Parent support & coaching · Lane Cove
Parent Support and Coaching
Practical strategies and gentle guidance, so you feel more confident supporting your child every day.
- Members of Occupational Therapy Australia
Support for the everyday
It is the end of another long day, and you find yourself wondering whether you handled that mealtime, that meltdown, or that morning routine the right way. You do not need to have all the answers on your own. Parent support at OT Kids Academy gives you practical strategies and gentle guidance from paediatric occupational therapists, so you feel more confident supporting your child every day.
A partnership
You Know Your Child Best
Therapy does not only happen in the clinic. The most powerful moments often happen at home, at the dinner table, during play and in the everyday ups and downs of family life. That is why we work alongside you as a partner, not just with your child.
Parent coaching is built on a simple idea: you are the constant in your child's life, and you know them better than anyone. Our role is to share knowledge, practical strategies and a bit of reassurance, so the skills practised in sessions can carry over into your daily routine. When you feel supported and confident, your whole family feels the benefit.
What it looks like
What Parent Support
Looks Like
We offer a mix of structured courses and one-to-one coaching, available online or in person, so you can choose what suits your family. Whatever the focus, our support is:
Practical
Real strategies you can use in everyday moments, not just theory.
Collaborative
Shaped around your child's strengths and your family's priorities.
Flexible
Available online or face to face, to fit around busy family life.
Judgement-free
A calm, supportive space to ask questions and share what is happening at home.
Courses & coaching
Our Parent Courses and Coaching
Below are the parent support options we currently offer. If you are not sure
which one fits, you are welcome to get in touch and we will help you find the
right starting point.
Learn to Play
Learn to Play is a therapy approach that supports young children with attention, problem solving, social communication and shared attention. Across eight sessions over eight weeks, the course helps you understand your child's play, why pretend play matters, and how you can be a play partner at home. Play is how children make sense of their world, and it lays foundations for later skills like storytelling and problem solving. The theory is delivered online in video format at your own pace, and you also have access to four 30-minute sessions with an occupational therapist (two hours in total) to talk through your child and the practical side of putting Learn to Play into action at home.
Transition to Kindy
Starting school is a big step, and this workshop is designed to help you feel prepared and confident. In a relaxed, small-group setting, you will come away with a practical preparation checklist, tools like social stories and a one-page profile to communicate your child's needs to their school, and sensory strategies to help your child feel comfortable in the classroom. The workshop is led by Leona Brennan, Occupational Therapist, alongside Sarah Waugh, an experienced parent who shares practical advice on choosing a school and navigating the options, from mainstream classrooms to support units and special schools.
Parent Coaching for Feeding Difficulties
Mealtimes can be a source of real stress, whether your child is a picky eater or experiences sensory sensitivities around food. Our occupational therapists offer one-to-one coaching to help you understand your child's feeding journey and approach mealtimes with practical, personalised strategies. Together we work towards calmer, more positive mealtime experiences and gently support your child to build their confidence with food. Coaching is available online or in person, whichever suits you.
Parent Coaching for Emotional Regulation
When your child is navigating big emotions, challenging behaviour or sensory processing difficulties, it can affect everyone at home. Our one- to-one coaching helps you understand what is going on for your child and gives you practical techniques to support them. We cover emotional regulation strategies, approaches to challenging behaviour across school, friendships, play and home, and ways to create asensory-friendly environment. Sessions are available online or face to face, shaped around your child's strengths and your family's needs.
Day to day
How Parent Support Helps Day to Day
Good support is the kind you can actually use. Parent coaching aims to help you:
Feel more confident
Approach everyday challenges with practical tools and a clearer understanding.
Understand your child
Make sense of behaviour, sensory needs and emotions.
Carry over progress
Extend the strategies from therapy into home routines.
Reduce daily stress
Find calmer ways through mealtimes, transitions and tricky moments.
Support the whole family
Create a more settled, connected home environment.
Why families choose us
Why Families Choose OT
Kids Academy
Experienced paediatric specialists
Our team focuses on children and teens, and is a member of Occupational Therapy Australia.
A neuroaffirming approach
We build on your child's strengths and interests, never deficit- focused.
Parents as partners
We listen to your concerns and shape support around your family.
Flexible delivery
Online or in person, to suit your routine.
Practical and play-based
Strategies designed for real, everyday family life.
Ready when you are
Ready to Feel More Confident?
You do not have to navigate the tricky moments alone. Whether you are interested
in a course or one-to-one coaching, or you are simply not sure where to start, get
in touch and our friendly team will help you find the right support for your family.
Get in touch
Send an enquiry and we will help you find the right starting point.
Call us: (02) 8040 0876
Talk it through with our friendly team on (02) 8040 0876.
Explore our services
See the full range of paediatric OT support we offer.
Parent Support Questions
Common questions about courses, coaching and getting started. Can't find yours? Our friendly team is happy to talk it through.
What is parent coaching in occupational therapy?
Parent coaching is a collaborative way of working where an occupational therapist shares knowledge, strategies and support directly with you, the parent. Rather than focusing only on sessions with your child, coaching helps you build practical skills and confidence to support your child in everyday life. Because you are with your child every day, the strategies you learn can make a real difference to home routines, play, mealtimes and managing big emotions.
Do parent support sessions happen online or in person?
Both. We offer parent support and coaching online and face to face, so you can choose what works best for your family and schedule. Our Learn to Play course delivers its theory online with video content you can watch at your own pace, plus one-to-one sessions with an occupational therapist. Feeding and emotional regulation coaching are also available either online or in person at our Lane Cove clinic.
What does the Learn to Play course involve?
Learn to Play runs across eight sessions over eight weeks and helps you understand and support your child's play. The theory is delivered online in video format, so you can work through it at your own pace. You also receive four 30-minute sessions with an occupational therapist (two hours in total) to discuss your child and the practical steps of using Learn to Play at home. The one-to-one time is tailored to your family's needs.
Who is the Transition to Kindy workshop for?
The Transition to Kindy workshop is for parents preparing their child to start school. It is especially helpful if you would like practical tools and guidance to make the move feel smoother. You will come away with a preparation checklist, communication tools like social stories and a one-page profile, and sensory strategies to help your child settle into the classroom. Please get in touch for the current workshop dates.
Can you help with my child's eating and mealtimes?
Yes. Our parent coaching for feeding difficulties supports families navigating picky eating, sensory sensitivities around food, and mealtime stress. An occupational therapist works with you to understand your child's feeding journey and offers practical, personalised strategies to encourage calmer, more positive mealtimes. The aim is to gently support your child to feel more comfortable with food, at a pace that suits them.
Do I need a diagnosis or referral to access parent support?
No. You do not need a diagnosis or a referral to access parent support or coaching. Many families reach out simply because they would like practical guidance with a particular challenge, such as play, feeding, emotions or starting school. If you are unsure whether parent support is right for you, you are welcome to contact us first and we can talk through your options.
How is parent coaching different from therapy for my child?
Therapy for your child involves the occupational therapist working directly with your child on their goals. Parent coaching focuses on you, equipping you with knowledge and strategies to support your child in everyday life. Many families use both, as the two work well together. Coaching helps the progress made in sessions carry over into home routines, so support continues between appointments.
How do I get started with parent support?
Getting started is easy. Contact our reception team by phone, email or through our website, and let us know what you are hoping for. We will talk through the options, whether that is a course or one-to-one coaching, and help you choose the right starting point for your family. For courses, our team will send you the relevant links and organise any one-to-one appointments.