About Us
Paediatric Occupational Therapy
Janine Painter Occupational Therapy Services was established in 1992 and provides services in both the Sutherland Shire and Lower North Shore of Sydney, and surrounding areas. The practice has continually grown with an excellent team of experienced therapists.
Our practice has a family focused approach to therapy, and our team of Occupational Therapists work with and support families to help their children and adolescents learn, develop skills, achieve their goals, and to develop their personal best.
“Helping children to achieve their full potential” is the focus of Janine and her team’s approach to therapy. By working with each child and their family, therapy can be individualised and tailored to suit each child so they can increase their skills, independence and self-confidence.
Janine has more than 35 years paediatric occupational therapy experience, initially helping children in public hospitals and community clinics with cerebral palsy and other developmental delays, then establishing her own private practice in 1992, focusing on therapy for children and their families.
Read Here for More About Janine Painter
Janine Painter has worked for almost 40 years in Sydney providing family focused paediatric occupational therapy.
Janine’s career started in the public health system in a paediatrics department, followed by working part time in a nursing home for severely physically and intellectually disabled children whilst also working in the early intervention clinics of the Spastic Centre of NSW. (now CP Alliance).
Janine then moved to working full time as the OT in charge of the early intervention clinics, then later as the Deputy Manager of the Early Intervention Clinics of the Spastic Centre of NSW. During this period, she continued to work with preschool and school aged children and their families.
After having her first child, Janine worked for a short period at a School for Special Purposes, then decided to establish a private practice so that she could balance her role as a mother whilst also continuing to assist children and their families with therapy.
The practice was established in 1992 in the Sutherland Shire and expanded to the Lower North Shore and continues to grow with an excellent team of experienced occupational therapists.
“Helping children to achieve their full potential” is the focus of Janine and her team’s approach to therapy. By working with each child and their family, therapy can be individualised and adapted to suit each child, so they can increase their skills, independence and self-confidence.
Throughout her career Janine has continued to attend many conferences and courses so that she is able to provide a wide variety of current therapy techniques for each child.
Janine has also presented many talks and courses including:
- Lecturer and tutor at Sydney University for a course on Neuromuscular Disorders
- School readiness
- Organisational skills for high school students
- Handwriting for high school students
- Occupational Therapy and your Child
- Visual perceptual skills
- Sensory processing
- Child Development and Occupational Therapy
All of our therapists are:
- Dedicated to working with children and their families.
- Experienced in paediatric occupational therapy, and continue to attend relevant courses to keep their skills up to date;
- AHPRA registered;
- Registered with Medicare for the Chronic Disease Management Plan, Items under the Helping Children with Autism and Items under the Better Start Initiative; and
Several team members are also registered with Medicare for Better Access to Mental Health Care Plans.
Who we Help
We work with children from birth through to students in Year 12. Our clients experience difficulties ranging from minimal co-ordination, attention and social difficulties through to specific difficulties associated with a variety of conditions such as:
- Autism spectrum disorders
- Learning difficulties
- Attention deficit disorders
- Developmental delays
- Intellectual disabilities
- Hypermobility
- Neurological conditions (e.g.: Cerebral Palsy, Head injuries) and
- Genetic disorders and syndromes (e.g.: Down Syndrome, Prader Willi Syndrome).
How we Help
We provide assessments, play based therapy and skills training to help our clients achieve developmental milestones, build self-confidence and increase their independence.
Some areas of development that we focus on are:
- Developing early infant play skills;
- Improving hand skills like drawing, scissor skills, handwriting, pencil grip and establishing a preferred hand;
- Boosting co-ordination, balance and ball skills;
- Teaching pre-academic early learning skills like counting, puzzle completion and knowing shapes and colours;
- Preparing students for school and high school readiness;
- Coaching daily living skills like dressing skills, mealtime skills, grooming and hygiene and increasing independence with daily chores
- Developing visual perceptual learning skills when students present with poor visual memory, they miss words when reading and/or still reverse words or letters;
- Improving sensory development (e.g.: reducing oversensitivity to textures of some clothing);
- Fostering increased attention, concentration and organisational skills.
- Teaching greater self-control of behaviour and emotions.
Assessments and reports are also provided to support requests for funding, and for special provisions during examinations.
