Paediatric Occupational Therapy Melbourne — OT for Kids
Clinically reviewed by Tim Angel, AHPRA-registered Occupational Therapist and Director of Ability Rehab — last reviewed June 2026.
About Paediatric Occupational Therapy
Paediatric occupational therapy helps children build the everyday skills they need at home, at school, and in the community. At Ability Rehab in Ivanhoe East, our OT for kids services build independence and confidence. Above all, we keep therapy child-centred and practical.
Our paediatric occupational therapists work with children who find everyday skills harder than expected. For example, that might involve fine and gross motor skills, sensory processing, or emotional regulation. It can also include attention, self-care, or taking part in daily activities. In every case, we tailor therapy to the child's needs, goals, and stage of development.
Ability Rehab provides paediatric occupational therapy for children and families anywhere across Melbourne. In particular, we concentrate on the inner-north-east — Ivanhoe East, Heidelberg, Kew, Doncaster, Bundoora, Eltham, Greensborough, and Balwyn. NDIS-funded supports are available. Therapy can take place in our Ivanhoe East clinic, via telehealth, at home, at school, or in the community.
Wondering if OT could help your child? We're happy to talk it through, no pressure.
Make a ReferralFor adult occupational therapy services, visit our main occupational therapy page.
Three Ways to Access Therapy
We offer three ways to access therapy — whichever works best for you and your family.
What Is Paediatric Occupational Therapy?
Paediatric occupational therapy focuses on the skills children need for the activities that matter to them. Specifically, those activities include playing, learning at school, and self-care tasks. They also cover social interaction and taking part in family routines.
A children's occupational therapist looks at how a child takes part in daily life. Specifically, they consider physical abilities, sensory processing, emotional regulation, and the environment around the child. Therapy stays practical and goal-based. Rather than focusing on diagnosis alone, it targets the functional outcomes that matter.
Paediatric OT supports children at every developmental stage, from early childhood through to adolescence. In each case, we tailor the intervention to the child's strengths and challenges. Sessions often involve play-based activities, skill development, and environmental adjustments. In addition, we collaborate with families, educators, and other health professionals.
What Does a Children's Occupational Therapist Do?
A children's occupational therapist, also called a paediatric OT or OT for kids, helps children build practical skills. For example, that might mean holding a pencil or getting dressed independently. It can also mean managing sensory input in busy places, or staying focused in a classroom. The work is hands-on and often play-based, particularly for younger children. Above all, we target whatever is actually getting in the way for that child.
What a children's OT does in a session depends on the child's age and goals. For example, a 4-year-old with fine motor difficulties might do play that strengthens hand muscles. An 8-year-old with sensory sensitivities might learn coping strategies instead. Meanwhile, we might adjust the home or classroom environment to suit them. A teenager on the autism spectrum might focus on self-care, organisation, or social participation.
Children's OTs also work alongside parents, teachers, and other professionals. Together, they make sure strategies translate into everyday life, not just the therapy room. At our Ivanhoe East clinic, we build sessions around each child's interests. As a result, engagement comes naturally and progress carries over to home and school.
How OT for Kids Supports Child Development
Occupational therapy for children builds the skills they need at home, at school, and in the community. Specifically, OT for kids addresses the underlying skills behind learning, movement, self-care, and emotional regulation. As those skills grow, children take part in daily routines far more confidently.
A paediatric occupational therapist helps children develop practical skills in an engaging, age-appropriate way. In practice, we tailor every activity to the individual child. Therapy is often play-based, and it targets the functional outcomes that matter to the whole family.
OT for kids may support areas such as:
- Developing fine motor skills for tasks like writing, drawing, using cutlery, and dressing
- Improving gross motor skills, coordination, and body awareness
- Supporting sensory processing and helping children manage sensory input
- Building emotional regulation, attention, and coping strategies
- Increasing independence with self-care tasks and daily routines
- Supporting participation in learning and classroom activities
Paediatric occupational therapy is collaborative and family-centred. Therapists work closely with parents, caregivers, educators, and other health professionals. Because everyone uses the same strategies, children transfer skills into everyday life more easily.
The need for this support is growing. In 2024, the Australian Early Development Census found 23.5% of children starting school developmentally vulnerable in at least one domain. That is almost one in four, up from 22.0% in 2021. Meanwhile, 12.5% were vulnerable in two or more domains. Indeed, that is the highest level since the census began in 2009 (AEDC National Report 2024).
How a Children's Occupational Therapist Can Help
A children's occupational therapist supports children who find everyday activities harder than expected for their age. These challenges show up in different ways. In turn, they can affect a child's confidence, independence, or participation in daily routines.
Paediatric OT can help children experiencing:
Occupational therapists take a holistic approach, considering the child's strengths, environment, and daily demands. Support may involve skill development, environmental adjustments, and practical strategies. Families can then use those strategies at home, at school, and in the community. Every child's needs are different, so we develop therapy goals collaboratively with families. Furthermore, we review those goals regularly as the child grows.
Research supports acting early. For instance, a 2025 review in Frontiers in Pediatrics found that early intervention meaningfully improves children’s motor skills and cognition. It also helps language and social-emotional development. Notably, occupational therapy approaches helped most with independence and daily living skills (Liu, Zhu, Yi & Zeng, 2025).
NDIS Paediatric Occupational Therapy
Ability Rehab is a registered NDIS provider, and we support children who are NDIS participants. Our occupational therapists work with children and families on goals that are meaningful and practical. Importantly, those goals align with each child's NDIS plan.
NDIS-funded paediatric occupational therapy may support skill development and participation in daily activities. It also builds independence across home, school, and community settings. In addition, we tailor support to the individual child and respect family priorities and routines.
Our therapists can assist with:
- Initial assessments and ongoing therapy supports
- Functional skill development aligned with NDIS goals
- Recommendations and strategies to support participation in daily life
- Collaboration with families, educators, and support networks
- Therapy delivered in the clinic, at home, school, or in the community where appropriate
We work closely with families, and we explain every service clearly. Likewise, we deliver supports in line with NDIS guidelines. Our team works across different types of NDIS plans. Specifically, that includes self-managed, plan-managed, and NDIA-managed funding.
Accessing therapy through the NDIS? Visit our NDIS for Families page.
Under the NDIS early childhood approach, children younger than 6 with developmental delay can access supports. Likewise, so can children younger than 9 with disability. Furthermore, children under 6 with developmental concerns may receive early supports without a formal diagnosis (ndis.gov.au).
Specialised Training and Approaches
Our paediatric occupational therapy team has invested in training across a range of approaches and frameworks. Consequently, we can support children with diverse needs. That ranges from straightforward developmental support through to complex sensory, regulatory, or neurodevelopmental presentations.
Meet Our Paediatric Occupational Therapy Team
Our team consists of AHPRA-registered occupational therapists with broad paediatric experience. Specifically, that covers sensory integration and processing, autism and neurodevelopmental support, and school readiness. It also covers fine and gross motor development, emotional regulation, and NDIS practice. Furthermore, our therapists practise trauma-informed, neurodiversity-affirming care. We then match each child with the therapist best suited to their goals and stage of development.
Our therapists work collaboratively with families, educators, and other health professionals. As a result, therapy strategies translate into everyday life — at home, at school, and in the community.
Meet our full clinical team. View bios, qualifications, and clinical interests for every Ability Rehab clinician on our Our Clinicians page.
Our Children's Services
Paediatric occupational therapy is one part of our broader children's service offering. Depending on your child's needs, our team can support across:
Paediatric Occupational Therapy Across Melbourne
Our clinic is based in Ivanhoe East. However, we work with children and families anywhere across Melbourne. Specifically, we offer three service modes — in-clinic, telehealth, and mobile home visits. Most of our in-home, school, and community sessions happen across Melbourne's north-east, including:
Therefore, location-based support keeps our recommendations relevant to the child's home, learning environment, and community.
Why Choose Ability Rehab for OT for Kids?
Choosing the right occupational therapist for your child is an important decision. At Ability Rehab, we start by understanding each child's individual needs, strengths, and environment.
Our therapists take a child-centred, family-focused approach. Working with parents and caregivers, they keep therapy goals meaningful and practical. Because support fits naturally into daily life, families feel confident using strategies between sessions.
Families choose Ability Rehab for OT for kids because we offer:
- Experienced paediatric occupational therapists
- Individualised, goal-focused therapy plans
- A supportive and collaborative approach with families and educators
- Flexible therapy options across clinic, telehealth, home, school, and community settings
- Registered NDIS provider services with clear communication and guidance
Our team values clear communication, consistency, and positive relationships with children and families. Similarly, we pace therapy to suit each child's development while respecting family routines and priorities.
Getting Started With Paediatric OT
Getting started with paediatric occupational therapy begins with understanding your child's needs and goals. At Ability Rehab, we keep the process supportive, clear, and tailored to each family.
First, we have an initial discussion to learn more about your child. Where appropriate, an assessment follows. From there, we develop therapy goals collaboratively with families. Consequently, support stays practical, meaningful, and aligned with daily routines.
Our team explains therapy options, funding pathways, and next steps clearly, including NDIS supports where applicable. Meanwhile, we encourage families to ask questions and stay actively involved throughout.
Ready to get started, or want to talk through whether OT is the right fit for your child?
Helpful Reading for Parents
If you're thinking about paediatric occupational therapy for your child, these articles may be useful starting points:
See all our latest articles on children's occupational therapy.
Paediatric Occupational Therapy – Frequently Asked Questions
What is paediatric occupational therapy?
Paediatric occupational therapy helps children build the skills they need for everyday activities. Specifically, that covers home, school, and the community. First, an occupational therapist assesses how the child's physical abilities, sensory processing, and environment affect daily participation. Then they work with the child and family to build practical, functional skills. Typically, the intervention is engaging and age-appropriate, and often play-based for younger children.
How do I know if my child needs occupational therapy?
Common signs include difficulty with fine motor tasks such as handwriting, cutlery, buttons, and zips. Similarly, some children struggle with gross motor coordination or self-care routines. Others show sensory sensitivities to noise, textures, or movement. Strong emotional responses can also interfere with daily activities. Finally, some children struggle to keep up with classroom demands. If you notice several of these, a paediatric OT assessment can help identify the underlying factors. The same applies if your child's development feels out of step with peers.
At what age can a child start occupational therapy?
Paediatric occupational therapy supports children from infancy through adolescence. Early intervention, typically from birth to age six, is especially valuable. Because young children's brains respond strongly to targeted support, earlier help often goes further. That said, OT helps at any stage of childhood when functional challenges affect daily participation.
What does a paediatric OT session look like?
Sessions are often play-based, particularly for younger children, and tailored to each child's goals. For example, a session might build fine or gross motor skills through activities and sensory-based play. It might also involve self-care practice or structured tasks that support attention and regulation. Typically, parents and caregivers join in so strategies can carry over at home. Sessions may take place in our clinic, via telehealth, at home, at school, or in the community.
Can paediatric occupational therapy help with handwriting?
Yes. Handwriting challenges are one of the most common reasons families come to occupational therapy. Support typically addresses the underlying skills — pencil grip, hand strength, visual-motor coordination, and posture. Rather than drilling the handwriting itself, this approach helps children build sustainable progress.
How is paediatric occupational therapy funded?
You can access paediatric OT at Ability Rehab through NDIS funding or private health insurance, depending on your policy. You can also use Medicare's Chronic Condition Management (CCM) plan with a GP referral, or attend as a private client. We're a registered NDIS provider, so we work with NDIA-managed, plan-managed, and self-managed participants. Visit our NDIS for Families page for more detail.
Do I need a GP referral to see a paediatric occupational therapist?
No. Private clients and NDIS participants do not need a referral. However, you do need a GP referral if you access therapy through a Medicare CCM plan. You can make a referral online, or contact our team directly.
Where is your paediatric OT clinic located?
Our clinic is at 1/223-225 Lower Heidelberg Road, Ivanhoe East, VIC 3079, with on-site parking. We see children from anywhere across Melbourne. In particular, we work across Melbourne's north-east, including Heidelberg, Kew, Doncaster, Balwyn, Bundoora, Eltham, and Greensborough. Telehealth, home, school, and community sessions are also available, depending on funding and clinical need.