Occupational therapy

Occupational therapy focuses on helping children achieve independence in all aspects of their lives. For some children such therapy is a vital part of their early education or health care.

What occupational therapy can achieve

Occupational therapy can help children improve their physical, cognitive or motor skills, as well as enhance their self-esteem and sense of accomplishment.

Since a child's main ‘job’ is playing and learning, occupational therapists can evaluate a child’s skills for playing and for other daily activities. The therapist can then compare the child's skill level with what is developmentally appropriate for that age group.

In addition to dealing with a child’s physical wellbeing, occupational therapists can also treat psychological, social, and environmental factors that can affect a child's function and development.

When children can benefit from occupational therapy

Occupational therapy can help children with the following conditions:

• birth injuries or defects
• sensory processing disorders
• learning problems
• autism
• mental health or behavioral problems
• broken bones or other orthopedic injuries
• developmental delays
• post-surgical conditions
• burns
• chronic illnesses such as multiple sclerosis or cerebral palsy

What occupational therapists do

Our therapists work with children – and their families or carers – to help strengthen their physical, cognitive, social and emotional development.

This work can include activities where our therapist will:

• Help children with their fine motor skills so they can grasp and release toys and develop good handwriting skills
• Focus on hand-eye coordination to improve a child's play skills, such as hitting a target, batting a ball, or copying from a blackboard
• Help children with severe developmental delays learn basic tasks, such as bathing, getting dressed, brushing their teeth, and feeding themselves
• Help children with behavioral disorders learn to manage their anger
• Teach children with physical disabilities the coordination skills they need to perform daily tasks
• Evaluate a child's need for specialised equipment, such as wheelchairs, splints, bathing equipment, or communication aids
• Work with children to improve their focus and social skills

How to get involved 

The Infants’ Home hosts a Speech and Occuptaional Therapy (SpOT) Clinic which offers occupational therapy for children between 0-6 years.

For enquiries and appointments, please contact:

The Infants' Home
9799-4844
Monday to Friday 9am-5pm
mail@theinfantshome.org.au