Key Takeaways
- Parent participation is a core, evidence-based part of paediatric occupational therapy, not an optional. Multiple studies show it improves children's daily performance, motor skills, and participation in everyday life.
- Online OT makes parent involvement easier, not harder. Because sessions happen at home, therapists can coach parents through real routines as they actually happen, rather than recreating them in a clinic room.
- The benefits go both ways. Parent coaching also improves parents' own confidence and reduces their stress, which flows back into better outcomes for the child.
What does parent participation in occupational therapy actually mean?
In paediatric OT, parent participation doesn't mean sitting quietly and watching. It means the occupational therapist works with you, not just with your child, teaching you the strategies, cues, and techniques used in session so you can carry them into daily life.
This approach has a name in the research: parent coaching. Instead of the therapist doing all the "fixing" during a session and hoping it materialises, they guide you through collaborative problem-solving to find strategies that fit your family's actual routines, then support you to put them into practice yourself.
A paper called The effectiveness of parent participation in occupational therapy for children with developmental delay looked at what happens when parents are more actively involved in their child’s OT. It found that children showed improvements across areas like language, motor skills, social skills and self-care, showing just how valuable parent involvement can be in therapy.
Why this matters more, not less, online
Because online sessions happen in your own home, the therapist can coach you through real, everyday moments as they unfold: getting dressed, handling cutlery at the kitchen table, managing a meltdown in the actual space it happens.
That's difficult to replicate in a clinic, where a therapist only ever sees a snapshot of your child's world.
Benefits for your child
- Skills generalise faster: strategies practised in real routines, rather than isolated clinic exercises, are more likely to stick.
- More frequent practice: a weekly session becomes dozens of small practice moments across the week, guided by what you learned in therapy.
- Therapy in context: the therapist sees your child's actual environment, actual triggers, and actual daily challenges, not a simulated version of them.
Benefits for parents
- Confidence: coaching builds your own skill set, so you're not relying on someone else to "fix" things during a 45-minute window each week.
- Reduced stress: feeling equipped to support your child, rather than watching from the sidelines, can help lower parental stress.
How parent involvement changes as your child grows
| Age group | What parent involvement looks like |
|---|---|
| Under 5 | Parent coaching is central. The therapist works mainly through you, building strategies into everyday routines like mealtimes, dressing, and play. |
| Primary school (5–12) | A blend: your child engages more directly with the therapist, while you're briefed on strategies to reinforce between sessions. |
| Teenagers (13+) | Your child takes the lead in sessions, with parent involvement often limited to a brief handover, supporting appropriate independence. |
How to access online occupational therapy through the NDIS
NDIS occupational therapy is typically funded under Capacity Building - Improved Daily Living.
Both self-managed and plan-managed participants can access online OT through any provider Australia-wide, not just those local to you. This can often mean shorter waitlists and a better match for your child's specific needs.
MyCareSpace can help you find a qualified online occupational therapist with current availability and experience in parent coaching approaches.
MyCareSpace resources may be shared provided they are credited to MyCareSpace with backlinks to the original resource.
