Practical occupational therapy for children and teens
From a first assessment through to ongoing intervention, therapist led groups, school holiday programs and support for schools. Not sure what you need? Call us and we will help you work it out.
Assessment
Every child referred to us needs an assessment first. This gives us a clear baseline of their current skills and helps us set the right goals for intervention.
We use a mix of standardised and non standardised assessments, informal observation, and discussion with parents, and with school or preschool staff where needed. The tools we choose depend on the reason for referral and your child's ability to follow standardised instructions.
Functional Capacity Assessment (FCA)
A Functional Capacity Assessment is required to determine a participant's support needs under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). It is a thorough process that often involves seeing a child across different environments and on multiple occasions, to properly assess their capabilities and any barriers they face. It looks at physical ability, cognitive function, communication skills and social participation, and results in a detailed FCA report to help ensure NDIS funding is allocated appropriately. It is also the right tool for advocating for changes in a child's needs, home life, required services or funding. From there, we write SMART goals together with the family and child to guide intervention.
Standard Occupational Therapy Assessment
This runs for around one to one and a half hours and includes standardised and non standardised assessments, play based observation, an informal interview with caregivers, and sensory and fine or gross motor observations. It is the right choice when funding has already been approved and the focus is on identifying OT needs. As with the FCA, we write SMART goals together with the family and child to guide intervention.
Intervention Sessions
At Little Achievers OT, every therapy session is tailored to your child, whether it is one on one, in a small group, or delivered at school.
All sessions are built around the SMART goals set during assessment. We put a strong focus on parent involvement, so the skills your child learns can be practised confidently at home. Our therapists draw on a range of sensory approaches and stay up to date with current research, with regular progress reviews built in along the way.
Groups
We run a wide range of small, therapist led groups throughout the term, matched to each child's age, skill level and needs.
Prep for School
Our School Readiness Group helps children build the skills they need for a successful start to school. Through fun, play based activities, children develop fine and gross motor skills, self care, emotional regulation, and confidence while learning and playing with their peers. Led by experienced Occupational Therapists, the group supports children to become more independent, confident and ready for the classroom.
Movement Based Social Skills
Our Movement Based Group uses fun, active games to help children build movement skills, confidence and friendships. Children learn teamwork, turn taking, emotional regulation, and how to manage winning and losing in a supportive group setting. The theme changes regularly. Led by experienced Occupational Therapists, the group helps children develop skills they can use at school, at home and in the community.
Life Skills
Our Life Skills & Social Skills Groups support young people to build the practical and social skills they need for greater independence and success in their teenage years and beyond. Through real life experiences such as cooking, personal hygiene, community access and travel training, we build confidence, problem solving, communication and everyday independence, helping young people feel more capable at home and out in the community.
Handwriting Groups
Our Handwriting & School Skills Group is about more than just neat writing! We help children build the skills to get their ideas out of their head and onto the page with greater confidence and independence. Through fun, practical activities, we work on posture, pencil grasp, fine motor skills, letter formation, handwriting structure, visual perception, organising work on the page and writing endurance, helping children feel more confident and successful with everyday classroom tasks.
Supporting Fussy Eaters
At Little Achievers, we understand that fussy eating can make mealtimes challenging for the whole family. Using principles from the SOS Approach to Feeding, our therapists look at the whole picture behind eating, including sensory processing, oral motor skills, regulation and a child's comfort with different foods.
Through playful, gradual and pressure-free food experiences, we help children build confidence with food and create more positive mealtime experiences.
Little Achievers takes a multidisciplinary approach to supporting children with fussy eating. Our Occupational Therapists work collaboratively with an integrative naturopath and dietitian to provide holistic, individualised care that considers each child's feeding needs, overall health and wellbeing. Together, we work with families to develop practical strategies that support positive mealtime experiences and lasting progress.
School Holiday Programs
Our school holiday groups give kids a fun, supportive way to build important skills while enjoying the holidays. These small, therapist led groups help children develop social skills, confidence, emotional regulation and play skills in a relaxed setting.
Through movement games, sensory play, problem solving challenges and cooperative tasks, children practise turn taking, communication, flexibility and teamwork, with every activity tailored by our experienced OTs to the group attending.
Intensive Sessions
Recommended for children who cannot commit to weekly sessions, or who need to intensively target specific goals. Children attend every day for a full week to work toward agreed goals, an approach that has proven particularly successful.
Movement Based Social Skills
A school holiday group built around fun, active movement games, where children practise teamwork, turn taking, emotional regulation and flexibility while staying engaged and energised.
Preschool Social Skills
A school holiday program for preschool aged children, focused on early social skills.
Places in all school holiday programs are limited, to make sure every child gets the support they need. Check our Facebook page for more information and details on current classes.
Workshops, Presentations and Professional Development
Alongside direct therapy, Little Achievers also supports schools, preschools and fellow professionals.
Education Packages
Our occupational therapists provide bespoke education packages for preschools, childcare centres and schools, covering a range of relevant topics.
Supervision
Our senior occupational therapists offer supervision to newly qualified OTs, those new to paediatrics or sensory integration, or any OT needing extra support.
Daily Rate at Schools
Our therapists work regularly within schools, including experience across the Catholic Education System, support units and mainstream settings. We offer a daily rate to support multiple children within a school, working collaboratively with teaching and support staff. This model is increasingly successful for embedding a child's program, and their understanding of sensory integration, trauma informed approaches and self regulation, directly into the school environment. Many schools choose teacher training, or a block of group therapy for selected children, which can then continue in future terms with a trained teacher in place.
Therapy where it actually matters
In clinic
Purpose built and innovative rooms in Hurstville and Sutherland.
At school
Working collaboratively with teaching staff for realistic and successful implementation of support strategies.
At home
For successful handover of home strategies and modifications.
Telehealth
Video sessions for parent coaching, reviews and families further afield.
How getting started works
- 1
Get in touch
Call or send an enquiry telling us what you are noticing.
- 2
Assessment
A clear baseline of your child's skills and what would help.
- 3
SMART goals
Goals written together with you and your child in plain language.
- 4
We match you
We find the right therapist, clinic and time for your family.
- 5
Review
We check progress regularly and adjust as your child grows.
Funding your sessions
We are an NDIS registered provider and support self managed and plan managed participants. Medicare referred plans, private health rebates and private paying families are all welcome. If funding feels confusing, ask us. We do this every day.