What is OT Week?
Every year, Occupational Therapy Australia (OTA) leads OT Week — a nationwide celebration of our profession. OT Week is more than a date on the calendar. It’s a chance to showcase the heart of what we do and start meaningful conversations in our communities, schools, and workplaces.
The 2025 theme, “This is Occupational Therapy in Action”, invites us to highlight the real, everyday impact of OT. It’s about showing the ways we enable participation, independence, and well-being across all areas of life.
OT Week is about:
🌟 Raising awareness – Helping the public understand how OTs support participation in meaningful daily activities.
🌟 Celebrating achievements – Sharing stories of the diverse places and people we work with.
🌟 Advocacy – Demonstrating the value of OT in health, education, disability, aged care, and community frameworks such as the NDIS.
This is Paediatric OT in Action
When people think of OT, they often picture rehabilitation after injury or adult disability support. But paediatric OT is a vital part of the profession—one that deserves the spotlight during OT Week.
This is paediatric occupational therapy in action:
Supporting children to build independence in daily activities like dressing, eating, toileting, and play.
Helping children develop motor skills—from crawling and handwriting to bike riding.
Using sensory processing and self-regulation strategies to guide emotional and behavioural regulation.
Strengthening executive function skills such as attention, planning, and memory.
Enabling participation in school, friendships, and social life, where confidence and belonging grow.
In paediatrics, OT isn’t about “fixing kids.” It’s about recognising each child’s strengths, supporting their challenges, and working alongside families, schools, and communities to create environments where children can thrive.
Why Highlight Paediatrics During OT Week?
🔹 Early Intervention is Powerful
OT input in the early years can have life-changing effects across a child’s lifetime. OT Week shines a light on the importance of early support.
🔹 Advocating for Neurodiversity
Paediatric OTs are leaders in neurodiversity-affirming practice. OT Week is our chance to show how inclusive approaches celebrate children’s strengths and appreciate the new and different ways they approach things.
🔹 Supporting Families
Caring for a child with developmental differences can feel overwhelming. OT Week is a reminder that families are not alone, and support exists to make daily life easier.
🔹 Building Stronger Communities
When children are supported to participate fully in school, sport, and play, the whole community benefits. This is OT in action — creating ripple effects that strengthen society as a whole.
How Can Families Get Involved?
OT Week isn’t only for professionals—it’s for everyone. Families can join in by:
✨ Sharing their OT story on social media with the hashtag #OTWeek2025.
✨ Sending a message of thanks to their OT.
✨ Talking with schools and teachers about the value of OT support.
✨ Attending local OT Week events, webinars, or open days.
✨ Celebrating their child’s progress with a special “OT Week Milestone Moment” (like riding a
bike, using a new tool, or joining in a game).
Final Thoughts
OT Week 2025 is an opportunity to pause, reflect, and celebrate the ways occupational therapy changes lives.
In paediatrics, that change is often found in the small, powerful victories — when a child independently ties their shoes, uses a strategy to calm themselves, joins a playground game, or feels confident enough to raise their hand in class.
From 27 October to 2 November, let’s celebrate these moments and share them with the world.
Because this is more than therapy—
This is Occupational Therapy in Action.
✨ Takeaway: OT Week is about more than professional recognition. It’s about shining a light on children, families, and communities — and reminding the world why paediatric OT matters.