Paediatric Occupational Therapy near Petersham
Supporting your child to grow their everyday skills and self-belief.
Guiding your child's progress
Your child’s development journey is unique, and we’re here to walk it with you. Whether they have a developmental delay, a disability, are neurodivergent, or would benefit from extra support, our fun occupational therapy sessions may help your child build towards independence.
The team at Inner West Paediatrics has supported children with many different abilities and disabilities. Among these are 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 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 areas span fine and gross motor skills, strategies to encourage attention and concentration, play and social interaction skills, and emotional, sensory and behavioural regulation strategies. There are also a variety of ways to access our care, including:
In-person OT
Mobile occupational therapy
Online OT
How we help skills grow
Fine and gross motor skills
Our therapists explore the motor skills that sit beneath everyday movement, including strength and endurance, stability, balance, coordination, and motor planning. We then build strategies to support your child to engage happily 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 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 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.
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 help people achieve independence and improve their quality of life by addressing 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 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 occupational therapists approach 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 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 give parents and carers resources for home?
Yes. Our therapists share practical resources and strategies with parents and carers to support their child’s development between sessions, since meaningful progress happens in everyday life rather than in the clinic.
What funding is available for occupational therapy support?
What areas do you service?
We service areas around:
And more!
Support your child beyond OT
What sets Inner West Paediatrics apart?
The right therapist match
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 works to build the confidence and skills of parents and carers, empowering them to support their child's independence over the long term.
Proudly local
Inner West Paediatrics is independently owned and locally operated, offering community-first care that puts your family first.
Your children's OT in Petersham
We believe every child deserves the tools they need to grow and learn with confidence, which is why we provide tailored OT support in Petersham. If your child is finding daily activities difficult, get in touch with our committed team today.