Our Services

We provide the following services:

Assessments

Following referral an appointment will be made for an assessment. An assessment takes about 1.5hours and a series of specifically chosen standardised and non-standardised tests are carried out on your child. In discussion with you, your child’s strengths and weaknesses, and how occupational therapy may help your child will be outlined. Following the assessment a comprehensive report will be written, outlining the goals for your child and guidelines for their therapy interventions.

Individual Therapy Sessions

Following an assessment individual therapy sessions may be recommended for your child. Individual therapy may be recommended for 30 minutes, 45 minutes or 60 minutes depending on the nature of the treatment plan. Children attend their sessions at the same time each week. Individual therapy involves working directly with the child on activities that promote their skill level, build their confidence and are fun. During this block of treatment home activity suggestions will be provided for you to incorporate into your daily routine. Liaison with your child’s teacher may occur at this point to ensure that what home/school/therapy are all working towards a common goal.

School Therapy

Occupational Therapy Helping Children provides weekly intervention in a number of private and public school across Sydney’s North. This treatment occurs following an annual screening program. Referrals are also made by classroom teachers. School therapy is beneficial for the child as it allows for a direct relationship between the therapist and the teacher. It also allows the therapist to see whether what the child is learning during his therapy sessions is carrying over to the classroom. Our Occupational Therapists love working in schools that promote the team approach towards a child’s learning and value the contribution made by all those involved with the child.

Group Therapy Sessions

We run our popular group programs every school holidays. Our Leaping into School Program runs in the October and January School Holidays only. For more information on our groups, see group programs.

Screenings

Preschool Screenings

Preschool Screenings are conducted at centres across the Northern Beaches and North Shore. An Occupational Therapist will come to the centre, and screen up to a maximum of 6 children. A report is then written which is sent to the parents. Occupational Therapy Helping Children is pleased to be able to offer this service free of charge.

School Screenings
Occupational Therapy Helping Children has been running their screening program at some of Sydney’s leading schools for over 14 years. Typically, therapists like to screen children in Years K, 3 & 5. Other years can be screened upon request. The whole class is screened and results are then provided in a report for parents and teachers. Children may be referred to one of our clinics or to have Occupational Therapy at school if the screening is at an already serviced school.

Inservices

Lisa Hughes has presented many inservices since the company’s inception 15 years ago. Lisa will individually tailor an inservice to meet your specific need, in terms of age range, parent or professional, school or preschool. Lisa can present on a wide range of topics related to child development, and other areas of interest. School Readiness is one of her keen areas of interest.

Occupational Therapy Helping Children provides services to children in the following areas.

GROSS MOTOR MOVEMENTS
Large body movements & control
Gross motor skills involve the large muscles of the body that enable activities such as walking, jumping and reaching. A person’s gross motor skills depend on their muscle tone and strength.

Children with gross motor difficulties may demonstrate:

a limp or flopping body
avoidance of gross motor activities
preference for sedentary activities
delay in developing motor milestones, e.g. walking
have poor body awareness, clumsy, bump and trip frequently
difficulty jumping, hopping and skipping
difficulty learning exercise or dance steps

FINE MOTOR
Hand Skills
Fine motor skills involve the small muscles of the body that enable functions like writing, cutting, manipulating small objects and performing personal care tasks. Fine motor skills involve fine motor control, dexterity and strength.

Children with fine motor difficulties may demonstrate:

difficulty holding a pencil correctly
delayed development of a dominant hand
difficulty trying shoelaces or using cutlery
poor manipulation of buttons, zippers and other fasteners
avoidance of fine motor tasks
difficulty using scissors
difficulty with handwriting
difficulty playing games that require precise hand and finger control
immature drawing and colouring skills
difficulty manipulating small objects like Lego, coins, marbles and beads
difficulty planning how to complete movement
poor strength and control in their hands

HANDWRITING
Children with handwriting difficulties may demonstrate:

poor pencil grasp
incorrectly formed letters
reversals of letters and numbers
poor spatial organisation
poor punctuation and spelling
legibility
slow writing speed
difficulty initiating a story
difficulty planning stories
finds writing different text types challenging
difficulty getting their thoughts on paper

VISUAL PERCEPTION
The ability to make sense of information taken in through the eyes. Visual Perception involves how the visual system takes in information, organises it and uses it to complete a task.

Children with difficulties in processing information may present with:

problems with reading, spelling and handwriting
copying from the smart board
visual attention to a task
difficulty remembering sight words
difficulty copying accurately from smart board
reversals of letters and numbers
poor left/right conceptualisation
poor eye-hand co-ordination
difficulty finding things in a busy backgrounds eg in the bedroom.

SELF CARE SKILLS
What you can do independently.

Children with poor self care skills may have difficulty with the following tasks:

using cutlery in a coordinated manner
doing up buttons, zippers and other fasteners
getting dressed and learning to tie shoelaces
getting ready for school
difficulties with toilet training
poor sleeping patterns
sensitivities to bathing, grooming and oral hygiene
limited diet

SENSORY PROCESSING
Sensory processing is a term that refers to the way the nervous system receives sensory messages and turns them into responses. We receive and perceive sensory input through sights, sounds, touch, tastes, smell and movement. Sensory processing signals that don’t get organised into appropriate responses can hinder child’s daily routines and activities are disrupted as a result.

Sensory Processing Disorder can lead to devastating consequences in daily skills, social relationships, behavioural responses, self-esteem and learning. Children with sensory processing disorders may demonstrate difficulties processing information through any of the sensory systems.

In broad terms some of the difficulties a child may demonstrate:

Heightened response to tough, movement and sound
Aggressive or impulsive behaviour when overwhelmed by sensory stimulation
Upset by transitions and unexpected changes
Shows no reaction when physically hurt
Likes crashing, bashing, bumping, jumping and rough housing
Often licks, sucks or chews on non-food items such as pencil, hair and clothes
Is clumsy, awkward and/or accident – prone
Has difficulty with personal organisation
Poor attention and emotional regulation.
Being a picky eater
Poor sleep patterns
(adapted from Miller, 2006)

Treatment Principles used at Occupational Therapy Helping Children

Sensory Integration
Sensory Integration is the way in which the nervous system takes in and processes sensory information. Inefficiencies in sensory processing result in sensory processing disorder. Sensory integration therapy is fun, child directed and utilises multi-sensory input to help children make successful, adaptive responses.

DIR-Floortime
This model is a developmentally based intervention model for early intervention. It was developed by Stanley Greenspan. The model is titled the Developmental Individual-Difference, Relationship-Based model (DIR). It is also known as “floortime”. This is a relationship based treatment that is child centred, meaning that the therapist follows the child’s lead and choices. The therapist aims through activities to encourage and expand the child’s communication, social and attentional abilities.

Willbarger Therapressure Approach
The Willbarger approach was developed by Patricia Willbarger primarily to treat sensory defensiveness. Lisa Hughes was trained in this approach when the Wilbargers came to Australia in 2009. This method is mainly used by Occupational Therapists and requires special training in the program to be able to implement it successfully. The Wilbarger’s treatment approach may include, “the brushing program”, education, an individualised sensory integrative program and a sensory diet.

Other Models of Occupational Therapy
Other more traditional models of Occupational Therapy are also utilised at this practice depending on the individual needs of the child.