There is a Grattan Institute piece circulating this week about how Australian employers misunderstand the value of workers with disability — seeing inclusion as a cost rather than a contribution. It is worth sitting with that, because it connects directly to what occupational therapy is actually for.
For many of the young people our therapist works with, the goal was never just handwriting or getting through a school day. It was the longer arc — building the skills, routines, and confidence that make participation in adult life possible. Work is part of that picture. Community is part of that picture.
When our therapist visits a child at home, then follows up at school, then checks in with a family about how a strategy is carrying across settings — that consistency matters precisely because development does not happen in a single session. It builds across time, across contexts, with someone who knows the child well enough to notice what is shifting.
The conversation about disability employment tends to focus on employers. But the groundwork starts much earlier — in kitchens, classrooms, and backyards, with families working on the everyday skills that make independence possible over time.
General information only. Not personal advice. Speak with your NDIS planner, support coordinator, or allied health provider for advice specific to your situation.
For families thinking about the longer picture — what skills or goals feel most important to you right now, beyond the immediate therapy targets?
