Hi, I'm Cindy, a registered Occupational Therapist based in Sydney, Australia. I have two children; Miss 19 years and Mr 15 years, who have taught me so much more than I could have imagined. I learn from them every day! Monte, our 5 year old yellow labrador helps me to complete my paperwork by keeping my feet warm and encourages me to take long daily walks.
I graduated from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Applied Science (Occupational Therapy) in 1998... almost 30 years! I have worked as a senior OT in the public sector (disability and community health) and in the private sector. I have had experience working with children all of all ages and a wide range of difficulties (including children with global developmental delays, cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorder, ADHD and specific learning difficulties). My main areas of interest are in handwriting skills and working with preschool-age children in developing their pre-writing skills!
I created and co-admin the Australian Paediatric Occupational Therapy Facebook, which currently has a membership of over 10 000 members from across Australia. Find this group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/359086877824768/
I work on client-centred principles of respect, connection, regulation before expectation, meeting sensory needs, active engagement and participation. The therapeutic use of self is very important to my practice to!
I am an advocate for incidental learning and finding opportunities to teach kids in everyday life. A simple walk around the block can be a lesson in colour and number recognition, counting, turn taking, waiting as well as gross motor opportunities for hopping, skipping or bike riding. I love finding ways to encourage a child's development in their natural environments.
I enjoy working creatively with children to see them reach their potential. Children often don't realise that they are learning when they are having fun and absorbed in an activity! I love sharing my ideas and as an OT and I am always creating new resources.
I also love supporting other occupational therapists with their clinical skills, providing supervision individually. I have presented about "The Just Right Challenge", "Therapeutic Use of Self" and "Executive Functioning Skills".
I value client-centred, compassionate, functional and playful OT practice!
I hope that Your Kids OT will be a source of creative ways to engage your kids in their learning and development, supporting professionals and parents in every day challenges.
Watch my "Hello You-Tube" video to "meet" me!
ABN: 84803478584 AHPRA OT REGISTRATION # OCC 0001765196 OT AUSTRALIA MEMBER
Your Kids OT website and blog
Your Kids OT is a website for parents, educators, therapists and anyone else interested in providing creative learning opportunities for kids. You will find Occupational Therapy terminology explained and information about how an OT can help your child. The website is organised so you can find activities according to skill, my homemade ideas including craft and recipes, reviews of products and apps. I recognize that children learn at their own pace and will achieve milestones at different ages. Your child may also be limited by a disability or illness. Any ages listed are to be used as a guide.
New articles are updated through the blog and distributed to those who subscribe. You can also follow Your Kids OT on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram or You-Tube Channel. Almost daily posts and reels are share on Instagram.
Resources are available from Your Kids OT shop which are instantly downloadable to use at home, in the classroom or clinic. The handwriting resources have been created in NSW Foundation Font. If you have any feedback or queries, please contact me here. Resources are also available via Teachers Pay Teachers.
Some colloborations and partnerships have included:
Do you live or attend school (childcare/preschool/school) within the Ryde Local Government Area (LGA) in Sydney? Your Kids OT is now available to visit your child at home or school for an individual Occupational Therapy assessment and therapy sessions. Find more information here. Occupational therapy supervision within Australia is now provided via online meeting. Contact Cindy for further information at [email protected] or via the contact form.
What is OT?
Occupational Therapy (OT) is a health profession concerned with promoting health and well being through occupation. The primary goal of OT is to enable people to participate in the activities of everyday life. For babies and children, their main occupation is play and this is how they learn about their bodies, objects around them, their environment and how to interact with these things and other people. Paediatric OTs help children to achieve developmental milestones (such as, fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination). Paediatric OTs educate and involve parents, carers, educators and others to facilitate learning and development. You can find out more information on the Occupational Therapy Australia website.
Disclaimer
The information on this site is general in nature and should be used for educational and entertainment purposes. The activities are safe for most children, however, you should consult an Occupational Therapist or health professional to address specific movement, sensory or other medical conditions. This blog does not replace formal therapeutic professional advice given by a health professional or medical practitioner.
Reviews and endorsements of products will only be made based on my expertise and personal opinion; and deemed worthy of such endorsement. The opinions shared in sponsored content will always be my own and not that of the advertising company or brand. Content, advertising space or posts will be clearly identified if paid, affiliated or sponsored. This website contains affiliate links in the form of advertising. This means that if you follow through with a purchase from these links, Your Kids OT will receive a percentage of the sale. Thank you for supporting Your Kids OT.
Your Kids OT undertakes to meet the requirements of the "Social Media Policy" as published by Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). Further information about this policy can be found here.
Copyright
All material on this site is copyright unless otherwise noted. Copying is a great form of flattery, however, please refer to information from this site with suitable acknowledgment and reference to www.yourkidsot.com. Please do not post an entire blog post on your blog or website. Thank you for this professional courtesy. If you are unsure, please contact me on [email protected] and ask directly!
Privacy
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Clipart
Most photographs found on this site have been taken by me and some photos have been used from Pixababy. I use graphics from My Cute Graphics and Canva. I have previously owned business use membership with "Classroom Clipart" which enabled me to use images in the sale of products, books and printables for commercial purposes.