Paediatric Occupational Therapy Services in Oakleigh South
Lily provides practical, individualised occupational therapy for children and families in Oakleigh South and across Melbourne’s south-east.
Support is tailored to the child’s strengths, needs, preferences and everyday routines. Depending on the reason for referral, services may include occupational therapy assessments, individual sessions, parent consultation, school or kindergarten collaboration, reports and Functional Capacity Assessments.
Who Lily supports
Lily works collaboratively with children, parents and carers, educators, support coordinators, health professionals and other important members of a child’s support team.
She has particular experience supporting:
Autistic children.
Children with ADHD.
Children with PDA profiles.
Children with developmental delays.
Children with sensory processing differences.
Children who find everyday routines, transitions or environments difficult to manage.
A formal diagnosis is not always required to make an enquiry. Occupational therapy may also be relevant when a family or educator has noticed that a child is finding certain daily activities more difficult, uncomfortable or exhausting than expected.
Each referral is considered individually. Suitability will depend on the child’s age, needs, goals, location, the service being requested and Lily’s current availability.
An individualised starting point to understand your child’s strengths, routines, functional needs and goals. The process may include parent consultation, observation, document review and direct assessment where appropriate.
Practical, individualised support focused on meaningful everyday goals. Sessions may involve play, activities, routine-based practice, environmental adjustments and collaboration with parents or carers.
Focused assessment of areas such as sensory processing, fine motor skills, self-care, emotional regulation, executive functioning or school participation.
A broader assessment of how a child manages everyday activities across home, education and community environments, including current supports, barriers and assistance needs.
How occupational therapy may help
Occupational therapy focuses on the activities a child needs, wants or is expected to participate in during everyday life.
Rather than looking at one skill in isolation, Lily considers the relationship between the child, the activity and the environment in which it takes place.
Emotional regulation and everyday demands
Lily may help explore what contributes to distress, overwhelm or difficulty coping with transitions, unexpected changes and daily demands.
Support may include helping the child and adults around them recognise early signs of overload, adapt expectations, improve predictability and develop practical ways for the child to communicate what they need.
Sensory processing and sensory preferences
Sensory differences can affect dressing, personal care, meals, play, learning and participation in busy environments.
Occupational therapy may help families understand which sensations a child avoids, seeks or finds difficult to notice and identify changes that could make an activity or environment more manageable.
Fine motor, hand skills and classroom participation
Fine motor differences may affect activities such as:
Drawing and handwriting.
Using scissors.
Managing buttons, zips and shoelaces.
Using cutlery.
Completing craft activities.
Manipulating toys and classroom materials.
Support may involve skill development, adjusting the task, changing equipment or modifying the environment.
Self-care and family routines
Occupational therapy may support participation in:
Dressing.
Toileting.
Bathing and personal hygiene.
Toothbrushing and hair care.
Morning and bedtime routines.
Age-appropriate household tasks.
Mealtime participation where this is within Lily’s scope.
The focus is on understanding what makes the routine difficult and finding realistic strategies that respect the child’s comfort, communication and autonomy.
Significant feeding, nutrition or swallowing concerns may require input from other appropriately qualified health professionals.
Play and social participation
Play can support connection, enjoyment, learning and skill development.
Lily may help a child participate in play in a way that reflects their interests and preferences. This could include joining shared activities, developing confidence with unfamiliar play, communicating boundaries, taking part in group environments or adapting an activity so it is more accessible.
Planning, organisation and independence
Some children need additional support to begin tasks, remember steps, organise their belongings, manage time or move between activities.
Occupational therapy may help make routines more predictable, reduce the amount of information the child needs to hold in mind and build age-appropriate independence.
School, kindergarten and community participation
Lily may help identify barriers affecting participation in the classroom, playground, kindergarten, community activities or outings.
Recommendations may involve environmental changes, visual information, movement opportunities, seating or equipment adjustments, task modification, communication supports or collaboration with the adults involved.
Initial occupational therapy assessment
An initial occupational therapy assessment helps Lily understand the child’s strengths, current needs, routines and functional goals.
The process may include:
A parent or carer consultation.
Discussion of the main reason for referral.
Review of developmental, health and educational information.
Review of relevant reports or assessments.
Observation of the child during appropriate activities.
Direct assessment where clinically appropriate.
Discussion of the child’s home, education and community environments.
Identification of practical priorities and next steps.
The process is adapted to the individual child. Not every family will require the same assessment activities or number of appointments.
Following the assessment, Lily will discuss her initial observations, recommendations and whether further assessment, consultation, therapy or another service may be appropriate.
Individual occupational therapy sessions
Individual sessions are planned around meaningful functional goals rather than a standard therapy program.
Depending on the child and their goals, sessions may involve:
Play-based or activity-based support.
Practising everyday tasks.
Developing fine motor, self-care or organisational skills.
Exploring sensory and environmental supports.
Building the child’s ability to communicate preferences and needs.
Adapting activities or equipment.
Supporting parents and carers to trial strategies within everyday routines.
The frequency, setting and format of support will depend on the child’s goals, clinical needs, funding, location and availability.
Therapy recommendations are reviewed over time to consider whether they remain useful and relevant in the child’s everyday life.
Targeted occupational therapy assessments
A targeted assessment may be recommended when more detailed information is needed about a particular area of participation or functioning.
Depending on the referral question, an assessment may consider:
Functional participation.
Sensory processing and sensory preferences.
Fine motor and hand skills.
Self-care.
Emotional regulation.
Executive functioning.
School or kindergarten participation.
The interaction between the child, task and environment.
Lily may use observation, interviews, questionnaires and structured or standardised assessment methods where clinically appropriate.
The assessment method will be selected according to the child’s needs and the purpose of the assessment. Not every child will require formal testing.
Functional Capacity Assessments
A Functional Capacity Assessment is a broader assessment of how a child manages everyday activities across home, education and community environments.
It may consider the child’s independence, assistance needs, environmental barriers, current supports and participation across several functional areas.
Not every child requires a full Functional Capacity Assessment. In some circumstances, a progress report, targeted assessment or supporting letter may be more appropriate.
Parent and carer consultation
Parent and carer consultations provide time to discuss the child’s participation outside a direct therapy session.
A consultation may focus on:
Understanding patterns within difficult routines.
Regulation and sensory needs.
Transitions and changes in routine.
Adapting activities or environments.
Supporting the child to communicate preferences or request assistance.
Reviewing strategies that have already been tried.
Identifying what is useful, unrealistic or no longer working.
Building consistency across important environments.
The purpose is not to blame parents or ask families to reproduce a therapy session at home. Recommendations should be realistic within the family’s capacity, priorities and everyday life.
School and kindergarten collaboration
With the family’s consent, Lily may collaborate with schools, kindergartens and educators when this is relevant to the child’s goals.
Support may include:
Observation in the education environment.
Consultation with teachers or educators.
Practical classroom or kindergarten strategies.
Environmental recommendations.
Task or routine modifications.
Participation planning.
Support for transitions.
Liaison with other members of the child’s support team.
Education visits depend on consent, location, school or kindergarten approval, clinical suitability and availability.
Visits, preparation, travel, documentation and professional liaison may involve billable time. Expected costs will be discussed before the service proceeds.
Community-based occupational therapy
Assessment or support in an everyday community environment can sometimes provide useful information about barriers that are not apparent during a standard appointment.
Depending on the child’s goals, community-based support may relate to:
Participating in local activities.
Managing unfamiliar or busy environments.
Accessing shops, parks or recreation settings.
Safety and supervision needs.
Planning and completing everyday outings.
Developing greater independence within age-appropriate activities.
Community-based support is offered only where it is clinically appropriate, practical and within Lily’s current service area.
Telehealth
Telehealth may be suitable for selected services, including:
Parent and carer consultation.
Strategy review.
Follow-up discussions.
Professional collaboration.
Selected assessment components.
Review of home or school routines.
Report planning and feedback.
Telehealth will not be suitable for every child, goal or assessment. Lily will consider whether meaningful and clinically appropriate support can be provided remotely before recommending this format.
Lily’s approach
Lily’s approach is gentle, practical, collaborative and neurodiversity-affirming.
She takes time to understand what the child is experiencing, what matters to the family and which environmental or task demands may be affecting participation.
Support may involve developing skills, but it can also involve:
Changing the environment.
Making an activity more predictable.
Reducing unnecessary demands.
Adapting the way a task is completed.
Supporting the child to communicate their needs.
Helping important adults understand what may be contributing to distress.
Recommendations should make sense beyond the therapy appointment and be realistic within home, school, kindergarten and community routines.
Where services may be provided
Depending on the child’s needs, goals and location, services may take place:
In the child’s home.
At school.
At kindergarten or childcare.
In an appropriate community environment.
By telehealth.
At another suitable location agreed in advance.
The most appropriate setting will depend on the purpose of the service, consent, clinical suitability, travel requirements and Lily’s availability.
Lily is based in Oakleigh South and provides services across selected areas of Melbourne’s south-east.