Individual Therapy Services
Qualia offers a range of individual therapy services in the clinic in Gladesville, a number of local schools and online.
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Our clinic provides a welcoming, engaging environment where children can develop the skills they need to participate more confidently in everyday life. Therapy is always individualised, with sessions built around meaningful goals and activities that are motivating, functional and relevant to each child.
Children and families commonly seek support with:
School readiness and classroom participation
Handwriting and written expression
Fine motor skills, including pencil grasp, cutting and tool use
Play, social interaction and friendships
Gross motor skills, coordination and balance
Attention, executive functioning and self-regulation
Dressing, toileting and other everyday self-care skills
Mealtimes and feeding
Building confidence and independence in everyday activities
Our therapists use evidence-informed assessment and intervention to understand each child's unique strengths and challenges. We work collaboratively with families to create individualised therapy plans that build on a child's strengths while supporting meaningful progress at home, school and in the community.
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Many children benefit from occupational therapy in the environment where they spend a large part of their day. Working in schools and preschools allows our therapists to support children during everyday routines and activities, making therapy practical, meaningful and directly relevant to the challenges they experience.
School and preschool-based therapy may support children with classroom participation, handwriting and written expression, attention and executive functioning, emotional regulation, play and social interactions, fine and gross motor development, independence and school readiness. Therapy goals are always individualised and developed in collaboration with families and educators.
Working alongside teachers and educators also allows us to better understand each child's learning environment and provide practical strategies that can be incorporated into daily routines. By supporting children in the places where they learn, play and connect with others, we can help create meaningful improvements that extend beyond the therapy session.
We provide occupational therapy services in schools and preschools across Sydney's Inner West. We also offer school-based screening assessments, with practical recommendations provided to families and educators when further support may be beneficial.
If you'd like to learn more about our school and preschool services, we'd love to hear from you.
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Online occupational therapy provides families with a flexible and effective way to access support from the comfort of home. For many children, it also gives us the opportunity to work within their everyday environment, making therapy highly practical, collaborative and relevant to daily routines.
Our online sessions are individualised and interactive, with a strong focus on coaching parents, problem-solving everyday challenges and developing practical strategies that can be implemented straight away. Together, we explore ideas, resources and supports that fit naturally into your child's home, school and family life.
All you need is an internet connection and a device with a camera. Research shows that telehealth can be an effective way to deliver paediatric occupational therapy for many children and families, and it has become a valued part of the services we offer.
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Our School Holiday Intensive Programs provide children with the opportunity to work towards a specific goal through focused, individualised therapy over 3, 4 or 5 consecutive days (40 minutes per day). The increased frequency of sessions allows children to build confidence, practise new skills and make meaningful progress in a short period of time.
Each program is tailored to your child's strengths, interests and goals, with one-to-one support from an occupational therapist. Families receive a written summary and practical recommendations to continue supporting their child's progress at home.
Intensive programs are ideal for children working towards goals such as:
School participation, including handwriting, written expression, reading or maths
Independence with everyday tasks, such as dressing, cooking and organisation
Play, social participation and community engagement.
Group Services
Qualia offers a range of group services to support children in different areas.
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The Secret Agent Society (SAS) program is an evidence-based social and emotional skills program that helps children develop the confidence and strategies they need to navigate everyday social situations. Using an engaging spy-themed approach, children become Secret Agent Cadets, joining an exclusive club where they complete exciting missions, solve challenges and work alongside their fellow agents as they build new skills.
The group experience creates a strong sense of belonging and teamwork, encouraging children to support one another while practising their skills in a fun, motivating environment. Parents and teachers are also actively involved, helping children apply what they have learnt at home, school and in the community. Delivered both in person and online, the cadets gain access to a special online headquarters with games and activities to practice their skills.
Children will have opportunities to develop:
Recognising emotions in themselves and others
Managing emotions, including anxiety, frustration and anger
Social problem-solving and flexible thinking
Conversation, friendship and teamwork skills
Confidence navigating everyday social situations.
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Our LEGO® Club uses children's love of building to create meaningful opportunities for social connection, communication and teamwork. Guided by our occupational therapists, children work together to plan, build and solve problems, naturally developing social skills through a fun, motivating and shared activity.
As children take on different roles within the group, they practise listening, taking turns, sharing ideas, negotiating, flexible thinking and working collaboratively towards a common goal. Therapists provide just the right level of support to help children build confidence, develop friendships and strengthen their social communication skills in a positive and engaging environment.
Children will have opportunities to develop:
Turn-taking and sharing
Communication and active listening
Teamwork and collaborative problem-solving
Flexible thinking and compromise
Planning and organisation
Confidence interacting with peers in a small group.
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Starting school is about much more than learning to write your name. Our School readiness group helps preschool children develop the foundational skills they need to participate confidently in the classroom through fun, engaging and play-based activities in a small group setting.
Guided by our occupational therapists, children build independence, confidence and early learning skills while practising routines, following instructions and interacting with their peers in a supportive environment.
Children will have opportunities to develop:
Pencil grasp and early handwriting skills
Pencil control for drawing, tracing and colouring
Letter and number recognition
Cutting skills and fine motor development
Following instructions and participating in group activities
Attention, confidence and readiness for the classroom
Social interaction and learning alongside peers.
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The Zones of Regulation® program helps children develop a better understanding of their emotions, energy levels and body signals, giving them the skills to recognise how they are feeling and choose helpful strategies to respond.
Using a simple, colour-coded framework and engaging group activities, children learn that all emotions are normal and develop a shared language to talk about their experiences. Guided by our occupational therapists, and delivered both in person and online, they build practical strategies for managing challenges, improving emotional regulation and participating more successfully at home, at school and with their peers.
Children will have opportunities to develop:
Recognising emotions, body signals and energy levels
Building emotional awareness and self-understanding
Learning practical regulation strategies
Flexible thinking and problem-solving
Confidence managing everyday challenges
A shared language to communicate their feelings.
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Our OT & Speech Playgroup is co-facilitated by an Occupational Therapist from Qualia and a Speech Pathologist from Nash Speech Pathology, providing children with the unique benefit of two professions working together in a fun, play-based environment. Held at Papilio Early Learning Centre, the group offers children opportunities to develop communication, play and emotional regulation skills within a natural early childhood setting.
Drawing on evidence-based approaches, including Learn to Play Therapy, The Hanen Program® (It Takes Two to Talk®) and SEA Bridge, therapists use play to support children's communication, social interaction, learning and participation in everyday life.
Children will have opportunities to develop:
Play and imagination skills
Communication and language
Social interaction and turn-taking
Emotional regulation
Confidence participating in a small group.
Children do not need to attend Papilio to attend this group.
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Play is the most important occupation of childhood. Through play, children develop the skills they need for learning, friendships, communication, problem-solving and emotional regulation. Our Learn to Play group provides a fun, supportive environment where preschool children can explore, create and connect with others while building confidence through play.
Children will have opportunities to:
Discover and expand their play interests
Develop imaginative and pretend play skills
Learn to share, take turns and play cooperatively
Build communication and problem-solving skills with peers
Develop confidence participating in a small group.
Assessment Services
Qualia offers a range of assessment services to meet your child’s needs.
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If you have concerns about your child's development or your child has been referred for occupational therapy, an assessment can help identify both their strengths and the factors that may be making everyday activities more challenging.
Our occupational therapists use a combination of standardised assessments, clinical observations and parent interviews to gain a thorough understanding of your child's skills and participation. Depending on your child's needs, assessments may explore areas such as fine and gross motor skills, sensory processing, visual perception, executive functioning, self-care, play, handwriting or school readiness.
Following the assessment, we'll discuss the findings with you, answer your questions and provide practical recommendations tailored to your child's strengths, goals and everyday life. Where appropriate, we can also recommend whether ongoing occupational therapy or other supports may be beneficial.
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A Functional Capacity Assessment (FCA) provides a comprehensive picture of your child's strengths, support needs and everyday participation. These assessments are commonly completed to support NDIS access, plan reviews and funding requests, helping to clearly explain how your child's disability impacts their daily life and the supports they require.
Our assessments explore how your child participates across home, school and the community, considering areas such as communication, motor skills, learning, emotional regulation, self-care, social participation and independence. We also consider the environments around your child, the supports they currently receive and the wellbeing of the family.
Each assessment is tailored to your child and typically includes interviews with parents (and your child where appropriate), standardised assessments, clinical observations, collaboration with other professionals and a detailed written report with practical, evidence-informed recommendations for future supports and intervention.
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As students move into high school, the demands of written work, organisation and examinations increase significantly. Our occupational therapists assess the functional skills required for successful participation in secondary school and can provide recommendations to support learning, independence and examination performance.
Where appropriate, we complete assessments to support applications for NESA disability provisions for examinations, including the Higher School Certificate (HSC). These assessments consider how a student's functional difficulties—such as handwriting, motor skills, processing speed or other factors—may impact their ability to demonstrate their knowledge in examination settings. We work collaboratively with families and schools to provide comprehensive reports and recommendations that support the application process.
Want to learn more?
We would be delighted to hear from you.
Our team will contact you within 1-2 days to discuss how we can help.
