Online occupational therapy for children
Yes, for many goals, but it works differently. Online, an occupational therapist coaches you through sensory strategies, handwriting, dressing, mealtimes and calming, in the room where your child struggles. Hands-on checks and specialist equipment still need an in-person visit.
- Each online session
- 45 min
- Who works with your child
- You, coached live
- Open to families in
- India, Australia, UAE
- Therapists
- RCI registered
What online occupational therapy helps with
For these goals, coaching at home is not a compromise. It is often where the work belongs.
- Sensory needsA sensory plan built around your real home, routines and triggers.
- Fine motor and handwritingPencil grip, handwriting, scissors, buttons and laces.
- Self-care routinesDressing, eating, brushing teeth and toileting, practised where they happen.
- Calming and regulationStrategies for big feelings, tried in the real moments they are needed.
- Ready for schoolPlay skills, attention and sitting at a table for longer.
- Setting up the spaceArranging the home or study corner so it helps your child.
Why OT can work better at home
Rather than working hands-on with your child, the therapist watches and coaches you through each strategy, using the toys, furniture and routines you already have.
A therapist watching your child try a real morning routine in a real bedroom learns more than from the same child in an unfamiliar clinic room. Sensory difficulties in particular show up in context: at the dinner table, in the bath, in a noisy room.
It also puts the strategies in the hands of the person who is with your child all week. An OT sees your child for 45 minutes; you have the rest of the week. Parent-coached OT is built around that.
What works online, and what needs an in-person visit
We would rather tell you the limits now than have you find them three sessions in.
| Your child's need | Online | In person |
|---|---|---|
| Sensory needs at home | Works well, built around your routines | For hands-on physical input |
| Handwriting and fine motor | Works well | Not needed |
| Dressing, eating, toileting | Works well, practised where it happens | Not needed |
| Calming and regulation | Works well | Not needed |
| Muscle tone, reflexes, joint movement | Not suitable | Needs a hands-on assessment |
| Swings, therapy balls, scooter boards | Not suitable | Needs specialist equipment |
| Guiding your child's body directly | Not suitable | The therapist must be in the room |
| Feeding with chewing or swallowing difficulty | Not suitable | Needs a hands-on feeding assessment |
A parent is in the room for the whole session. That is not a weakness of the format: you deliver the strategy, and the therapist teaches and adjusts it live.
In Bengaluru, the same team sees children at our occupational therapy centres. Anywhere else, we will say so on the consultation and help you look for someone local.
What an online OT session looks like
Every session runs 45 minutes on a video call, with you beside your child.
- Tell us about your childYour child's age, what you are seeing and where you live.
- We get in touchWe call or WhatsApp within one working day to find a time.
- AssessmentYou show the therapist how your child sits, grips, dresses and reacts. Then written goals.
- Weekly sessionsReview the week, try something new while the therapist watches, agree what next.
- ReviewWe check progress against the goals with you and move them on.
- How last week's strategies went, and what to change
- A new activity you try while the therapist watches and corrects
- Agreeing the one or two things to practise next
- Strategies folded into real routines: dressing, meals, bath
- Short activities with things you already own
- A written home plan and notes on your phone
More about the first session
In the assessment the therapist asks you to show specific things: how your child sits at a table, holds a pencil, responds to a texture or sound, and what a difficult transition looks like. Often they will ask you to walk the camera around the room. You then get a written summary and the goals they propose.
Every session ends with a written home plan in your parent view, alongside the goals and earlier notes, so nothing depends on what you remembered afterwards.
What you need at home
We build sessions around what families already own. You should not need to buy therapy equipment.
- A device with a cameraLaptop or tablet, placed so the therapist can see your child move.
- A stable connectionEnough for a steady video call for 45 minutes.
- Space to move a littleA cleared patch of floor, or the room where the routine happens.
- Ordinary household itemsPaper, crayons, a ball, cushions, kitchen items. We send the list beforehand.
See how therapy is going, on your phone
Online families get the same live view of their child's therapy as families at our centres.
- Your schedule, always visibleSee every upcoming session, and book or reschedule without phone tag.
- The actual therapy goalsWritten down and tracked, not a vague "she is doing well".
- Session notes and reportsWhat happened in each session and how your child is progressing.
- Home practice, spelled outThe activities for between sessions, with instructions, because most progress happens at home.
- Your therapist, a message awayAsk a question between sessions instead of saving it for the next one.
- Billing you can checkSessions attended, what has been paid and what is outstanding. No month-end surprises.
Who can book online occupational therapy
Sessions are open to families living in India, Australia and the UAE. The team is based in Bengaluru.
- IndiaTime zones, languages and booking for families living there.
- AustraliaTime zones, languages and booking for families living there.
- UAETime zones, languages and booking for families living there.
A therapist must be licensed where the child lives, not where the therapist sits. We cannot offer sessions to families in the United States or Canada, so the booking form will tell you before you send anything.
Other therapies we offer online
If your child sees us for more than one therapy, the therapists share goals and notes in one record.
- Speech therapy onlineLate talking, unclear speech, language delay, stammering and autism-related communication.
- Behaviour therapy onlineABA-informed parent training for meltdowns, transitions, sleep, toileting and daily routines.
- Special education onlineOne-to-one remedial teaching for reading, writing and maths, including dyslexia and ADHD.
- How online therapy worksDevices, time zones, languages and what a first online session involves.
- OT at our centresIn Bengaluru? See the same team for hands-on OT in Electronic City.
- Not sure which therapy?A developmental assessment tells you which therapy, how often and for how long.
Online occupational therapy: questions
Can occupational therapy really be done online?
Yes, for many goals, but through parent coaching rather than the therapist working hands-on with your child. Research on online OT supports this model, especially for sensory strategies, fine motor skills, self-care routines and parent-led work. It is not suitable for goals that need physical handling or specialist equipment, and we tell you at the consultation which applies to your child.
What equipment or materials do I need?
Ordinary household items, almost always. You need a device with a camera, a stable connection and a space where your child can move a little. Before each session we send a short list of what to have ready: paper, crayons, a ball, cushions, kitchen items, whatever the session calls for. We build activities around what families already own, so you should not need to buy therapy equipment to make progress.
Do I need to be in the room the whole time?
Yes for younger children, and for most sensory and motor work at any age. This is how online OT works: the therapist coaches you, and you carry out the strategy with your child. Older children working on handwriting, organisation or study skills can often work more on their own, with you joining for the last few minutes to hear the plan.
My child has sensory processing difficulties. Can you help online?
Yes, and this is where online OT does especially well. Sensory difficulties show up at mealtimes, at bath time, in noisy rooms and while dressing, and a clinic visit rarely captures that. Seeing your home lets the therapist build a sensory plan around your real routines and triggers instead of a generic one. What we cannot give online is the hands-on physical input a therapist gives in the room.
How is this different from your speech therapy sessions?
Online speech therapy usually has the therapist working directly with your child through the screen, with you supporting. Online OT flips that: the therapist mostly coaches you, and you work with your child. Many families use both. When a child sees us for speech and OT, the two therapists share goals and notes in the same record, so the plans support each other.
Which countries do you offer online OT in?
Can we mix online OT with sessions at your centre?
Yes, if you live in or near Bengaluru. Some families start with an in-person assessment at one of our occupational therapy centres in Electronic City for the hands-on checks, then do part of the weekly therapy online. The same therapist and plan carry across both.
How much does online occupational therapy cost?
Fees depend on how many sessions a week your child needs. We explain them on the first call, once we understand your child's needs, so you know the full cost before anything starts.
Book an online consultation
Tell us about your child. We call or WhatsApp within one working day to find a time that suits your time zone. Ages 18 months–14 years.