Occupational Therapy

Building skills and confidence to allow children to participate in their everyday activities.

Occupational therapists work with children to enable them to participate in typical everyday activities to the best of their ability. For children their everyday activities include play, going to school and self-care activities (such as feeding, dressing and toileting). In order for children to take part in these activities successfully they require fine and gross motor skills, the ability to maintain their attention and concentration to a task, play and social skills and the ability to regulate and process sensory input, behavior and their emotions.

The Occupational Therapists at Inner West Paediatrics make therapy fun and help children move towards independence and successful participation.

How Can We Help?

Our occupational therapists work with children who have difficulties with:

  • Fine motor skills including cutting, drawing and writing
  • Gross motor skills including muscle control and coordination in physical activities such as hopping, jumping, climbing, throwing and catching a ball and riding a bike
  • Maintaining attention and concentration
  • Playing appropriately with toys, family members and peers
  • Sensory processing involves being able to process sensory information (such as touch, smell, taste, movement or visual sensory information) and to then be able to respond appropriately. Children can be under or over responsive to sensory information and may be seen as being highly active and may take excessive risks or could be withdrawn and very quiet.
  • Self regulation (including emotional, sensory or behavioural regulation). This could include remaining calm in a busy classroom setting or during a stressful event
  • Self care skills including independent toileting, tying shoelaces, dressing and feeding
  • Handwriting including the ability to orientate writing on a line, use spaces between words, use correct letter formations and to be able to complete the amount of handwriting required without fatigue
  • Learning activities including problem solving, organizational skills, memory and planning
  • Visual perceptual skills which involves being able to process visual information in order to generate a functional response. Visual perception is important in learning to read, copy writing and to participate in hand-eye coordination activities
Does My Child Need Assistance?

If you have concerns with any of the following areas, an occupational therapist can help you:

  • Difficulty holding a pencil, using scissors, drawing or colouring in
  • Messy handwriting or difficulty learning letter formations
  • Difficulty maintaining their attention and concentration
  • Fidgeting or difficulty sitting still
  • Clumsiness
  • Reduced posture or difficulty sitting at a desk
  • Difficulty with dressing, toileting and other daily activities
  • Difficulty engaging in play with peers, making friends or withdrawing from social situations
  • Repetitive or restricted play or behaviours
  • Challenging behaviours
  • Becomes overwhelmed in busy or noisy environments
  • Avoidance or dislike of certain textures such as messy play or alternatively excessive seeking out of certain textures or activities such as rough and tumble play or squishy toys
  • Lacks confidence or avoids activities

If you have any concerns the best thing you can do is book in to see one of our helpful occupational therapists.

Do I Need a Referral?

No referral is needed to see an Occupational Therapist. Simply contact our office to make an appointment.

Therapy Techniques

Our Occupational Therapists use a wide range of personally tailored therapy techniques to best suit your needs. As well as being fully qualified and accredited, our therapists have extensive training and experience in the following:

  • DIR Floortime principles
  • Handwriting Without Tears
  • Cognitive Orientation to Daily Occupational Performance (CO-OP Approach)
  • PECS – Picture Exchange Communication System
  • Key Word Sign
  • M.O.R.E approach – Integrating the Mouth with Sensory and Postural Functions
  • Sensory Processing Strategies
  • Wilbarger Therapressure Program