What is Occupational Therapy (OT)?
Occupational therapy is all about people and the things they do every day — their occupations. These include activities such as getting dressed, playing, learning at school, bathing, socialising, enjoying hobbies, and even sleeping.
Sometimes barriers such as illness, injury, sensory processing differences, motor skill challenges, developmental differences, disabilities, or emotional regulation challenges can make it harder to participate in these daily occupations in the way we would like.
Occupational therapists work alongside people to address barriers to participation and support engagement in the activities that are meaningful to them. We work across many different settings and with people of all ages, each OT bringing their own area of expertise.
Using a whole-person lens, occupational therapists consider the individual, their occupations, and their environment. Together with clients and their families, OTs find the best fit between the person, their activities, and their surroundings to support successful participation. This might involve adapting tasks, introducing simple or specialised equipment, modifying the environment, or building new skills.
Would My Child Benefit From OT?
Occupational therapy can support children and families in many ways. Some reasons families seek OT support include:
Movement and coordination
- Finding it difficult to learn new motor skills such as riding a bike or using playground equipment
- Challenges with balance, coordination, or body awareness
- Frequent tripping, bumping into things, or difficulty navigating stairs
- Avoiding certain physical activities or movement-based play
- Fatigue or low endurance during everyday activities
Emotions and self-regulation
- Frequent meltdowns, overwhelm, or emotional outbursts
- Difficulty adapting to changes, transitions, or unexpected situations
- Impulsive behaviour
- Challenges understanding, expressing, or regulating emotions
Learning and attention
- Trouble focusing or sitting still in class or at the dinner table
- Difficulties with handwriting, reading, or other classroom tasks
- Feeling anxious about attending school
Social participation
- Difficulty making or maintaining friendships
- Challenges navigating group activities or social situations
- Difficulty understanding social boundaries
Daily living skills
- Challenges with self-care tasks such as dressing, eating, or bathing
- Finding hair brushing, showering, or certain textures uncomfortable
Sensory processing
- Avoiding or seeking certain sensations (textures, movement, pressure)
- Feeling overwhelmed by noise or busy environments
And many more - every child and family is unique, and OT support is tailored to their individual strengths, needs, and goals.
How Can OT Support My Child?
Sensory Processing
Emotional Regulation
Emotional Regulation
Sensory processing refers to the way our brain receives, organises and responds to sensory input such as sight, smell, taste, touch, and sound. We also process information about movement and balance (vestibular), where our body is in space (proprioception), and signals from within our body such as hunger, thirst, or needing the toilet (interoception).
Emotional Regulation
Emotional Regulation
Emotional Regulation
Difficulties with sensory processing, fatigue, unexpected outcomes or changes are just some things that can make our kids cups overflow and emotions difficult to regulate. Dysregulation can look different for every child. For example, a child who appears calm may actually be feeling overwhelmed and shut down. Sensory accommodations, edu
Difficulties with sensory processing, fatigue, unexpected outcomes or changes are just some things that can make our kids cups overflow and emotions difficult to regulate. Dysregulation can look different for every child. For example, a child who appears calm may actually be feeling overwhelmed and shut down. Sensory accommodations, education, connection, co-regulation and other strategies can support regulation.
Fine Motor Skills
Emotional Regulation
Gross Motor Skills
Fine motor skills involve the small muscles of the hands, wrists, and fingers working together with postural stability to complete everyday tasks. These skills are important for activities such as dressing (buttons, zips, and shoelaces), handwriting, using cutlery, opening lunchboxes, self-care, play, and learning.
Gross Motor Skills
Emotional Regulation
Gross Motor Skills
Gross motor skills involve the large muscles of the body working together to support posture, movement, endurance, and coordination. These skills help children participate in everyday activities such as sitting at a desk, playing on the playground, getting dressed, using the toilet, running, jumping, and playing sport.
Executive Function
Executive Function
Executive Function
Executive functioning refers to the mental skills that help us plan, organise, manage, and complete everyday activities.
These skills are important for getting started on tasks, staying focused, making decisions, managing emotions and behaviour, planning, prioritising, organising, problem solving, and adapting to change.
Confidence
Executive Function
Executive Function
We support our clients in developing a greater understanding and appreciation of their unique strengths, building confidence, and developing a positive sense of self. We do this by promoting independence, collaborating with children and the people who support them, building skills, identifying individualised strategies, and educating others to foster understanding and acceptance..
Self-Care
Executive Function
Play Skills
Self-care includes everyday activities such as bathing, showering, brushing teeth, brushing hair, washing hands, and getting dressed. Completion of these tasks requires motor skills, sequencing skills and following a routine (executive functions). Sensory sensitivities (for e.g. tactile) can also impact self-care.
Play Skills
Executive Function
Play Skills
Play is incredibly important for children's development and wellbeing. Not only do children learn about themselves and the world through play, they also learn and build skills the quickest through play. Which is why we play so much in OT!
Skills learnt through play such as sharing, turn taking, collaboration, negotiation, and problem solving are required for social skills and relationships.