confidence and skills, empowering them to support their child's long-term independence.
Local and independent
Inner West Paediatrics is independently owned and locally operated, offering community-first care that puts your family first.
Where Forest Lodge families turn for children's OT
We believe every child deserves the tools they need to grow and learn with confidence, which is why we provide tailored OT support in Forest Lodge. If your child is finding daily activities difficult, get in touch with our committed team today.