Occupational therapy assists people of all ages to participate inactivities that are meaningful for them (Occupational TherapyAustralia, 2021). Participation is achieved through a client-centredapproach, which means that occupational therapists work withclient's to promote active participation in occupations that areimportant to them (World Federation of Occupational Therapists,2016 and 2021).

The term occupation refers to activities people need to do, wantto do, and are expected to do (World Federation of OccupationalTherapists, 2021). For children, occupations include activities thatenable them to learn and develop life skills, be creative throughplay, and become independent through self-care (AmericanOccupational Therapy Association, 2015). Occupations includingplay, productivity, and self-care are important in a child's healthand well-being throughout their development (AmericanOccupational Therapy Association, 2014 and 2015; Essame, 2020).We work with children of all abilities to help them learn the skills toimprove their emotional, physical and psychological wellbeing.

You've been referred...What's next?

What is occupational therapy?

Have you received a referral from your GP, or perhaps your child'spreschool/school has contacted you with concerns andrecommended you seek out occupational therapy for your child.There are many ways in which a child can be referred to ourservices and a variety of reasons for the referral. We are here tohelp and answer all of your questions.

ChildhoodOccupationExamples

Why does my child need an OT?

Sometimes children may experience delays or challenges indevelopment, which can impact their ability to perform meaningfuloccupations (American Occupational Therapy Association, 2015;Raising Children Network, 2020). Challenges can occur for variousreasons, including physical, psychological or emotional problems,developmental delay or intellectual disability (Raising ChildrenNetwork, 2020). Some children who experience thesedelays/challenges may have difficulty regulating emotions, havefrequent tantrums, find it difficult to independently toilet or dress,and may have trouble engaging with peers (López-Pérez et al.,2018). If you have concerns about your child's development, achat with your GP may assist in determining if occupationaltherapy can help.

Handy Tips

Talking with your GP can help you determine if occupationaltherapy is right for you and your child. However, a referral isnot required to access our services.While waiting to access our services, we have a collection offree resources on our website, which you can download anduse at home.Working in conjunction with your child's preschool/school anddiscussing their needs can help your child develop skills athome and preschool/school.Caregiver participation in interventions aimed at schoolreadiness can increase motivation and engagement in school(Prendergast & MacPhee, 2018).

Self-Reg: How To Help Your Child (and You) Break the StressCycle and Successfully Engage with Life- by Dr. Stuart ShankerSelf-Regulation in Everyday Life: A How-to Guide for Parents -by Heather MacKenzie, Ph.D. The Autism Sourcebook: Everything You Need to Know AboutDiagnosis, Treatment, Coping, and Healing - by Karen SiffExkorn

Your local GP

American Occupational Therapy Association- Fact Sheethttps://www.aota.org/-/media/Corporate/Files/AboutOT/Professionals/WhatIsOT/CY/Fact-Sheets/Children%20and%20Youth%20fact%20sheet.pdf

Raising Children Network (Australia)website - https://raisingchildren.net.au/guides/a-z-health-reference/occupational-therapistYouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/c/raisingchildren

The Disability Trusthttps://www.disabilitytrust.org.au/

Shoalhaven City Council Websitehttps://www.shoalhaven.nsw.gov.au/For-Residents/Community-Support/People-with-a-Disability

Helpful Books:

Where to find moreinformation/support

1001 Great Ideas for Teaching and Raising Children withAutism Spectrum Disorders - by Veronica Zysk and EllenNotbohmTen Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew - by EllenNotbohmCould It Be Autism?: A Parent's Guide to the First Signs andNext Steps - by Nancy WisemanThe Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome - by TonyAttwood

https://www.cyda.org.au/resources/details/229/services-and-supports-in-the-early-yearshttps://www.cyda.org.au/resources/details/228/supporting-the-development-of-children-and-young-people-with-disabilityhttps://www.cyda.org.au/resources/details/150/acie-learning-at-home-during-a-time-of-crisis-covid19-coronavirus

Helpful Books Continued:

Autism Speaks YouTube ChannelCaregivers Skills https://www.autismspeaks.org/science-news/autism-speaks-releases-new-cst-caregiver-quick-tips-videos-support-parents-and

The American Occupational Therapy Association YoutubeChannelhttps://www.youtube.com/user/AOTAInc/playlists

Children and Young People with Disability Australia (CYDA)

Where to find moreinformation/support

Disability Gatewayhttps://www.disabilitygateway.gov.au/income-finance/family-carer-support/nsw

MyTimehttp://mytime.net.au/

REiMAGiNE AUSTRALiAhttps://re-imagine.com.au/

Siblings Australia http://siblingsaustralia.org.au/

Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfarehttps://www.cfecfw.asn.au/parent-and-carer-support-groups-and-disability-advocacy-groups/

Where to find moreinformation/support

American Occupational Therapy Association. (2014).Occupational therapy practice framework: Domain & process(3rd ed.). American Journal of Occupational Therapy,68(Suppl. 1), S1–S48.http://dx.doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2014.682006

American Occupational Therapy Association. (2015).Occupational Therapy’s Role with Children and Youth [Factsheet]. American Occupational Therapy Association.https://www.aota.org/-/media/Corporate/Files/AboutOT/Professionals/WhatIsOT/CY/Fact-Sheets/Children%20and%20Youth%20fact%20sheet.pdf

Essame, C. (2020). Developmental Play: A new approach tounderstanding how all children learn through play.Childhood Education, 96(1), 14–23.https://doi.org/10.1080/00094056.2020.1707531

López-Pérez, B., Ambrona, T., & Gummerum, M. (2018).Emotional preferences and goals and emotion dysregulationin children with Asperger’s syndrome and typicallydeveloping children. British Journal of Clinical Psychology,57(3), 274–290. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjc.12173

Occupational Therapy Australia. (2021). About OccupationalTherapy. https://www.otaus.com.au/about/about-ot

References

References

Prendergast, S., & MacPhee, D. (2018). Parental contributorsto children’s persistence and school readiness. EarlyChildhood Research Quarterly, 45, 31–44.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2018.05.005

Raising Children Network. (2020). Occupational therapist.https://raisingchildren.net.au/guides/a-z-health-reference/occupational-therapist

World Federation of Occupational Therapists. (2021). AboutOccupational Therapy. WFOT. https://wfot.org/about/about-occupational-therapy

World Federation of Occupational Therapists. (2016).Occupational Therapy Services in School-based Practice forChildren and Youth. Retrieved fromfile:///C:/Users/ashle/Downloads/Occupational-Therapy-Services-in-School-based-Practice-for-Children-and-Youth-updated-links.pdf

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