OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY

At Hunter Functional Health, our Occupational Therapists are dedicated to fostering meaningful engagement at home, school, and beyond, helping children thrive and reach their full potential.

We offer safe and effective paediatric Occupational Therapy for children and families, providing strategies and therapy that delivers impactful results.

 

ASSESSMENT

Our assessments provide a detailed understanding of your child’s strengths and challenges across sensory, motor, emotional, and cognitive domains.

Using evidence-based tools, parent/carer interviews, and clinical observations, we evaluate key areas such as sensory processing, retained reflexes, motor skills, and social-emotional development.

Our tools include balance assessments, sensory and social skills profiles, and tests for motor proficiency and visual-motor integration. These insights enable us to design targeted interventions that support your child’s development, enhance independence, and help them reach their full potential.

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY

Our Occupational Therapy sessions are tailored to help children build essential skills and overcome challenges in a fun and engaging way.

Focusing on areas such as self-care, school readiness, social skills, and gross and fine motor development, we support children with a wide range of needs, including retained reflexes, sensory issues, emotional regulation, focus, impulse control, and more.

Our approach combines brain-based therapy with exercise and movement, incorporating innovative tools and technology

This approach allow us to tailor dynamic sessions to each child to ensure children stay engaged and challenged in therapy.

our difference

We combine brain-based therapy with exercise and movement, incorporating innovative tools and technology to create fun, engaging, and effective therapy experiences.

By identifying brain imbalances and tailoring our approach, we help children build essential skills, improve their capacity, and achieve measurable progress—all while enjoying the process.

 

EXERCISE & MOVEMENT

We use exercise and movement combined with brain-based therapy to support children’s development in a holistic and engaging way.

Our approach focuses on:

Sensory Integration: Enhancing the brain’s ability to process and respond to sensory input through purposeful movement activities.

Emotional Regulation: Using exercise to help children manage emotions, reduce anxiety, and improve focus and self-control.

Motor Skills Development: Strengthening gross and fine motor coordination through structured and playful movement.

Planning and Sequencing: Improving a child’s ability to organise and execute multi-step tasks for better problem-solving and daily functioning.

Retained Reflex Integration: Addressing primitive reflexes that may interfere with learning, behaviour, and motor skills to support smoother development.

By integrating movement into therapy, we create engaging, impactful sessions that support growth and empower children to reach their full potential.

INNOVATIVE TOOLS & TECHNOLOGY

We leverage cutting-edge tools and technology to create fun, engaging, and effective therapy experiences.

By incorporating innovative devices, we help children build essential skills and develop their capacity in a way that feels like play while delivering real, measurable progress.

Our approach includes:

Reaction Lights: Enhancing reaction time, coordination, and focus through dynamic, light-based challenges.

Laser-Guided Proprioceptive Feedback Therapy: Supporting body awareness, balance, and movement precision with targeted, feedback-driven exercises.

Virtual Reality (VR) Technology: Immersive experiences that promote sensory integration, emotional regulation, planning, and problem-solving in an exciting and controlled environment.

These tools allow us to challenge children in creative ways, tailoring therapy to their individual needs while making each session enjoyable and impactful.

 

HOW DOES IT WORK?

From thorough assessments to dynamic therapy plans, we partner with children and families to create practical strategies tailored to each child’s unique developmental and functional needs.

  • We offer complimentary 15-minute phone consultations with an Occupational Therapist to discuss whether Occupational Therapy is right for your child.

    You can request a call back here.

  • Duration: 2 hours (+2 hours reporting)
    Cost: $780

    Initial Assessment (conducted over 2 × 1 hour sessions) includes parent/carer interview, observation, standardised assessments and/ or non-standardised assessments such as neuro-motor testing, sensory, visual and fine/gross motor assessment and balance assessment.

    We use assessments to determine your child’s current level of functioning, their strengths and weaknesses and how they manage on a day-to-day basis. We can then identify any challenges or gaps that may need to be addressed with therapy and other strategies.

    From here, you will be provided with a comprehensive report outlining, assessment outcomes and recommendations for your child’s therapy plan.

    Includes 2 hour assessment (in-clinic) and a comprehensive report.

    If a comprehensive report is not required, the initial assessment cost is $580.

    Book an initial assessment at our clinic online, or call us on 0466 074 208.

  • Duration: 1 hour
    Cost: $225

    A session for parent/s only, in-clinic or via telehealth.

    This session is designed to provide an explanation of assessment findings, identify goals, establish or update treatment plans and discuss home-based or other intervention strategies.

  • Duration: 1 hour
    Cost: $225

    Programs typically run in 6-12 week blocks (weekly or fortnightly) depending on your child’s needs, followed by regular progress reviews.

    Sessions involve a combination of exercise and movement therapy along with brain-based therapy to engage and challenge children to build their capacity.

We work with Plan and Self-managed NDIS, private health and Medicare plans.

Additional testing, case conferencing and progress reporting are available upon request.

 
 

IS MY CHILD READY FOR SCHOOL?

Preparing your child for the transition to school can be daunting. As children age – and the demands on them within the school, home and social environment increase – any comparative delays and difficulties become more evident.

 

SCHOOL READINESS

School readiness goes beyond simply reaching a certain age—it involves the development of critical skills that support a child’s ability to engage, learn, and thrive in a school environment.

A child needs the physical abilities to sit still, pay attention, use writing tools, and follow a line of print without losing their place. These skills are deeply connected to motor development, postural control, and sensory processing.

The school setting brings increased demands in areas such as:

Independence
Emotional Regulation
Sensory Processing
Learning and Handwriting
Social Skills
Fine and Gross Motor Skills
Focus and Attention
Behaviour Management

Starting school is a significant transition for both children and parents, often bringing new challenges.

If your child struggles with any of the above areas, the shift to a structured school environment may feel overwhelming. This can affect their ability to learn, build friendships, and fully enjoy the experience of school.

Our Occupational Therapists provide targeted support to help children develop the skills they need to confidently transition to school and succeed in this new chapter of their lives.

 

REACHING MILESTONES

Our experienced team works with children and adults to address developmental delays and disabilities, offering tailored therapy to foster progress and independence.

DEVELOPMENTAL DELAYS

Developmental milestones track changes in babies as they learn to move, see, hear, communicate and interact with others.

While children reach these milestones at their own pace, some may progress more quickly than others—even siblings in the same family can develop at different rates.

There are four main types of developmental delays: cognitive, sensorimotor, speech and language (the most common), and socio-emotional delays. While minor, temporary delays are often no cause for concern, ongoing or multiple delays may indicate challenges that could affect learning, communication, and social interaction later in life.

Occupational Therapists provide tools and strategies to address developmental delays, helping to remove barriers and support growth. If you’re concerned about your child’s development, speak to your GP, pediatrician, or an Occupational Therapist for guidance.

Falling outside the normal range isn’t always cause for concern, but if you’re concerned about your baby’s development, talk to your GP, paediatrician or Occupational Therapist.

We provide therapy, tools and strategies to help remove barriers and improve development.

To find out more give us a call on 0466 074 208.

 

RETAINED REFLEXES

Retained reflexes can impact a child’s ability to learn & interact with the world around us. Reflexes that do not integrate successfully can lead to developmental delays.

PRIMITIVE REFLEXES

Before a baby is born, and during early life, the brainstem has several reflexes called ‘primitive’ or ‘neonatal’ reflexes. Your baby's initial movements are reflex-based – predictable, repetitive, and subject to specific incoming stimuli. These reflexes help the baby to grow properly and safely.

As the child grows, these reflexes are no longer needed. Reflexes that persist path the initial years of life may affect development, motor control, sensory processing, learning opportunities and behaviour.

Infant reflexes that do not integrate successfully can lead to developmental delays.

Retained reflexes contribute to issues such as; balance and coordination, sensory perception, impulse control and concentration, fine motor skills, sleep, immunity, energy levels, and all levels of social, emotional, and academic learning.

SIGNS OF RETAINED NEOTATAL REFLEXES

  • Poor impulse control

  • Fidgeting, easily distracted

  • Poor dexterity

  • Interrupted eye tracking

  • Toe walking

  • Motion sickness

  • Difficulty changing gaze from far to near

  • Poor posture

  • Hypersensitive (or under-sensitivity) to sensory stimuli like light and sound and touch

  • Overreacts

  • Impulsive and aggressive

  • Emotional immaturity

  • Withdrawn or timid and shy

If you think your child has retained primitive reflexes that may be contributing to behaviour issues and/or academic challenges, talk to your Paediatrician or Occupational Therapist.

Our Occupational Therapists work with children and parents to provide assessment, tools and strategies to identify and integrate retained reflexes.

To find out more give us a call on 0466 074 208.

Occupational Therapist Aaron discusses retained neonatal reflexes in this video.

 

MEET OUR TEAM

Our experienced team is dedicated to providing effective and neurodiversity-affirming support for children as they build they core functional skills essential for their development.

ABRAHAM TEDJAKUSUMA

OCCUPATIONAL
THERAPIST

B.H.Sc., M.OccThy

Abraham is an AHPRA (Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency) registered Occupational Therapist graduating from the University of Sydney.

He is a strong advocate of a multidisciplinary therapy team approach, having completed his Bachelor in Exercise and Health Science prior to obtaining his Masters in Occupational Therapy.

Abraham’s focus is improving the quality of life of both children and adults, through a client-centred approach to therapy. He has a strong interest in the neurodevelopmental challenges faced by children and their families, working specifically with kids with developmental delays, retained primitive reflexes, and sensory processing issues.

AARON HENNESSY

(OWNER) OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST  
TITLED SPORTS & EXERCISE CHIROPRACTOR (AICE)

B.ChSc., M.Chiro., ICSSD(FICS)., M.OccThy

Aaron is one of the few dual-qualified Sports Chiropractors and Occupational Therapists working in Australia.

Drawing on these dual-modalities, Aaron brings a unique perspective to assessment and treatment for his clients.

Aaron has a keen focus on integrating exercise and movement with paediatric neurodevelopment to help kids improve focus, behaviour and enhance learning opportunities.

He specifically cares for children with musculoskeletal issues, core/postural control concerns, developmental delays, sensory processing issues, retained neonatal reflexes and self-regulation issues.

 
 
 

Getting started

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Contact us on 0466 074 208 or click the button below.