How Grow & Tell Supports Children and Families Through Speech and Occupational Therapy
Every child develops differently. Some children may need extra support with communication, while others may find everyday activities such as handwriting, getting dressed, managing emotions, participating at school or interacting with others more challenging.
At Grow & Tell, our paediatric speech pathologists and occupational therapists work with children and families to understand their individual strengths, needs and goals.
We provide speech pathology and occupational therapy for children across Sydney, with clinic locations in Rhodes and St Leonards, as well as mobile and Telehealth services where appropriate.
Our goal is not simply to work on individual skills during therapy sessions. We want to help children build skills, confidence and independence that make a meaningful difference in their everyday lives.
Supporting Children’s Communication Through Speech Pathology
Communication plays an important role in almost every part of childhood — from expressing wants and needs to learning at school, making friends and participating in family life.
A paediatric speech pathologist can assess and support different areas of a child’s communication development.
At Grow & Tell, our speech pathologists work with children across areas including:
speech sounds and pronunciation
receptive and expressive language
early communication
literacy and phonological awareness
fluency and stuttering
social communication
communication confidence and participation.
Therapy is tailored to the individual child rather than following a one-size-fits-all approach. Depending on the child’s needs, sessions may involve structured activities, games, conversation, play, parent coaching or strategies that can be incorporated into everyday routines.
Families wanting to learn more can read about our paediatric speech pathology services in Sydney.
Helping Children Build Everyday Skills Through Occupational Therapy
Occupational therapy focuses on helping children participate more successfully and independently in the activities that make up their everyday lives.
For a child, these “occupations” can include playing, learning, getting dressed, eating, handwriting, participating at school, interacting with others and completing everyday routines.
Our paediatric occupational therapists can support children who experience challenges with areas such as:
fine motor skills and hand strength
handwriting and pencil skills
gross motor skills and coordination
sensory processing
emotional regulation
attention and participation
play skills
self-care and daily living skills
dressing, eating and toileting routines
independence at home and school.
Occupational therapy considers the whole child, including their strengths, environment and the activities that are important to them and their family.
For more information about the areas our occupational therapists support, visit our Occupational Therapy Sydney page.
Supporting Children With Sensory Processing and Emotional Regulation
Some children experience sensory information differently from others.
Sounds, textures, movement, clothing, busy environments or changes in routine may feel particularly challenging. Other children may constantly seek movement or sensory experiences and find it difficult to remain regulated during everyday activities.
Occupational therapists can help families better understand how sensory processing may be affecting a child’s participation at home, school and in the community.
Support may involve helping the child develop regulation strategies, adapting activities or environments, building skills gradually and helping parents and educators understand what may make everyday situations easier for the child.
Emotional regulation can also be closely connected with participation. Occupational therapy may help children recognise emotions, develop strategies for managing challenging situations and build the skills needed to participate more confidently in everyday routines.
Supporting Children at School
School places many different demands on children.
A child needs to listen, communicate, write, organise themselves, move around the classroom, interact with peers, manage emotions and sensory experiences, and complete increasingly independent routines.
Speech pathologists and occupational therapists can support different but often complementary aspects of school participation.
A speech pathologist may work on language, literacy, speech, fluency or social communication, while an occupational therapist may support handwriting, fine motor skills, attention, sensory needs, emotional regulation, organisation or independence.
Where appropriate, our therapists can also collaborate with parents, teachers and other professionals involved in supporting the child.
Grow & Tell can provide therapy in our clinics as well as mobile therapy in settings such as schools, childcare centres and homes, depending on the child’s needs and service availability.
Occupational Therapy in Crows Nest and St Leonards
For families on Sydney’s Lower North Shore, Grow & Tell provides paediatric occupational therapy from our St Leonards clinic, conveniently located near Crows Nest.
Our occupational therapists support children and families from Crows Nest, St Leonards, North Sydney, Cammeray, Greenwich, Naremburn, Artarmon, Lane Cove and surrounding areas.
Families can access occupational therapy for a range of developmental and everyday needs, from fine motor skills and handwriting through to sensory processing, emotional regulation and independence.
You can learn more about paediatric Occupational Therapy in Crows Nest and St Leonards, including the areas we support and available assessment and therapy options.
Assessments to Better Understand Your Child’s Needs
Sometimes families know their child is finding something difficult but are unsure why.
An assessment can help build a clearer understanding of a child’s strengths, areas of difficulty and the factors that may be affecting their participation.
Depending on the reason for referral, a speech pathology or occupational therapy assessment may involve discussion with parents, observation, developmental history and standardised assessment tools.
The information gathered can then be used to help determine appropriate recommendations, goals and next steps.
Importantly, assessment isn't simply about identifying what a child finds difficult. Understanding their strengths is also an important part of developing meaningful and practical support.
Functional Capacity Assessments
Some children and young people may require a more comprehensive assessment of how they function across different areas of everyday life.
A Functional Capacity Assessment (FCA) is completed by an occupational therapist and looks at how a person's abilities and support needs affect their participation and independence.
Depending on the individual, an FCA may consider areas such as self-care, mobility, communication, learning, social participation and everyday activities.
The assessment can help provide a detailed picture of the person's strengths, functional challenges and the supports that may assist them in everyday life.
Grow & Tell provides Functional Capacity Assessments for children and young people where appropriate.
Working Together With Parents and Families
Parents and carers know their child better than anyone.
For this reason, collaboration with families is an important part of therapy at Grow & Tell.
We want parents to understand what their child is working on, why particular strategies are being used and how skills can be supported outside the therapy room.
Where appropriate, therapists may provide strategies that can be incorporated into normal family routines such as getting ready for school, mealtimes, homework, play or community activities.
This can help children practise skills in meaningful situations and support progress beyond individual therapy sessions.
Therapy That Is Individualised to Your Child
Two children with the same diagnosis or area of difficulty may have very different strengths, challenges and goals.
That's why therapy should be individualised.
Our therapists work with families to identify goals that are meaningful for the individual child. For one child, this may mean developing clearer speech. For another, it may mean learning to write their name, getting dressed more independently, participating in classroom activities or feeling more confident communicating with other children.
As children develop, their priorities can also change. Therapy goals can evolve with them to continue focusing on the areas that are most important to their everyday life.
Speech Pathology and Occupational Therapy at Grow & Tell
Grow & Tell provides paediatric speech pathology and occupational therapy across Sydney, supporting children and families through assessment, therapy and practical strategies for everyday life.
Families can access services from our clinics in Rhodes and St Leonards, with mobile and Telehealth options also available where appropriate.
If you're unsure whether speech pathology or occupational therapy may be appropriate for your child, you don't need to know exactly what type of assessment or therapy they need before contacting us.
Our team can discuss your concerns and help you determine an appropriate next step.
