Paediatric Occupational Therapy near Leichhardt
Skills, confidence and independence, one session at a time.
Nurture your child's growth
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.
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 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 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 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 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 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 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 work alongside families to provide personalised support that fits your child’s unique 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 exactly is occupational therapy?
Occupational therapy works to help people gain independence and enhance their quality of life by addressing physical, cognitive, and emotional challenges.
What sorts of things can an occupational therapist assist 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 finds everyday tasks challenging, such as getting dressed, holding a pencil, managing emotions, or connecting with peers, it may be worth exploring OT support. If you’re not sure, reach out, and our team can help you work out 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 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
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 OT support?
Support your child beyond OT
The Inner West Paediatrics difference
Carefully 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.
A family-centred approach
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 Leichhardt
Every child deserves the tools to grow and learn with confidence, which is why we offer tailored OT support to families in Leichhardt. If your child is struggling with everyday activities, connect with our committed team today.