1. Does my child need an Occupational Therapist?

Paediatric Occupational Therapists assist to enable children participate in activities they want to do or have to do as part of daily life. We can assist if your child is experiencing delays in development that impact on their ability to engage in everyday routines. For example, Occupational Therapist can address goals around: self-care skills (e.g. dressing, eating, toileting and sleeping), sensory processing and self-regulation, fine motor and gross motor skills, as well as play and social skills. 

Therapy sessions may focus on skill development, changing the environment to support participation, using adaptive aids to enable independence or consultation around how to support everyday routines. More details about our services can be found on our Occupational Therapy page  

2. How do we start getting therapy for my child?

You’re already on the right track!  Just Contact us  by email or phone if you would like to make a self-referral.   

We’ll get back to you and help you get started with an initial appointment. During the initial appointment, we will discuss your child’s needs and complete a screening assessment to determine a Therapy Plan and start working towards your goals. 

3. What do you do in therapy and is it fun?

Children make the best progress when they are having fun, so that’s what we aim to do!  Skill building sessions can include a range of activities that are play based and themed around your child’s interests. We use a wide range of evidence based approaches depending on your child and their goals.  

Please refer to our Occupational Therapy page  for more information about our areas of specialist training and expertise.

4. How long is a therapy session?

An initial appointment is usually within the family home and takes approximately 60 minutes. This is an opportunity to discuss your goals and any concerns, the therapist to complete a screening assessment and to complete a Service Agreement together. Your therapist will then complete a Therapy Plan and copy of any recommendations discussed during this session.  

We offer both 45 minute and 60 minute sessions. Within the session, we allow time to review progress and provide a written copy of recommendations. More details about can be found on our Fees and Funding page. 

5. How long and often does my child need therapy for?

The length and duration of therapy sessions recommended will vary according to your individual goals and needs. During your initial appointment, we will make a Service Agreement detailing the number and frequency of sessions, as well as when your therapy goals will be reviewed.  

6. Where are therapy sessions held?

Southern Right Therapy is a mobile service, and the location of sessions are determined by your individual goals. We believe children learn best in the environment they feel most comfortable and aim to provide therapy in the child’s “natural environment”.   

For example, therapy sessions for self-care goals (e.g. dressing, feeding and toileting) would likely be at the family home.  Kinder or school sessions might be arranged for goals related to social skills or handwriting. Sessions at the park might be best to work on play skills and motor development.  

During your initial appointment, we will discuss your specific goals for therapy and arrange where the sessions will be best located.

7. How much does it cost for therapy?

Southern Right Therapy aims to provide services that are accessible to families in the South West. Our fees are set in accordance to NDIS funding and Medicare rebate system guidelines.  Please see our Fees and Funding page for more details or contact us if you have any questions.  

8. What ages do you work with?

Southern Right Therapy offers services to children of all ages, as well as young adults (up to the age of 30 years). 

9. What is Play Therapy?

Play is a central part of a child’s life and key to their interactions with peers. We support the development of children’s Pretend Play skills, using the “Learn to Play” approach (by Karen Stagnitti).  

We are also trained in providing “Child-Centred Play Therapy”. This is method of counselling for children to process a wide range of adverse experiences, emotional and relational issues.  Rather than using words, children use play within a safe and caring therapeutic relationship, to express and process their internal world. This is an effective and evidence based approach, based on principles that enable self-discovery for the child, which facilitate resolutions, healing and the development of positive coping strategies to overcome life circumstances.   

For more details, see our Play Therapy  page – or the Useful Links  for information about the use of therapeutic play.

10. What if my child need therapy but doesn’t have funding?

If you have concerns about your child’s development and require support with accessing services, please speak with your GP or Paediatrician about this. You can also contact the local Early Childhood Early Intervention or NDIS office directly (see our Useful Links page). If you need more information in the process, you can Contact us for assistance.