Occupational Therapy (OT) in paediatrics focuses on helping children and young people participate in everyday activities—also known as “occupations.” These commonly include self-care, school tasks, play, and social participation. Paediatric OTs work closely with families, schools, and other healthcare professionals to support children’s development and functional independence.
Paediatric OTs support children with a wide range of developmental, intellectual, cognitive, physical, sensory, and emotional needs. Common diagnoses include:
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Developmental Delay
Cerebral Palsy
Down Syndrome
Sensory Processing Disorder
Intellectual Disability
Learning Difficulties
Emotional and Behavioural Disorders
Genetic conditions
OTs tailor interventions based on individual needs and developmental stages.
Assessments guide intervention planning and help track progress. Common tools include:
Sensory Profile – identifies sensory preferences and challenges.
Vineland Adaptive Behavioural Scale (Vineland-3) – measures an child's adaptive functioning across areas such as communication, daily living skills, socialisation, and motor skills, providing valuable insight into how a person manages everyday tasks in real-life settings.
PEDI-CAT (Paediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory – Computer Adaptive Test) – used to evaluate a child's functional performance in daily activities, mobility, social/cognitive skills, and responsibility, helping to identify areas of strength and support needs across home and community settings.
VMI (Visual Motor Integration Test) – measures hand-eye coordination.
Clinical observations of play, fine and gross motor tasks, behaviour and social skills.
Parent/caregiver/teacher interviews and questionnaires.
Functional task analysis (e.g., writing, dressing, feeding, playing).
On site observations e.g. at home, daycare, preschool or school
The OT process typically involves:
Referral from parents, GP, paediatricians, teachers, or other health professionals.
Information gathering and consent.
An initial assessment in paediatric occupational therapy involves gathering information from the child, caregivers, and relevant professionals to develop a comprehensive understanding of the child’s strengths, challenges, and daily functioning. This may include clinical observations, interviews, standardised assessments, and play-based activities to assess areas such as fine and gross motor skills, sensory processing, emotional regulation, and participation in everyday tasks. The assessment helps inform goal setting and intervention planning tailored to the child’s individual needs.
Use of standardised and non-standardised assessments.
Collaborative goal setting with child and family.
Therapy sessions in the clinic, home, school, or community (whatever is the most appropriate setting to achieve the established goals).
Use of play-based, task-specific, and environmental approaches.
For a child to thrive, each environemnt the child frequently accesses will generally be on board with deliverying a degree of interventions. Therefore, OTs work closely with parents and school to ensure consistency of strategies are being implemented. This is where parent/caregiver education fits in.
Regular feedback and communication between caregivers and educators.
Progress reviews and re-assessment as needed.
Focus on skill development (e.g., handwriting, sensory regulation, emotional regulation, social skills, personal ADLs).
Use of specialised equipment and controlled environments.
Parents may or may not shadow sessions. Sometimes this can be helpful for parent education and practise of strategies to implement at home.
Promote independence in self-care routines in real-life context, create and implement visual aids and promtps.
Tailor strategies to the child’s natural environment.
Support learning and classroom participation.
Recommend classroom modifications and teacher strategies.
Collaborate with school staff and learning support teams.
Observe a child's behaviour and play skills - these can look very different to 1:1 clinic sessions and provide greater and more accurate insight.
Common OT Interventions
Paediatric OT interventions are evidence-based, goal-directed and play-centred, including:
Fine motor development (e.g., cutting, writing, dressing)
Gross motor and coordination activities
Sensory regulation strategies
Self-care training (e.g.,feeding, personal care and hygiene)
Social skills and emotional regulation
Visual perceptual and cognitive skills
Environmental modifications and assistive technology
Parent coaching and education
School-based strategies for learning and attention
Low cost Assistive Technology (AT) e.g. emotional regulation and sensory tools/toys, wobble cushions, weighted toys and blankets
Families may pay out-of-pocket for services, often eligible for private health rebates (if insured).
Funded through the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
OTs support functional goals under the Capacity Building supports category.
Includes report writing, therapy, home/school visits, and assistive technology.
Referred through GPs.
Up to 5 subsidised allied health sessions per calendar year.
OT writes a report back to the referring GP after service delivery.
Always work collaboratively with families, respecting their expertise on the child.
Embrace the power of play—it’s a child’s most natural occupation!
Stay curious and reflective—paediatric OT is dynamic and diverse.
Be flexible—children may require moment-to-moment changes in approach.
Use supervision and seek feedback to develop your confidence and clinical reasoning.