NDIS Occupational Therapy: What Can an Occupational Therapist Help With?

If your child has NDIS funding and needs support with everyday activities, independence or participation, Occupational Therapy may form an important part of their supports.

Paediatric Occupational Therapists help children develop practical skills for everyday life. This can include getting dressed, managing personal care, developing fine and gross motor skills, participating at school, managing sensory needs, playing with others and becoming more independent in daily routines.

At Grow & Tell, our Occupational Therapists provide NDIS Occupational Therapy in Sydney for children and young people, with therapy tailored to each child's individual strengths, needs and NDIS goals.

What Is NDIS Occupational Therapy?

Occupational Therapy focuses on helping people participate in the activities that are important in their everyday lives.

For children, these activities — or "occupations" — can include playing, getting dressed, eating, participating at preschool or school, completing daily routines and taking part in family and community activities.

An Occupational Therapist looks at what a child wants or needs to do, what might be making the activity difficult and what supports or strategies could help.

For children accessing NDIS supports, Occupational Therapy may focus on functional skills and participation related to their individual disability-related needs and goals.

What Can an NDIS Occupational Therapist Help With?

Occupational Therapy can support many different areas of a child's development and everyday functioning.

The exact focus of therapy will depend on the individual child, their strengths, the activities they find difficult and the goals that are important to them and their family.

Here are some of the areas a paediatric Occupational Therapist may support.

Daily Living and Self-Care Skills

Everyday routines involve many skills that children gradually develop as they become more independent.

Some children may need additional support with activities such as dressing, using buttons or zippers, toileting, personal hygiene, organising belongings or completing morning and evening routines.

Occupational Therapy can break these activities into manageable steps and identify strategies that make them easier for the child to complete.

The goal is not simply to practise a task during therapy. Where appropriate, the aim is to help the child use those skills more independently within everyday life.

Fine Motor Skills

Fine motor skills involve the smaller movements of the hands and fingers that children use throughout the day.

These skills can affect activities such as handwriting, drawing, using scissors, opening containers, using cutlery, manipulating small objects and fastening clothing.

An Occupational Therapist can look at the different skills involved in these activities and determine where a child may need additional support.

Therapy can then incorporate activities designed around the child's individual needs and functional goals.

Gross Motor Skills and Coordination

Children also use larger movements to participate in everyday activities.

Depending on the child's needs, Occupational Therapy may support areas such as coordination, balance, body awareness and motor planning.

These skills can contribute to participation in activities such as playground play, physical activities, navigating different environments and completing everyday routines.

Therapy should relate these skills back to activities that are meaningful and useful to the individual child.

Sensory Processing

Children constantly receive sensory information from their surroundings and their own bodies.

This can include sound, touch, movement, visual information, smells, tastes and information about body position.

Some children experience sensory information in ways that can make particular environments, routines or activities more difficult to manage.

An Occupational Therapist can work with families to understand the child's individual sensory preferences and needs and identify practical strategies that may support participation.

You can learn more about sensory processing in children and how Occupational Therapy may support children experiencing sensory-related challenges.

Emotional Regulation

Children develop regulation skills over time, and some children need additional support recognising and responding to their emotions or managing the demands of particular situations.

An Occupational Therapist may consider factors such as sensory needs, routines, environmental demands, communication, the child's developmental skills and the particular activities where difficulties occur.

Support might involve helping families understand triggers, adapting environments, developing predictable routines or teaching strategies appropriate to the individual child.

Occupational Therapy should consider the reasons behind a child's difficulty rather than simply focusing on stopping a particular behaviour.

Play and Social Participation

Play is an important part of childhood and provides opportunities to explore, learn, communicate and interact with other people.

Some children may need support participating in play independently or with others.

Depending on the child's needs and goals, Occupational Therapy may support cooperative play, turn-taking, joining activities, navigating play environments or developing skills needed to participate more confidently.

The focus should remain on meaningful participation rather than expecting every child to play or interact in exactly the same way.

School and Preschool Participation

Children use a wide range of skills to participate successfully in educational environments.

This may include sitting and participating in classroom activities, using classroom tools, handwriting, managing belongings, transitioning between activities, following routines and participating in the playground.

An Occupational Therapist can consider both the child's skills and the demands of the environment.

Where appropriate, therapy may include collaboration with parents, educators and other professionals to identify strategies that support participation at preschool or school.

Building Independence in Everyday Routines

For many children, Occupational Therapy is ultimately about becoming more independent in activities that matter to them.

This might mean learning to get dressed with less assistance, preparing belongings for school, completing a morning routine, participating in a family meal or managing a task within the classroom.

The appropriate level of independence will be different for every child.

Therapy goals should therefore be individualised around what is meaningful and achievable for the child and their family.

Can Occupational Therapy Take Place at Home or School?

Yes. Depending on the child's needs, goals and location, Occupational Therapy may be provided outside the clinic.

Working within the child's everyday environment can sometimes help the Occupational Therapist understand the specific demands of an activity and develop strategies within the setting where the difficulty occurs.

For example, therapy at school may focus on classroom participation, while a home visit may help address a particular self-care routine.

Grow & Tell provides mobile Occupational Therapy at homes, schools and early learning settings across selected areas of Sydney.

Does My Child Need an Occupational Therapy Assessment?

Not every child will require the same type of assessment.

An Occupational Therapist will consider the reason for referral, information already available and the areas where the child is experiencing difficulty.

Assessment may involve discussion with parents, observation of functional activities, standardised assessment tools or information from other people involved in the child's support.

The purpose is to understand the child's strengths and needs so that recommendations and therapy goals can be appropriate for the individual child.

What Is a Functional Capacity Assessment?

For some NDIS participants, a more comprehensive assessment of everyday functioning may be required.

A Functional Capacity Assessment considers how a person's disability affects their ability to complete everyday activities and participate across different areas of life.

It may consider areas such as self-care, mobility, communication, learning, social participation and everyday tasks, depending on the participant and the purpose of the assessment.

Grow & Tell provides Functional Capacity Assessments completed by Occupational Therapists for eligible children and young people where appropriate.

A Functional Capacity Assessment is different from regular ongoing Occupational Therapy, so your clinician can discuss whether this type of assessment is relevant to your child's circumstances.

How Are Occupational Therapy Goals Chosen?

Therapy goals should be based on the individual child rather than using the same set of goals for everyone.

An Occupational Therapist will usually consider the child's strengths, current abilities, areas of difficulty, family priorities and the activities that are important in everyday life.

For a child accessing NDIS supports, these therapy goals may also relate to broader goals within their NDIS plan.

Progress can then be reviewed over time, with therapy strategies and goals adjusted as the child's skills, circumstances and priorities change.

Can Occupational Therapists Work With Speech Pathologists?

Yes. Some children receive support from both Occupational Therapy and Speech Pathology.

For example, a child may be working with an Occupational Therapist on daily living skills and school participation while also receiving Speech Pathology for communication or language.

With appropriate family consent, collaboration between professionals can help ensure everyone understands the child's broader needs and priorities.

Grow & Tell provides both paediatric Occupational Therapy and Speech Pathology, allowing our clinicians to collaborate where appropriate for children receiving both services.

Where Does Grow & Tell Provide NDIS Occupational Therapy?

Grow & Tell provides paediatric Occupational Therapy from our Rhodes clinic and St Leonards/Crows Nest clinic.

Mobile Occupational Therapy is also available at homes, schools and early learning settings across selected areas of Sydney.

The most appropriate setting will depend on the child's individual needs, therapy goals, availability and family circumstances.

Starting NDIS Occupational Therapy

If you're considering Occupational Therapy for your child, the first step is understanding the activities they find difficult and what you would like them to be able to do more independently or confidently.

At Grow & Tell, our Occupational Therapists provide NDIS Occupational Therapy in Sydney for self-managed and plan-managed participants.

Therapy is tailored to each child's individual strengths, needs, everyday activities and goals rather than following a standard program.

If you'd like to discuss Occupational Therapy for your child, contact Grow & Tell to speak with our team about current appointment options.

A Note About NDIS Funding

Every NDIS participant's plan, funding and circumstances are individual. Whether a particular Occupational Therapy service or assessment can be funded depends on the participant's plan, approved supports and circumstances.

Families should refer to their current NDIS plan and seek clarification from their plan manager, support coordinator or the NDIA where required.