Sensory processing and integration refer to the complex way our nervous system receives and uses messages from our senses.  Sensory processing difficulties manifest themselves as:

•  difficulties in modulating one’s reactions

•  challenges in identifying specific sensory information

•  poor motor skills

At FUNdamentals OT, therapists support sensory integration through individualised movement programs using the key components of heavy work (pushing and pulling), deep pressure (hugs and squeezes) and linear movements (swinging), we can address the sensory needs of your child.

The sensory checklist may provide you with an indication if your child has difficulties with sensory processing.

Poor attention and concentration may be causing your child to have difficulties following instructions and completing tasks at home or at school. Their inattention may be caused by several reasons including:

•   sensory processing difficulties

•   poor visual and auditory processing skills

•   poor organisational skills.

We include strategies to support attention and concentration in most therapy sessions.

Request the checklist to determine if your child could benefit from strategies to improve their attention and concentration.

Fine motor skills are coordinated movements of the hands and eyes required to manipulate tools and objects. Development of these skills enables us to perform small precise movements quickly and smoothly. Interventions involving games, creative play and exercises can assist your child if they experience difficulty with fine motor skills.

Request the checklist to see if your child would benefit from support in fine motor development.

Fluent handwriting, well-developed writing skills and the ability to generate ideas are all important skills in the writing process.

Dependent on your child’s needs, we offer

•   Handwriting support with a focus on the mechanics of writing.
•   Support in skill development including grammar, spelling and ideas generation.
•   Evidence based programs in writing and spelling, as recommended by the Dyslexia Speld Foundation, are the basis for intervention.

Request the checklist to see if your child would benefit from support in developing handwriting or writing skills.

Visual perception is the skill that enables us to see and understand the world around us. Good visual perceptual skills are necessary for everyday activities like finding your socks in a drawer, finding our way around buildings and judging the depth of a step.

Visual motor skills combine visual perceptual skills with fine motor skills and is important for handwriting development.

Developing visual processing skills is usually done in conjunction with other intervention programs and may include

•   Fine motor activities and games
•   Handwriting, drawing and copying
•   Gross motor games to develop hand-eye coordination

Request the checklist to see if your child would benefit from support in visual processing.

Auditory processing is the ability of our brain to help us understand the sounds we hear. If your child experiencing auditory processing difficulties they may have difficulty distinguishing between sounds in words, even when the sounds are loud and clear enough. This may result in poor listening skills, difficulty with language comprehension or auditory sensory sensitivities.

In addition to incorporating auditory processing skills development into therapy sessions, we offer two music-based programs to support auditory processing.

•   Therapeutic Listening
•   Integrated Listening System home program

Would your child benefit from support in auditory processing? Request the checklist to see.

Gross motor skills involve the large body muscles and whole-body movements. They are necessary for the everyday activities of walking, running, jumping and sitting up-right. Gross motor skills include postural control, core strength and hand-eye coordination activities such as throwing, catching and kicking.

Effective development of gross motor skills will enable your child to join in everyday play and sporting activities. It will also assist them in classroom activities since well-developed postural control is necessary to attend and complete to classroom instruction and successfully complete academic tasks.

All therapy sessions at FUNdamentals incorporate an element of gross motor development as your child engages in fun activities which encourage them to climb, swing, jump, throw and catch.

Request the checklist to see if your child would benefit from support in gross motor skill development.

Learning to perform basic self-care tasks such as dressing, teeth cleaning and using cutlery are important milestones on the journey towards independence. While many children learn these skills in a typical manner, your child may be experiencing difficulties in learning to do things for themselves. We can assist you help your child learn the important self-care skills they need to function in daily life.

Request the checklist to see where your child may be missing important self-care skills.

Through play, your child learns to make sense of the world they live in. It is also the primary way for them to develop physical coordination, emotional maturity, social and cognitive skills. Therapy sessions at FUNdamentals Occupational Therapy are play-based and encourage the development of age appropriate play skills.

Request the checklist to determine if your child has developed the play skills appropriate for their age.

Developing communication and play skills are fundamental for effective social skills. We offer support in social skills teaching through individual or small group sessions. Interventions make use of programs such as Zones of Regulation, Superflex and Highway Heroes.

Interactive, play-based sessions focus on

•   Social development: how to be friendly and make friends

•   Emotional development: understanding of feelings and how it impacts on ones’ behaviour and relationships with others

•   Sensory and emotional regulation: developing the tools of self-regulation in order to manage emotions and impulse