Occupational therapy for children

Children and Young People's Occupational therapy continue to accept new referrals, however there may be a waiting period for an appointment, whilst normal service gradually resumes.

The Children and Young Poeple's Occupational therapy service may offer virtual appointments (e.g. telephone consultation and/or video consultation). In a few instances face to face appointments may be offered. We will work closely with you to meet your child's and family's needs in the best way possible.

If you have any queries or want advice in relation to your child’s condition you can contact the Children’s Complex Care and Speech and Language Therapy Administration Hub on 0207 266 8864​. This phone line will be open 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday.

You can call this number if you want to get in touch with any of the following services:

• Woodfield road Child Development Service including Psychology
• CLCH Children's Community Nursing
• CLCH Paediatric Nutrition and Dietetics
• CLCH Occupational Therapy
• CLCH Speech and Language Therapy
• Imperial Children's Physiotherapy

Here are some programmes to practice at home.  If your child’s difficulties continue contact us for a referral.

Programmes and Support

Dressing

• Learning to do up fasteners
• Learning to do shoelaces
• Learning to get dressed

Feeding

• Learning to use a spoon
• Setting up a mealtime
• Working towards new foods – food chaining
• Learning to use a knife & fork

Handwriting & hand skills

• Setting up for handwriting
• Letter formation
• Pencil grasp and hand strengthening
• Pencil pressure
• Scissor skills
• Pre-writing multisensory programme

Toileting

• Bottom wiping programme
• Steps to toilet training
• Toilet training books, songs and apps
• Toilet training considerations

Gross Motor skills

• Fine motor skills
• Gross Motor skills

Our team:

• Danielle Rabin
• Gemma Garvey 
• Stef Cadney-Tribe
• Natasha Stone
• Feyza Alcicek
• Shandae Simons
• Hannah Carver
• Morgann Bruce
• Eleanor O’Riordan
• Zakiya Lang
• Leora Blitz
• Bernadette Ford
• Hannah Vine

Children and Young People's Occupational therapy (CYPOT) works across Hammersmith and Fulham, Kensington and Chelsea, and Westminster. The team is currently based at:

The Medical Centre
7e Woodfield Road
London
W9 3XZ

If you have any queries or want advice in relation to your child's condition you can contact the Children's Complex care and Speech and Language Therapy Administration Hub on 0207 266 8864. This phone line is open from 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday.

CYPOT works with children and adolescents from 0 to 19 years of age who have a GP within the City of Westminster, Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea, or Hammersmith & Fulham. Referrals are accepted from parents, health and education professionals (e.g. GP's, Paediatricians, Allied Health professionals and school SENCO's).

A referral to CYPOT will be considered when there is a concern regarding the child's ability to participate in the following areas:

• Play/leisure

• Self-care/Independence

• Participation in school life

The referral form must identify at least two functional concerns, such as difficulty using cutlery, organising books for school, dressing, riding their bike, making breakfast/light snacks, participating in PE lessons or sporting activities, handling play items (e.g. building with Lego) or using school tools (such as scissors and pencils). The definition of function is 'age-appropriate daily activities'.

The referral needs to specify how the difficulties impact on the child/young person's ability to perform daily activities (e.g. because of difficulties with dressing, the child misses the beginning of PE lessons; because of difficulties handling toys, the child is delayed in their play and self-care skills). Please note we do not accept referrals that state "fine motor difficulties", "sensory processing difficulties", or "Developmental Coordination Disorder/Dyspraxia diagnosis". These referrals will be returned to the referrer.

We do not accept referrals for purely handwriting difficulties in the absence of other functional concerns. If a child has handwriting issues but no other difficulties, we would expect a school to provide handwriting intervention.

Additional content and information

• Information about how occupational therapists work with children and young people can be found online.

• Royal College of Occupational Therapists (professional body)

Other websites that may be useful in assisting children and young people to learn through play include:

Therapy fun zone - set up by an occupational therapist to share activity ideas, and encourage you to share yours in order to keep the creativity stimulated if you are helping your child to develop their skills.

Therapy Street for Kids and OT Plan - provide ideas for activities you and your OT are working towards.

ERIC - provides resources to help improve the quality of life of children, young people, and their families in the UK who are affected by wetting and soiling problems, in order to help them manage or overcome these issues.

Groups and extra-curricular activities for children and young adults

• Special Yoga Centre

Sport and physical activity opportunities that have a positive impact on disabled people's lives:

• Westminster

• Kensington and Chelsea

Parent support groups

• Parents Active (Hammersmith & Fulham)

• Full of Life (Kensington and Chelsea)

• Make it happen (Westminster)