Doutta Galla Community Health
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Mission Statement

Doutta Galla provides high quality, culturally appropriate and accessible primary, community and mental health services with a particular focus on the most vulnerable and disadvantaged in the cities of Melbourne and Moonee Valley.
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Mother and child playing at the North Melbourne Community Centre Open Day

Paediatric occupational therapy

Paediatric occupational therapy is a health profession that offers support and advice to parents of children who are having difficulties in their everyday living skills. For a child, everyday occupations include: play and leisure activities, self care, kinder related tasks eg, drawing, puzzles, cutting, etc.

Who is eligible for the Paediatric Occupational Therapy service?

The eligibility criteria for this service is consistent with the other Doutta Galla Children’s Therapy service criteria ie,

  • Pre-school aged children only
  • Child is not currently on a waiting list for Early Intervention services
  • Child does not have a diagnosis of Developmental Delay, Autism, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy or any other physical disability
  • Child and/or family live, work or attend kinder/crèche within the city of Moonee Valley or City of Melbourne. *

Who can refer to the service?

  • Parents
  • Paediatricians, General Practitioner’s
  • Kinder teachers, child care workers, pre-school field officers
  • Maternal and child health nurses, other health professionals (including those from Doutta Galla)

Skills assessed and treated by a Paediatric Occupational Therapist:

  • fine motor co-ordination (co-ordinated movement of fingers)
  • gross motor co-ordination (larger muscle groups)
  • bilateral co-ordination (use of two hands)
  • visual perception skills (ability to make sense of visual information)
  • body awareness (awareness of one’s own body and movement in space)
  • cognitive skills (planning, problem solving, organisation, memory)
  • sensory perception (how the body perceives different sensory information - touch, hearing, sight, pressure, taste)
  • attention and concentration

What to expect after initial contact is made?

Each child will initially attend a screening clinic to determine the child and family’s needs.

The service provided to each family is dependant on the individual needs identified by family and referrer eg, other health professionals, teachers etc.

It may include further assessments (in addition to screening clinic), home program, individual therapy sessions (block of 5 weeks at a time), group therapy programs, kinder/crèche visits, education to family and relevant others eg, teachers and review sessions.

The Paediatric Occupational Therapist works closely with other members of the children’s service team eg, speech pathologists, physiotherapists and family counsellor.

Is there a fee for the service?

There is a fee for the service depending on your family income:

Health Care Card Holders or family income less than $61,000 - no fee
Family income from $61,000 to $103,000 - $14
Family income more than $103,000 - $90

Group programs:
HCC or low income - no fee
All other families - $10

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