Blog

11 Mar 2022

Providing Occupational Therapy for Children Living with Disability in Brisbane

Xavier supports children and young people living with disability through our range of services. One of these is Occupational Therapy which we can provide either through home visits or at one of our many clinics across Brisbane. Xavier has been providing support for children living with disability for over 70 years and in this time our multidisciplinary approach has helped children to live the best lives possible with their families and in their communities.

You may hear “Occupational Therapy” and think of physical rehabilitation for a workplace injury. However, our Occupational Therapy refers to helping children who live with disability improve the skills they require to complete everyday tasks, including getting dressed, personal care, or using modern technologies. The final result is happier, more independent life for your child.

What is Occupational Therapy?

Xavier’s team of Occupational Therapists are dedicated to supporting children living with disabilities and their families, and helping them get more happiness and independence out of their lives. Our Occupational Therapists help children living with disability develop the skills which all children need to complete everyday tasks, helping them become more self-sufficient, more confident, and more social with their friends, schoolmates, and even their own families.

With either a visit to support your child from the comfort of their own home or to one of our many Brisbane clinics, our university trained and qualified Occupational Therapists can help your child with:

  • Utilising mobility equipment and modern technology around the house
  • Developing small muscles and refining their fine motor skills
  • Dressing themselves
  • Using items in the bathroom, including going to the toilet and washing themselves
  • Improving their hand-eye coordination
  • Making new friends and strengthening relationships with existing ones
  • Overall, boosting their self-confidence and becoming more active in social situations

Through support form Xavier’s Occupational Therapists, you will see an increase to your child’s quality of life. Occupational Therapy makes it easier for children to meet their own needs and for you to support them in turn. Ultimately this leads to a happier, more supportive life for not only your child but also for your entire family.

Funding Occupational Therapy for your child

If you would like assistance paying for your child’s Occupational Therapy, Xavier, along with our sister organisation InFocus, can help you access funding through the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). The NDIS provides financial assistance for support which is deemed either reasonable or necessary to help children living with disability.

Reasonable refers to things which all people should have fair access to, and necessary are those supports which are absolutely needed to manage your child’s disability. It may well be that Occupational Therapy falls into one of these categories. Whether this is your first time seeking funding or you are already a participant and would like to make changes to the therapy your child receives, we’re here to help you get the support you need for your child.

Where you can find Xavier’s Occupational Therapists

Xavier supports children living with disability all across Brisbane through a variety of different therapies. To seek Occupational Therapy for your child or for any of our other services, you can speak to someone at one of our many locations:

  • Chermside West
  • Ipswich
  • Logan
  • North Brisbane
  • Scarborough
  • South Brisbane
  • Springfield Lakes
  • Wooloowin

Xavier’s Occupational Therapists can also provide home visits for your child, supporting them in the comfort of their own home and incorporating their family and existing care team into their therapy.

Find out more

For more information on how Xavier’s Occupational Therapy can support your child, simply call 1800 XAVIER or email intake@xavier.org.au and a member of our friendly team will be in touch with further information.