Your child's teacher mentioned that he grips his pencil awkwardly and gets frustrated at handwriting time. Your daughter melts down after school most days, overwhelmed by the noise and crowds. You have started to wonder whether there is a professional who could help, and a few searches have landed you on "paediatric occupational therapist." You are not sure what that means in practice.
This article explains what a paediatric occupational therapist does in Australia, when your child might see one, what an assessment actually looks like, and how to access and fund therapy.
What a paediatric OT does, and why it is broader than you might expect
Occupational therapists are university-trained health professionals who help people get better at doing the things they need or want to do. In children, those things include getting dressed, eating, managing school tasks, making friends, and playing. The word "occupation" in occupational therapy refers to any purposeful, meaningful activity. For a five-year-old, play is the primary occupation.
A paediatric OT can work across a wide range of skill areas:
Self-care. This includes dressing, feeding, teeth-brushing, and toileting. If your child is still needing significant hands-on help with these tasks well after the age most peers manage independently, it may be worth an OT's assessment.
Fine motor skills. The small, precise movements needed for handwriting, cutting with scissors, doing up buttons and zips, and manipulating small objects all rely on fine motor control. Difficulties here are one of the most common reasons children see an OT.
Gross motor skills. Balance, coordination, posture, and physical play. A child who seems unusually clumsy, who avoids physical activities, or who has difficulty with basic playground games may have underlying gross motor difficulties that OT can address.
Sensory processing. Some children are more sensitive to sensory input than their peers, struggling to tolerate certain sounds, textures, light levels, movement, or busy environments. Others seem to seek out intense sensory experiences. A paediatric OT with experience in sensory processing can assess what is happening and develop strategies to help.
Emotional regulation. OTs work on the practical skills that help children manage overwhelm, frustration, and transitions in their daily environment. This overlaps with but is distinct from psychology.
School participation. Sitting still, attending to lessons, organising a school bag, managing the classroom environment. These are all occupational tasks, and an OT can assess and address barriers to doing them.
Social and play skills. Play is how children learn. OTs work on turn-taking, imaginative play, and navigating group settings where the social rules of play can be hard to follow.
OTs work with children in clinics, schools, kindergartens, and family homes, both individually and in small groups. The focus is the specific context where the difficulty shows up, which is why OTs often observe children in their natural environments rather than only in a clinic room.
Sources: Raising Children Network (occupational therapists: family guide); Occupational Therapy Australia (Capability Framework for paediatric OTs, February 2025).
When your child might see a paediatric OT
Children see a paediatric OT for a wide range of reasons. Some arrive with a confirmed diagnosis. Many do not. A diagnosis is not required to access occupational therapy, and waiting for one before seeking an assessment can mean months of delay during a time when support matters most.
Common reasons parents contact a paediatric OT include:
| Area of difficulty | What parents notice |
|---|---|
| Fine motor | Awkward pencil grip; avoids cutting, drawing, or colouring; struggles with buttons |
| Sensory | Strong reactions to clothing tags, food textures, loud environments; seeks intense sensory input |
| Self-care | Still needing help dressing or managing cutlery well past the age peers manage independently |
| School tasks | Difficulty sitting still, attending to lessons, organising a school bag |
| Emotional regulation | Frequent and intense meltdowns around transitions or sensory triggers |
| Play | Prefers rigidly structured play; difficulty with imaginative or cooperative play |
| Gross motor | Appears clumsy or avoids physical play; poor balance |
Children an OT commonly works with include those with autism, ADHD, developmental coordination disorder (also called dyspraxia), sensory processing differences, intellectual disability, cerebral palsy, and developmental delay. The list is not exhaustive. If your child is finding daily life harder than peers because of a skills gap or sensory difference, an OT assessment is worth considering regardless of whether they have a diagnosis.
Your GP or child and family health nurse is a good first stop if you are uncertain. You do not need a referral to see a paediatric OT directly, but your GP may have useful context about your child's overall development and can set up Medicare funding if your child is eligible.
One practical point: if you do think Medicare funding is likely, book the GP appointment first and ask specifically about a Chronic Disease Management plan. Setting up the plan before starting OT means the rebate applies from the first session rather than partway through a course of treatment.
Sources: Raising Children Network (occupational therapists: family guide, last reviewed January 2025).
What happens at a paediatric OT assessment
The first appointment is typically an assessment. This is a structured session, sometimes spread across two appointments, designed to understand your child's strengths, difficulties, and goals. It is not a test your child can pass or fail. Most children experience it as structured play.
A typical assessment involves four stages. First, the OT conducts a parent interview: they ask about your child's development history, daily routine, your specific concerns, and what you would most like to change. Second, the OT observes your child playing and completing structured tasks, watching how they move, handle objects, respond to sensory input, and interact. Third, depending on the referral reason, the OT may use standardised assessment tools to measure fine motor skills, sensory processing, or daily living skills. Some of these are questionnaires you complete as a parent; others involve your child completing specific tasks with the OT. Finally, the OT provides a feedback session where they explain what they found and discuss recommended goals and a therapy plan with you.
You will typically receive a written report outlining the assessment findings and recommendations. This report can support NDIS access requests, school funding applications, and referrals to other specialists.
One thing to prepare before the assessment: bring a list of your specific concerns and examples of when they occur. The more context the OT has about your child's day-to-day life, the more useful the assessment will be. Some OTs will also ask to observe your child at school or kindy, particularly if the main concerns are around classroom participation.
If your child shows signs in the areas above and you would like an OT to assess, find a paediatric occupational therapist in your area.
Sources: Raising Children Network (occupational therapists: family guide).
How NDIS and Medicare fund paediatric OT in Australia
Cost is one of the most common barriers families raise. There are three main funding pathways.
NDIS
Occupational therapy is a listed NDIS support. If your child has an approved NDIS plan, you can use your plan funding to pay for OT sessions with a registered provider. The amount will depend on what is included in your individual plan.
For children under 9, the NDIS Early Childhood Approach (EC Approach) is the entry point. You do not need a formal diagnosis to contact an Early Childhood Partner. Developmental concerns identified by a health or education professional are enough to start the process. Find your local EC Partner at ndis.gov.au or by calling 1800 800 110.
Sources: NDIS (What are NDIS supports); Raising Children Network (NDIS: frequently asked questions).
Medicare — Chronic Disease Management (CDM) plan
If your child has a chronic condition being managed by a GP, the GP can create a Chronic Disease Management plan. Under this plan, your child can access up to 5 allied health sessions per calendar year across all eligible allied health professions, including occupational therapy.
The Medicare rebate for OT under this plan (MBS item 10958) is $61.80 per session (as of 1 July 2025). Sessions must be at least 20 minutes. You will pay any gap between the rebate and the OT's fee directly.
You cannot claim this rebate without a valid CDM plan from your GP. Call ahead and ask specifically about this when booking the GP appointment.
Sources: Medicare Benefits Schedule (item 10958, updated 01-Jul-2025); Occupational Therapy Australia (Medicare Overview for Occupational Therapists, January 2025).
Medicare — M10 (Complex Neurodevelopmental Disorder program)
If your child has autism or another complex neurodevelopmental disorder, they may be eligible for the M10 program. This provides lifetime access to up to 8 assessment/diagnostic sessions and 20 treatment sessions across eligible allied health professions. These are lifetime caps, not annual ones.
Eligibility has been expanded progressively; current eligible conditions are listed on MBS Online. This program requires a referral from a GP or paediatrician.
Sources: Occupational Therapy Australia (Medicare Overview for Occupational Therapists, January 2025).
Private health insurance
Many private health funds cover occupational therapy under their extras cover. Annual limits, per-session rebates, and waiting periods vary considerably between funds and tiers. Check your fund's schedule before booking. You can usually do this via your fund's app or member portal. Some funds require the OT to be registered with the fund as a provider, so it is worth confirming this with the clinic you plan to attend.
Comparing funding options
A family might use more than one funding source over time. NDIS provides the most substantial ongoing funding for eligible children with disability. Medicare CDM provides a modest rebate for children with a chronic condition, whether or not they have a disability. Private health insurance can supplement either. For families who are not eligible for NDIS and do not have a chronic condition meeting CDM criteria, they will be funding OT privately.
How to check you are seeing a qualified OT
All occupational therapists in Australia must be registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). Registration means the practitioner has met the educational and professional standards set by the Occupational Therapy Board of Australia.
Before booking, you can verify an OT's registration at the AHPRA public register (ahpra.gov.au). Look for the name, registration status, and any conditions on the registration. If a registration has lapsed, the practitioner cannot legally practise as an occupational therapist.
Specialisation in paediatrics is not a separate AHPRA registration category. Any registered OT can work with children. What varies is experience and further training. When enquiring, it is reasonable to ask:
- How much of your caseload is children in the 0–7 age range?
- What specific training do you have in sensory processing or developmental assessment?
- Do you have experience with [your child's specific concern, e.g. autism, developmental coordination disorder]?
The Occupational Therapy Australia website (otaus.com.au) has a Find an OT directory if you prefer to search by location and area of practice.
Sources: Raising Children Network (occupational therapists: family guide); Occupational Therapy Australia (Capability Framework, February 2025).
Concerns that often go alongside motor or sensory difficulties
Motor and sensory difficulties rarely appear alone. If your child has been referred for OT, you may also find useful information in:
The motor skills concern hub covers what fine and gross motor development typically looks like at each age, and when gaps are worth investigating with a professional. The sensory overwhelm concern hub covers why some children are more sensitive to sensory input and what strategies can help at home and school.
For an overview of what an occupational therapist appointment involves and what to bring, the occupational therapy services hub has practical information for first-time families.
Find a paediatric occupational therapist
You do not need a referral to book. When you are ready to find someone, search by suburb to see providers near you, filter by NDIS registration, and read about each OT's areas of focus.
Find a paediatric occupational therapist near you
If you are not sure whether OT is the right starting point, take the 2-minute quiz. It asks about your child's specific concerns and points you toward the most relevant services.
Sources: Raising Children Network (occupational therapists: family guide, last reviewed January 2025); Occupational Therapy Australia (Medicare Overview for Occupational Therapists, January 2025); Medicare Benefits Schedule (item 10958); NDIS (What are NDIS supports).
Information is current as of June 2026. Medicare item fees and NDIS eligibility rules change regularly. Confirm current figures at health.gov.au/mbsonline and ndis.gov.au.