Paediatric Occupational Therapy Adelaide- How we can help you

Our passionate and experienced NDIS Paediatric Occupational Therapists skilfully support participants to reach their personal goals. They support people to live a fulfilling and meaningful life through finding ways to enhance their day to day life and social connectivity.

Our OTs work to help children develop the necessary skills to participate in everyday activities.

Paediatric OTs work with children who face challenges in their physical, cognitive, sensory, or social-emotional development, hindering their ability to engage in age-appropriate activities.

Key aspects of occupational therapy in paediatrics include:

Sensory Integration: addressing sensory processing difficulties, helping children manage and respond appropriately to sensory input. This can involve activities that stimulate or calm the sensory system to improve a child's ability to participate in daily activities.
Fine Motor Skills: working on enhancing a child's fine motor skills, including activities such as writing, cutting, buttoning, and tying shoelaces. Developing these skills is crucial for success in school and daily life.
Gross Motor Skills: this involves improving a child's coordination, balance, and overall physical abilities. Activities may include exercises to strengthen muscles, improve coordination, and enhance gross motor coordination.
Self-Care Skills: assisting children in acquiring self-care skills like dressing, grooming, feeding, and bathing. These skills are fundamental for a child's independence and daily functioning.
Play Skills: Play is a crucial aspect of childhood development. OTs use play-based activities to address developmental goals, social skills, and problem-solving abilities.
Cognitive Skills: addressing cognitive challenges such as attention, memory, and problem-solving. Therapists use various activities to promote cognitive development and enhance a child's ability to learn and engage in academic tasks.
Social-Emotional Skills: working with children to improve social skills, emotional regulation, and behaviour management. This includes addressing challenges such as anxiety, sensory-related behaviours, and social interaction difficulties.
Adaptive Equipment and Assistive Technology: When necessary, OTs may recommend and teach the use of adaptive equipment or assistive technology to help children overcome specific challenges.

Overall, the goal of occupational therapy in paediatrics is to maximise a child's independence and participation in daily life activities, promoting their overall well-being and development. The therapist collaborates with the child, their family, and other healthcare professionals to create a holistic and individualised plan.

NDIS Paediatric Occupational Therapy Services We Offer

Our occupational therapists provide comprehensive assessments of your child’s functional capacity and produce tailored and thorough reports to submit to the NDIS. We work with you and your child to determine all their daily living and capacity building needs to ensure that you receive the appropriate funding to reach your goals. We utilise gold standard outcome measures as appropriate for the individual participant (Vineland-3, ABAS-3, WHODAS-2).
Sensory Integration is dedicated to helping children overcome challenges in their sensory processing and development.
Sensory Integration refers to the brain's ability to organise and interpret information received through the senses, including touch, sight, sound, taste, smell, and movement.
Our OTs work closely with children who may struggle with sensory processing difficulties, leading to challenges in everyday activities. Through purposeful play and structured activities, therapists aim to enhance a child's ability to process and respond appropriately to sensory input.
This may involve activities that either stimulate or calm the sensory system, fostering improved attention, self-regulation, and overall participation in daily life tasks.
By addressing sensory integration challenges, paediatric occupational therapists contribute significantly to a child's overall development and well-being.
Occupational therapy plays a crucial role in promoting fine motor skills development in children.
Fine motor skills involve the coordination of small muscles in the hands and fingers and are essential for tasks such as writing, drawing, cutting, and buttoning.
Our OTs use a variety of engaging activities and exercises to enhance a child's fine motor abilities, tailoring interventions to address individual needs.
Through play-based techniques, therapists focus on improving hand-eye coordination, finger dexterity, and precision. These interventions not only support academic success by facilitating tasks like writing but also contribute to a child's independence in daily activities such as dressing and feeding.
In collaboration with families and other healthcare professionals, paediatric occupational therapists create personalised strategies to nurture and strengthen fine motor skills, ensuring that children can navigate the challenges of daily life with confidence and competence.
Paediatric OT plays a pivotal role in the development of gross motor skills in children.
Gross motor skills involve the coordination and control of large muscles, influencing activities like crawling, walking, running, jumping, and overall body movement.
Our OTs employ a variety of purposeful and playful activities to enhance a child's gross motor abilities, tailored to their unique needs and challenges. Through exercises that focus on balance, strength, and coordination, therapists help children build the foundational skills necessary for activities both inside and outside the classroom.
By addressing gross motor challenges, occupational therapy contributes to improved physical fitness, coordination, and overall participation in daily activities, fostering a child's independence and success in various aspects of life.
Therapists collaborate closely with families and other healthcare professionals to create individualised intervention plans, ensuring that children can confidently engage in the full spectrum of movement experiences.
Self-care skills encompass activities essential for daily living, including dressing, grooming, feeding, and personal hygiene.
Occupational therapists work closely with children who may face challenges in mastering these tasks due to physical, sensory, or cognitive difficulties. Through a combination of structured activities, adaptive strategies, and skill-building exercises, therapists empower children to achieve greater independence in self-care.
This not only enhances a child's confidence and self-esteem but also contributes to their overall well-being and participation in daily life. By addressing specific challenges and collaborating with families, our OTs ensure that children can acquire and refine the self-care skills necessary for a successful transition into various environments, such as home, school, and community settings.
Play is a fundamental aspect of childhood development, contributing to cognitive, social, emotional, and physical growth.
Occupational therapists employ purposeful play activities to address specific developmental goals and challenges faced by children. Through play-based interventions, therapists help enhance a child's imagination, creativity, problem-solving abilities, and social interaction skills. These interventions not only make therapy enjoyable for the child but also provide a natural and effective way to address various developmental domains.
By encouraging and guiding play, occupational therapists contribute to the overall development of a child, laying the foundation for successful learning, communication, and social relationships.
Collaborating closely with families, therapists ensure that play becomes a therapeutic tool for children to overcome challenges and achieve their developmental milestones.
Cognitive skills involve processes such as attention, memory, problem-solving, and executive functions that are essential for academic success and daily life activities.
Our OTs will employ a variety of engaging and purposeful activities to stimulate cognitive development in children facing challenges in these areas. Through interactive and tailored interventions, therapists work on improving a child's ability to focus, organise information, and solve problems.
By addressing cognitive challenges early on, occupational therapy contributes to a child's academic achievement, social interaction, and overall independence.
Therapists collaborate closely with educators and families to create strategies that support a child's cognitive development both in and outside of the school environment, ensuring a well-rounded approach to fostering cognitive skills.
Paediatric occupational therapy places a strong emphasis on nurturing social-emotional skills in children.
Occupational therapists work with children to enhance their abilities in areas such as emotional regulation, social interaction, and behaviour management. Through purposeful and play-based activities, therapists help children develop a better understanding of their emotions, build self-esteem, and improve their capacity for positive social engagement.
By addressing social-emotional challenges, occupational therapy contributes not only to a child's interpersonal relationships but also to their overall well-being and success in various environments, including school and home.
Therapists collaborate closely with parents, teachers, and other professionals to create tailored interventions that support the child's social-emotional development, fostering resilience and adaptive coping strategies.
Paediatric occupational therapy may often involve the utilisation of adaptive equipment and assistive technology to support children facing challenges in their daily activities.
Occupational therapists assess a child's unique needs and, when appropriate, recommend specialised tools or devices that enhance independence and participation.
This can include adaptive tools for writing, modified utensils for eating, or assistive devices for mobility.
Additionally, therapists may incorporate technology, such as communication devices or computer programs, to address specific cognitive or sensory needs.
The goal is to empower children with the tools they need to overcome barriers and actively engage in academic, social, and self-care activities.
Collaborating closely with families and other healthcare professionals, paediatric occupational therapists ensure that the use of adaptive equipment and assistive technology is seamlessly integrated into a child's daily routine, promoting both independence and confidence.