Paediatric Occupational Therapy
Occupational Therapy (also known as OT)
is a holistic health-based profession that supports people across the lifespan to engage in the things you want and need to do in your daily life. Occupational therapy intervention uses everyday life activities (occupations) to promote your ability to participate in the important activities in your daily life, and improve your overall independence, health and well-being. As occupational therapists, we aspire to help you live your best life. Everything is focused on your well-being and ability to participate in activities which are meaningful to you.
What is Paediatric Occupational Therapy?
Neurodiversity-affirming paediatric occupational therapy embraces the natural differences in neurological development among children, prioritizing individualized care that highlights each child’s unique strengths and needs. This approach emphasizes respecting neurodiversity, utilizing a strength-based approach, setting personalized goals, being family and child-centered, promoting autonomy, creating inclusive environments, and advocating for support. The goal is to help children build skills according to their developmental capacity, honouring their distinct neurodevelopmental profiles.
Children’s primary occupations include play, leisure, school, and daily living activities. In paediatric occupational therapy, engaging in play is vital—it serves as the main avenue for learning, development, interaction, and growth.
“Children learn as they play. More
importantly, in play children learn how to learn.”
– O. Fred Donaldson
The Nurturing Hand has the scope to work with children’s and adolescents who are currently struggling or challenged with issues pertaining to:
- Fine motor skills
- Handwriting
- Letter formation
- Gross motor skills
- Visual-motor skills
- Play and social skills
- Sensory processing
- Feeding and eating
- Emotional regulation
- Executive functioning
- Attention and concentration
- School readiness
- Anxiety and stress management
- Self-esteem and confidence
We are committed to collaborating with parents, teachers, and educators, providing empowering therapeutic supports to ensure a unified approach in fostering a child’s development.
While definitions of ‘paediatric’ support can vary, we extend our occupational therapy services to adolescents and young adults, continuing into their late twenties.
The transition into adolescence and young adulthood marks a period of profound growth, change, and maturity. Proper support during this time is essential to navigate responsibilities and milestones, building independence and self-confidence. We focus on developing key life skills in young adults, including:
- Emotional regulation and awareness
- Building social skills and maintaining friendships
- Assertiveness and confidence building
- Chore engagement at home (cleaning, laundry, etc)
- Budgeting and money management
- Meal prepping and cooking
- Organization and planning
- Preparing for educational studies
- Finding and keeping a job
- Public transport navigation
- Informed decision making
- Fitness and exercise
How do we deliver
Occupational Therapy
services?
We operate from office spaces, predominantly based in our main South Morang office located at Suite 7, Level 1/797 Plenty Rd. Ongoing occupational therapy sessions are primarily held in this office space. We offer kindergarten and school visits if it is within 15 kilometres of our main office.
Additionally, we also offer home visits however this is administered exclusively by our Allied Health Assistants. Please refer to the Allied Health Assistance page for more information.
Our step by step guide
to accessing therapy
Contact us or complete the simple referral form
Booking of initial consultation and completion of case history assessment
Establishing goals and support plan
Commencement of therapy services
Provision of feedback during services
Possible extra supports:
• School visits
• Liaising with network
• NDIS Review reports
• Sensory Profile
assessment
