An Occupational Therapist is trained to be able to help your child to reach their individual goals and help improve their quality of life through working on self-care skills, leisure and play skills and their motor skills. Occupational Therapists work across a range of settings. A paediatric OT works with children and adolescents [PP1] to develop independence and functional skills they require to do the activities they want and need to do.

Your OT will collaborate with you to set goals based on the needs of your child or young person to improve their independence and function in day-to-day activities. These could include self-care tasks such as dressing, feeding, toileting, sleep and grooming skills. Productivity skills required for play, school or being a household member, such as learning and concentration, handwriting, behaviour, and chores. Or Leisure skills for play, hobbies and sport, as well as social skills for making and keeping friends.

A Speech Pathologist can help children by providing specialised therapies and interventions to improve communication skills, such as using visual aids and augmentative communication devices.

They can also work on improving social skills, such as initiating and maintaining conversations, and addressing any feeding or swallowing difficulties. Through individualized treatment plans, a Speech Pathologist can help children improve their overall communication abilities and quality of life.

A Psychologist can assist young people and parents/carers think through challenges by collaborating, problem solving, and implementing strategies that address behaviours, regulate the body, and change thinking patterns.

The Rainbow Clinic provides psychology support to young children and adolescents, as well as families and carers from different backgrounds and abilities.

Psychologists support young people with co-morbid mental health conditions, experiences of trauma, behaviours of concern, and neurodevelopmental differences.

In short, No.

You don’t need a GP/specialist referral to see any of our therapists.

However, your GP may determine you are eligible for an Enhanced Primary Care Plan (EPC)/Chronic Disease Management Plan (CDM) or ATSI plan.  The EPC/CDM is often utilised for Occupational Therapy and Speech Pathology in our practice. 

These plans offer a Medicare rebate for a reduced fee for appointments for a specified number of appointments. The current rebate is around $58.00 per session.

For our Psychologists, your GP can also provide a Mental Health Care Plan. This rebate for this is around $92.90.

If you have any existing reports from other health professionals, educators etc,  child is recommended to wear comfortable clothes and closed in shoes, pack a water bottle and or any medications your child may need.

Often this is a requirement, however if your child is not doing their best work because you’re in the room we might ask you to sit out while they concentrate for the assessment.

This varies per child, but we offer short term blocks of therapy, home programs, school therapy and or more long-term therapy for kids with more complex needs.

Your OT can recommend this if they think you need it for funding purposes and or to support a diagnosis, or if you require your child’s scores and recommendations written down for school purposes or for family needs.

Please submit a referral form click here to find out more or simply phone us on 02 49 10 0777.

Medicare rebates and health funds are available click here to find out more.

We currently have a waitlist and it varies depending on the number of referrals received, so please contact us on 02 49 10 0777 to find out more information.