If your child has:

• difficulties with sensory integration

• trouble coping at school (e.g. can’t concentrate, easily distracted, difficulty following instructions, tires easily, poor impulse control, struggles to learn new things or immature handwriting).

• not reached developmental milestones (not learning at an age-appropriate level)

• difficulty with fine motor skills (small movements made by fingers, toes, wrists, lips or the tongue) e.g. difficulty holding a pencil, using cutlery, zippers or buttons. These children are often the slowest to get changed and need help at school regarding handwriting and cutting.

• difficulty with gross motor skills (larger muscle movements for strength, whole body movement or balance) e.g. they appear uncoordinated, have poor balls skills or difficulty moving both sides of the body together smoothly.

• difficulty interacting with family or peers and find it tricky to adapt to new environments or have delayed language skills.

• difficulty making sense of what they see including difficulty recognising letters, copying shapes, tracking things, finding objects, copying from the board, loose their place when reading or have poor eye contact.

• issues with social or play skills difficulty initiating play without help, difficulty imitating or joining in playing with others, wandering around without doing meaningful play, doesn’t seem to know how to explore new games, flits from one activity to the next quickly, or lines up their toys.

If you have concerns, please do contact us. The earlier the better as the younger the child, the easier it is to address.

Every child is different and it’s impossible to say. All children need time to settle into a new space and get to know their therapist. You need to book a minimum of 6 sessions, and should see the impact by 10 sessions, but OT takes time. It’s an investment, and it’s usual for us to work with children for 3 to 6 terms. ASI therapy is booked in blocks of 30 sessions. Some children and families want to work on all their child’s OT skills, to enable their child to reach their full potential, regardless of the referral. A break from therapy can be good too, to process what’s been learnt.

As Nanny McPhee says ‘when you need me but do not necessarily want me, I am here, but when you want me but no longer need me, I have to go’. Our plan is to help each child to go, as soon as possible; when the child is ready. 

We offer various types of assessment and therapy. Please do talk to us so that we can suggest the right assessment for you and create a therapy package with you (including the right combination of home, school and/or clinic visits) in a block that suits your family and your child’s needs best.

• This may include oversensitivity to touch, noise, bright lights, certain movements or smells. They may avoid playground equipment or certain foods.

• They may be physically clumsy or have difficulty learning new movements.

• They may seek out stimulation more than others and be constantly moving or have difficulty recognising hunger or pain.

• They may find tolerance to everyday tasks like brushing their hair or teeth tricky.

• They may be easily overwhelmed and find it difficult to communicate their needs calmly.

If you have concerns, please do contact us. The earlier the better as the younger the child, the easier it is to address.

Yes. If your child’s handwriting is under-developed, or they struggle with coordination / physical activities, or you think they have sensory processing difficulties then an OT assessment maybe appropriate. If you have any concerns about your child’s development, how quickly they are reaching their milestones or their independence in doing things then please do contact us.

• Wear comfortable clothes to move freely and feel relaxed. No shoes are worn in the therapy space.

• Bring a water bottle, although there are cups and herbal teas in the kitchen.

• Make sure your child is not hungry but also not full (in case they jump around a lot). They do get offered a small treat afterwards so if your child is gluten or sugar free, please do bring something for them if you’d like.

• The assessment can take up to 2 hours (most roads around here are 2 hours free parking)

• Show your child a photo of the therapist a few days before they come.

• Explain to them the aim is to enjoy the experience (although an assessment, can be really hard work).