Big Leaps Occupational Therapy

Get to know Big Leaps Occupational Therapy

From Big Leaps Occupational Therapy's website.

• Our approach

  At Big Leaps Occupational Therapy, sessions are play-based and child-led, centred on helping your child participate in activities that matter to them—whether that's self-care like dressing and mealtimes, play, or school readiness. The approach is family-centred, goal-directed and evidence-based, meaning your family's priorities shape the therapy plan. Sessions focus on building your child's independence and nurturing their development across areas like fine and gross motor skills, self-regulation, social skills, and handwriting. Therapy can take place in your home or, when appropriate, in your child's school or childcare setting, because the service is mobile and comes to you.

• Working with families

  Family involvement is central to Big Leaps Occupational Therapy's approach. The service is family-centred, meaning your family's goals and priorities guide the therapy plan, and the occupational therapist works with you to achieve goals that help your child engage meaningfully in activities. Communication is straightforward—after you submit a referral form, the team contacts you directly to discuss next steps. Sessions are flexible, taking place in your home or school/childcare setting to fit into your family's life and routine.

• Meet the team

  Your occupational therapist is Jess Pembroke, who holds a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy and is a passionate paediatric occupational therapist with a strong belief in family-centred practice. She has experience across diverse professional sectors including Non-Government Organisations, private practice and Queensland Health, and has worked with children across a wide range of conditions including Autism Spectrum Disorder, Global Developmental Delay, neuromuscular conditions, sensory processing challenges, attention and concentration disorders, and chromosomal and genetic abnormalities.

• Your first visit

  The first step is to complete an online referral form, after which the team will review your information and contact you to discuss next steps. An initial appointment includes a thorough assessment of your child's strengths and challenges using both standardised and non-standardised assessment tools. This assessment covers areas such as fine and gross motor skills, handwriting, sensory processing, social-emotional skills, self-care abilities and self-regulation. The detailed assessment findings allow the occupational therapist to plan individualised strategies tailored to support your child's development and independence.