Can I get an after school appointment?

After school appointments are currently not available.
There are only so many after school appointments that can be allocated and they generally book out well in advance. Keep in mind that many children are not able to function at their best for a therapy session after a long day at school and that this may not actually be optimal timing for your child to get the most out of therapy. Many parents choose to attend during the day and can usually identify a time during the school week that causes minimal disruption to learning.

How often will I need to attend OT appointments?

There is no set schedule for how OT is delivered and the frequency of appointments is based on your individual needs and goals. Most people opt for fortnightly appointments and this generally works well for allowing adequate time to follow up on home practise between sessions. For early intervention, a lot of parents like to start with weekly sessions to help rapidly build their own knowledge as well as build familiarity between the therapist and their child. Other families like to check in monthly or on an ‘as needed’ basis if the issues of concern can be easily addressed with targeted home activities. Appointments are usually booked one term at a time so we can have a discussion at the end of each term about how things are progressing and what will work best moving forward.

Do I come into the sessions with my child?

My philosophy is it is what happens between sessions that creates change. Attending regular sessions with no follow up outside of therapy is not going to achieve goals for your child. I like parents to sit in on the session so they can observe the strategies being used and engage in ongoing discussion about what is happening and why. Parents are also invited to be active participants in some activities, especially play. There are a few circumstances where it may work better for a parent to wait outside the room – for example if there are siblings who are going to be very distracting. If we feel it is better to wait outside during your child’s OT session, there will be time allocated towards the end of the session to give feedback and talk about what you can be doing at home.

Can I bring siblings?

Siblings are welcome. Please keep in mind it may be more difficult to communicate with the therapist if you are busy managing more than one child and it can make it hard if we are trying to work on a focused activity. There are toys and books at the clinic but you should also bring along any activity that will keep siblings entertained.

How much am I expected to do at home?

Any follow up recommended between sessions will be realistic ‘do-able’ strategies that you can incorporate into your normal daily routine. We will work together to identify what will fit in with your life and other commitments so you leave sessions confident you can actually implement what was discussed or worked on in therapy.