Paediatric Occupational Therapy near Leichhardt
Giving your child the skills and confidence to thrive.
Backing your child every step of the way
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.
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.
Where our occupational therapists make a difference
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).
This includes fine and gross motor skills, building strategies that support attention and concentration, developing play and social interaction skills, and creating regulation strategies for emotional, sensory and behavioural needs. We offer several ways for your family to access care, including:
In-person OT
Mobile occupational therapy
Online OT
How we help skills grow
Fine and gross motor skills
Our therapists consider the underlying motor skills at play, such as strength and endurance, stability, balance, coordination, and motor planning. From there, we develop strategies to support your child to take part joyfully in the activities they enjoy.
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 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 help you and your child pinpoint the school and community activities that are important to them, and build strategies to support taking part.
Every child deserves support that fits them.
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
Common questions about occupational therapy
What is occupational therapy?
Occupational therapy is designed to help people become more independent and improve their quality of life by working through 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.
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.
How do your OT therapists plan intervention?
Our occupational therapists start by working alongside you and your child to understand your priorities and set meaningful goals. Intervention then centres on activities that build the skills your child needs, while adapting tasks, environments or routines where helpful 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 give parents and carers resources for 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 occupational therapy?
What areas do you service?
We service areas around:
And more!
Support your child beyond OT
Why families choose Inner West Paediatrics
Thoughtfully matched support
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.
Family-centred
Our team focuses on building parent and carer confidence and skills, empowering them to support their child's long-term independence.
Locally run
Inner West Paediatrics is independently owned and run locally, providing community-first care that puts your family first.
Giving Leichhardt kids a strong start through 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 Leichhardt. If your child is struggling with daily activities, reach out to our committed team today.