Some days they can.
Some days they
can't.
The same child, the same skill, a different day — capacity shifts, and it's rarely about willpower. Since 2003, Kids World has helped neurodivergent kids across Sydney's lower north shore through relationship-based occupational therapy that works out why, not just what to do about the behaviour.
Occupational therapy since 2003 DIR®/Floortime practice NDIS & Medicare
since 2003
Two decades of one thing, done properly.
Since 2003
More than 20 years of paediatric OT from the same Lane Cove practice.
DIR®/Floortime
A whole team built around the relationship-based developmental model, not a bolt-on technique.
Profectum Assistant Faculty
Our founder trains and mentors other clinicians in DIR/Floortime, in Australia and internationally.
7 occupational therapists
A stable, senior team, all trained in-house in the same approach.
You've been told what your child does. You want to know why.
Most parents who find us have already been handed a list of behaviours to manage — and a strategy that works one day and falls apart the next. That's not failure. Capacity moves with stress, fatigue, big feelings, transitions, sensory load and how safe a child feels. When you understand the why, the "what to do" finally makes sense.
Same skill, different day
Progress that vanishes under stress or change isn't lost. It's a capacity that needs the right support to hold.
Behaviour is a message
We look underneath the behaviour at what a child is actually managing, instead of trying to switch it off.
You're part of it
The people who spend the most time with your child are the ones we coach, so the work doesn't stay locked in the therapy room.
Occupational therapy built around your child
One discipline, done with depth. Every service below runs on the same DIR®/Floortime foundation — meet the child where they are, build from there.
Individual therapy sessions
Weekly one-hour sessions using the DIR®/Floortime model, tailored to where your child is developmentally and emotionally.
Comprehensive OT evaluation
A two-hour initial assessment with a written report — a clear developmental picture and a plan, not a label.
Social setting sessions
Small peer groups matched by developmental level, where social and emotional skills are practised in real interaction.
Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP)
An evidence-informed auditory program, run in-clinic and at home, to help a nervous system feel calm enough to engage.
School-holiday intensives
Focused holiday programs across social & communication, mobility development and self-management, so momentum doesn't stall over the break.
Functional capacity assessments
Thorough assessments of how a child manages everyday life, for families and funding bodies who need the full picture.
We follow the child's lead — because that's where the growth is
DIR®/Floortime (developed by Drs Greenspan and Wieder) builds skills through relationship and play rather than drill and compliance. It's the model our whole practice is built on — and our founder, Georgina Ahrens, is Assistant Faculty with the US-based Profectum Foundation, training other clinicians in it.
2003
- 1
Get the full picture
We start with a comprehensive evaluation: how your child plays, connects, regulates and manages their day.
- 2
Meet them where they are
Therapy follows your child's interests and developmental level, building capacity from a place of trust rather than pressure.
- 3
Coach the people around them
We bring parents and carers into the work, so progress carries into home, school and everyday life.
Led by Georgina Ahrens (OT, Profectum Assistant Faculty), with a team of seven occupational therapists trained in-house in the same approach.
The questions parents ask first
Still not sure if we're the right fit? Call (02) 9418 9995 and we'll talk it through — no pressure.
Do we need a referral to start?
No referral is needed to book privately. If you're using a Medicare care plan you'll need a referral from your GP, and we're happy to talk you through what that involves before you commit to anything.
What funding can we use?
We work with NDIS self-managed and plan-managed participants, Medicare care plans (including Chronic Condition, Mental Health and Complex Neurodevelopmental Disorder plans), and we're recognised by the major private health funds. We'll help you work out what applies to your family.
What ages and children do you work with?
We work with neurodivergent children — including autism, sensory processing differences, dyspraxia and developmental differences. If you're not sure whether we're the right fit, an initial consult is the best way to find out.
What actually is DIR®/Floortime?
It's a relationship-based developmental model that builds a child's skills through play and connection rather than compliance. Instead of managing behaviour from the outside, it works from the inside out — which is why it holds up when a child is stressed or having a hard day.
Can you help over school holidays?
Yes. Our school-holiday intensive programs are designed to keep momentum going when the routine changes, with focused blocks across social & communication, mobility and self-management.
How do we get started?
Book an initial consult by phone. We'll listen to what's going on for your child, explain how we'd approach it, and only move ahead when it feels right for your family.
Let's understand your child together
If you've been managing behaviour without ever getting the why, that's exactly where we start. Book an initial consult and let's have a proper conversation about your child.
Call Kids World on (02) 9418 9995 — Lane Cove, Sydney