Occupational Therapy tips for Brisbane children and families
At Xavier we provide occupational therapy (OT) for children with a disability throughout Brisbane north and south, Ipswich, Logan and the Moreton Bay Regional Council area.
Our team of occupational therapists are a passionate bunch whose job it is to help kids with a disability and their families to live the best lives that they can and to participate in every day life to the best of their ability.
We’ve put together some tips to support Brisbane families to get the most out of OT.
- Provide a thorough history – ahead of your child’s first session with a new OT, make sure that you provide your child’s new therapist with a summary of their history, this will help them to work with you to meet their therapy goals.
- Keep the lines of communication open – providing info on your child is ongoing doesn’t stop after the first session. For children with disabilities lots of changes and challenges can be faced in a short space of time. So even if it’s only been a week since you last saw your child’s therapist be sure to update them on how the week has gone.
- Dress your child for success – OT sessions are all about movement so dress your child in comfortable and/or loose fitting clothing that allows them to move freely. Sometimes therapy can involve messy play too so keep your child’s “good” clothes for another time.
- Work together on your child’s goals – helping your child to reach their therapy goals is a team effort. By keeping the lines of communication open you’re already working together with your therapist to support your child
- Continue therapy at home – informal therapy is so important. Therapy at home often won’t even feel like “therapy”, it’s about continuing to support your child in between their formal therapy sessions. It often looks a lot like play, or everyday activities like dressing, toileting or what happens at meal times. Your OT will be able to work with you on ways to support your child through therapy at home.
For other ideas and occupational therapy tips our Brisbane team are here to help. We have extensive experience supporting children with complex disabilities and health related conditions. Get further info here or give us a call on 1800 XAVIER.
