Who We Work With

If your child is constantly moving, lying down, touching other children, getting up or struggling to listen during carpet time, there may be more going on than simply not wanting to sit still.Some children need more movement to stay focused, find sitting on the floor physically difficult or become overwhelmed by noise and other sensory input.Occupational therapy can help identify why carpet time is hard and develop strategies to support attention, regulation and participation.

My child is often described as rough in the playground, pushes too hard, bumps into other children or doesn't seem to realise when they are hurting someone.This can sometimes be linked to difficulties with body awareness, sensory seeking, force control, regulation or understanding personal space.An occupational therapist can help work out what is driving the behaviour and support your child to better understand their body, control their movements and take part in play more safely and successfully.

Some children avoid copying actions, action songs, movement games or activities like Simon Says because they find motor planning, coordination, attention or body awareness difficult.An occupational therapist can assess whether your child is having trouble planning and copying movements and help build the skills they need for everyday activities, play, sport and classroom participation.

Some children can follow instructions perfectly when an adult is speaking directly to them, but struggle in a classroom, kindy group or busy environment.This can happen when there is too much noise, too many distractions or too much information to process at once.An occupational therapist can help understand whether attention, sensory processing, regulation or difficulty following multi-step instructions is affecting your child's participation.

If your child regularly crashes into furniture, bumps into other children, knocks things over or seems unaware of personal space, they may have difficulty knowing where their body is in space.Occupational therapy can help assess body awareness, sensory processing and movement control and support your child to move more safely and confidently.

Some children appear to cope well all day at school and then fall apart as soon as they get home.The effort of managing noise, social expectations, classroom demands, transitions and sensory input throughout the day can be exhausting.An occupational therapist can help identify what is overwhelming your child and develop practical strategies to make the school day and after-school routine easier to manage.

Toilet training can be difficult for children who struggle to notice when they need to go, dislike the feeling or sound of the bathroom, have difficulty sitting on the toilet or become anxious around toileting.An occupational therapist can help identify what is making toileting difficult and develop strategies to support comfort, body awareness and independence.

A change in toileting can have many possible causes, so new or unexplained accidents should first be discussed with your child's GP or paediatrician to rule out medical concerns.Once medical causes have been considered, occupational therapy may help where sensory processing, routines, body awareness, clothing skills, anxiety around the bathroom or everyday independence are affecting toileting.

School refusal can happen for many different reasons. Your child may be anxious, overwhelmed by noise or crowds, struggling socially, finding classroom work difficult or having trouble with transitions and routines.Occupational therapy can help identify which parts of the school day are hardest for your child and work with your family and school to make participation more manageable.

Your child may want to join in but find it hard to copy movements, keep up with the group, follow instructions, coordinate their body or manage the noise and activity around them.Occupational therapy can help identify the skills that are getting in the way and build your child's confidence with movement, coordination and participation.If strength, balance or gross motor development is also a concern, paediatric physiotherapy may be helpful.

Some children walk on their toes occasionally, while others do it frequently.Persistent toe walking can sometimes be linked to sensory preferences, muscle tightness, strength, balance or the way a child has learned to move.A paediatric occupational therapist or physiotherapist can assess why your child is toe walking and whether any support is needed.

Some children find it hard to join games, understand personal space, notice when another child is upset or know what to say and do in social situations.These difficulties can be linked to regulation, sensory processing, body awareness or difficulty reading social cues.Occupational therapy can help support the skills your child needs to feel more confident and successful when playing and interacting with others.

Some children manage to meet expectations throughout the school day but use a great deal of effort to do so. At home, parents may then see much bigger emotional reactions, exhaustion, irritability or difficulty coping.An occupational therapist can look at the sensory, physical, social and organisational demands across your child's day and identify what may be contributing.

A child who seems to ignore instructions, refuse activities, run away or become upset may not simply be choosing not to cooperate.The activity may feel too hard, overwhelming, unpredictable or uncomfortable.Occupational therapy can help work out what is behind the behaviour and identify sensory, regulation, motor or environmental factors that may be making participation difficult.

If handwriting or homework regularly ends in frustration, avoidance or meltdowns, your child may be finding the task harder than it looks.They may struggle with pencil control, hand strength, letter formation, writing speed, sitting posture, attention, planning what to write or keeping up with the amount of written work expected at school.An occupational therapist can assess what is making handwriting or homework difficult and help build the underlying skills your child needs. This may include fine motor skills, handwriting, posture, organisation, attention and strategies to make written tasks feel more manageable.

If your child eats only a very small range of foods, refuses new foods, avoids certain textures or becomes upset at mealtimes, there may be more going on than simply being “fussy”.Food selectivity can sometimes be linked to sensory sensitivities, oral motor skills, anxiety around unfamiliar foods, difficulty with change or previous negative experiences with eating.An occupational therapist can help identify what may be contributing to your child’s eating difficulties and support gradual, positive experiences with food. Depending on your child’s needs, this may also involve working alongside other health professionals.

If your child refuses certain clothes, insists on wearing the same outfit, avoids seams or tags, or becomes upset when asked to wear something different, they may be reacting to how the clothing feels on their body.Some children are more sensitive to textures, tightness, temperature, seams, labels or changes in how clothes fit. For others, wearing familiar clothes can also make getting dressed feel more predictable and manageable.An occupational therapist can help identify whether sensory sensitivities, body awareness or difficulties with change are contributing and develop practical strategies to make dressing easier and less stressful.

Some children can physically put clothes on but struggle to work out which way clothing goes, organise the steps or keep track of what comes next.Occupational therapy can assess dressing skills, motor planning, spatial awareness, fine motor skills and sequencing and help children become more independent.

Some children cope well with play when they know exactly what will happen but find it much harder when another child changes the rules, introduces a new idea or wants to lead.Occupational therapy can explore flexibility, regulation, motor planning and social participation and help children become more comfortable adapting during play.

Some children are especially sensitive to how products such as sunscreen, moisturiser or sticky substances feel on their skin.Occupational therapy can explore whether touch sensitivity is affecting everyday routines and help families gradually build tolerance using practical, individualised strategies.

Starting school involves much more than early academic skills. Children also need to manage belongings, clothing, toileting, transitions, group routines and everyday tasks with increasing independence.Occupational therapy can help identify which underlying fine motor, sensory, planning or self-care skills may be making independence difficult and support your child before school starts.

It depends on what is driving the difficulty. Psychology may be appropriate when emotional or mental health concerns are the primary issue, while occupational therapy looks at how sensory processing, regulation, motor skills, planning and everyday function affect participation.Some children benefit from both. If you are unsure, an initial discussion or assessment can help identify which support may be most appropriate.

Occupational therapy generally focuses on sensory processing, regulation, fine motor skills, self-care, handwriting and everyday participation. Physiotherapy focuses more on movement, strength, balance, walking, gross motor development and physical function.Some children have needs across both areas and may benefit from a joint assessment or coordinated OT and physiotherapy support.

Paediatric OTs help children participate in everyday life. This can include getting dressed, following routines, handwriting, playing with other children, regulating emotions, managing sensory input, eating, toileting and participating at school.

Academic ability and everyday organisation do not always develop at the same pace. A child may read well or perform strongly at school but still struggle to get dressed, follow routines, organise belongings or complete multi-step tasks independently.Occupational therapy can look at planning, sequencing, sensory processing, regulation and everyday functional skills to understand where support is needed.

Some children use movement to help themselves stay alert, focused or regulated. They may wriggle, leave their seat, lean on furniture, crash into things or find it hard to stay still for longer tasks.Occupational therapy can explore your child's sensory and movement needs and identify practical ways to support attention and participation rather than simply expecting them to stop moving.

Some children become very cautious around new or difficult activities. They may avoid joining in, become angry when they make a mistake or only participate when an adult stays close.Sometimes the task is placing demands on coordination, motor planning, sensory processing or regulation that are harder than they appear. An OT assessment can help identify what may be contributing.