Paediatric Occupational Therapy Services
Stepping Stones OT provides individualised occupational therapy services for children and young people aged 0–18 across South West Sydney.
Our services are shaped around each child’s strengths, needs and everyday goals. Depending on your child and family, sessions may take place at our Mount Pritchard clinic, at home, at school or within the community.
What is Peadeatric Occupational Therapy?
Paediatric Occupational Therapy helps children develop the skills, confidence, and independence they need to participate successfully in everyday life. Through engaging, playbased, and evidence-informed therapy, Occupational Therapists support children to overcome
challenges that may impact their ability to learn, play, communicate, care for themselves, and connect with others.
At Stepping Stones OT, we understand that every child develops differently. We work closely with children and their families to understand each child's unique strengths, needs, and goals, providing individualised support that promotes meaningful participation at home, school, and within the community.
Our aim is to empower children to build the skills they need to become more independent, confident, and successful in the activities that matter most to them
How can Occupational Therapy help my child?
Occupational Therapy supports children who experience challenges participating in everyday activities due to developmental, sensory, physical, neurological, learning, or disability-related needs.
At Stepping Stones OT, we support children from birth to 18 years of age, including those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Global Developmental Delay (GDD), and a wide range of other developmental differences.
Occupational Therapy may help your child to:
• Develop independence in everyday self-care tasks such as dressing, toileting, eating, and personal hygiene.
• Improve fine motor skills needed for handwriting, drawing, cutting, using utensils, and manipulating small objects.
• Build gross motor skills including balance, coordination, strength, and body awareness.
• Develop sensory processing and self-regulation skills to better understand and respond to sensory information.
• Improve attention, concentration, emotional regulation, and participation in learning.
• Strengthen visual perception and visual motor skills required for reading, writing, puzzles, and classroom activities.
• Develop social interaction, play, communication, and confidence in everyday environments.
• Build independence and confidence across home, school, and community settings.
Our therapy programs are individualised to each child's goals, helping them develop practical
skills that improve participation and quality of life.
What we focus on in therapy:
Every child comes to therapy with their own strengths, needs and goals. We focus on the skills that help your child participate more confidently in everyday life, from movement, handwriting and self-care to sensory processing, emotional regulation, play and school readiness. Therapy is always individualised, so the areas we work on will depend on what is most meaningful for your child and family.
Fine Motor Skills
Developing the small muscles of the hands and fingers needed for everyday tasks such as
drawing, handwriting, cutting, manipulating small objects, using cutlery, fastening buttons and
zips, opening containers, and completing self-care activities independently.
Handwriting
Supporting the development of efficient handwriting skills, including pencil grasp, posture, letter
formation, sizing, spacing, speed, legibility, written expression, and classroom participation.
Visual Perception & Visual Motor Skills
Helping children understand, interpret, and respond to visual information. These skills are
important for reading, writing, copying from the board, completing puzzles, recognising patterns
and shapes, organising written work, and navigating everyday environments.
Self-Care & Daily Living Skills
Developing independence in everyday routines such as dressing, toileting, feeding, using cutlery,
personal hygiene, organising belongings, following routines, and completing age-appropriate daily
tasks with confidence.
Sensory Processing & Self-Regulation
Supporting children to understand and respond to sensory information from their environment.
Therapy helps children improve attention, emotional regulation, behaviour, body awareness,
participation, and engagement across home, school, and community settings.
Gross Motor Skills
Building strength, balance, coordination, postural control, endurance, motor planning, and body
awareness to support movement, play, sport, physical activity, and participation in everyday life.
Executive Functioning
Developing the thinking skills needed to plan, organise, initiate tasks, manage time, remember
information, solve problems, regulate emotions, and complete daily activities independently.
Social Skills & Play
Supporting children to develop age-appropriate play skills, social interaction, turn-taking,
communication, emotional understanding, friendships, and confidence in group environments.
School Readiness
Preparing children for a successful transition to school by developing foundational skills including
attention, following instructions, independence, fine motor skills, self-regulation, early learning
skills, and participation in classroom routines.
How are therapy services delivered?
At Stepping Stones OT, we offer flexible therapy options to meet the needs of children and families across a range of environments. Therapy is always individualised, goal-focused, and designed to support meaningful participation in everyday life.
Comprehensive Assessments with Detailed Reports
We provide comprehensive Occupational Therapy assessments to gain a thorough understanding of your child's strengths, challenges, and functional abilities.
Assessments may include standardised assessments, clinical observations, parent interviews, teacher consultation (where appropriate), and play-based assessment activities. We also offer
Functional Capacity Assessments (FCA) for NDIS participants and Sensory Processing Assessments to better understand how sensory differences may be impacting a child's participation in everyday activities.
Following the assessment, families receive a detailed report outlining findings, recommendations, functional goals, and practical strategies to support their child's development across home, school, and community settings.
Assessment reports may also be used to support NDIS planning and funding reviews, educational funding applications, referrals to medical specialists, and communication with other healthcare professionals.
Individual Clinic-Based Sessions
Our clinic provides a welcoming, purpose-built environment with a variety of treatment spaces and sensory equipment designed to support children's engagement and learning. Individual therapy sessions are tailored to each child's goals and incorporate evidence-based, play-based activities that build skills while keeping children motivated and engaged. Parents and caregivers are encouraged to participate where appropriate, allowing strategies to be carried over into everyday routines at home.
Individual School & Childcare-Based Sessions
Therapy delivered within your child's school or childcare setting allows Occupational Therapists to support children in the environments where they learn and participate every day. Sessions may include direct therapy, classroom observations, teacher collaboration, environmental modifications, and practical recommendations that promote successful participation in learning, social interaction, and daily school routines. Working collaboratively
with educators helps ensure therapy strategies can be consistently implemented across settings.
Therapy Groups
Our small-group therapy programs provide children with opportunities to develop new skills alongside peers in a fun, supportive, and engaging environment.
Groups are designed around shared goals and may focus on social skills, emotional regulation, school readiness, fine motor development, handwriting, self-regulation, executive functioning, or other functional life skills. Through structured activities, children develop confidence, practice new skills, build friendships, and learn strategies they can transfer into everyday life.
New online parent regulation training package
Our Online Parent Education Workshops are designed to give parents and caregivers the knowledge, confidence, and practical strategies to support their child's development in everyday life.
Delivered live via Zoom by our experienced Occupational Therapists, each interactive workshop runs for approximately one hour and provides evidence-informed information in an accessible and supportive format. Parents will also have the opportunity to ask questions and receive guidance from a qualified therapist.
Workshops may cover topics including:
• Understanding typical developmental milestones in early childhood.
• Supporting your child's emotional regulation and sensory needs.
• Building communication, play, and social interaction skills through everyday activities
• Encouraging fine motor, gross motor, and self-care skill development.
• Creating predictable routines that support learning, independence, and participation.
• Understanding the importance of attention, following instructions, and engaging in adult-led activities.
• Practical, play-based strategies that can be easily incorporated into daily routines at home.
• Choosing high-quality early childhood education and childcare services.
• Knowing when to seek further support and where to access additional services if you have concerns about your child's development.
Our workshops are suitable for parents and caregivers of young children who are looking to better understand their child's development, gain practical strategies to use at home, and feel supported in their parenting journey.