School Screening for Perth Kids: OT, Speech and Physio

Helping identify strengths and support needs early, where children learn and grow.

Every child develops at their own pace. Sometimes it is hard to tell whether a skill is still developing or whether a child may benefit from some extra support. Our School Screening Program brings Kids Club Occupational Therapists, Speech Pathologists and Physiotherapists into your school to take a snapshot of how children are tracking against their developmental milestones. It is the same caring, family-centred team you may know from our Bassendean clinic for kids OT, speech pathology and physiotherapy in Perth.

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We celebrate every brain. We recognise and respect each person's unique strengths, needs and way of experiencing the world.

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Everyone belongs here. We welcome people of all abilities, "diffabilities", cultures, backgrounds, identities and beliefs.

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Reliable support for NDIS participants and families.

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How Group Programs Support Your Child

What is a School Screening Program?

A school screening program is a check of the developmental skills children use at home, school and play. Therapists see children in at school, then give families and teachers a short report on each child’s strengths, areas that may need support and practical next steps.

We screen children across a classroom or year group over several days. We look at the skills that support learning, communication and participation at home, school and play. Families and teachers then receive a clear, easy-to-read report with recommendations and handouts for skill development.

Screening helps pick up any developmental concerns early so early intervention can start asap if it is needed. It also celebrates the things children are already doing well. Rather than waiting for a concern to grow, parents and teachers get a clearer picture of how a child is tracking and whether extra support may help.

What Happens During Screening?

1. We come to your school

A kids OT, speech pathologist or physiotherapist from our team visits your school and works with your class or year group over an agreed period, usually across several days. Screening happens in a familiar setting, so we see children in their everyday school routine.

2. We look at key developmental skills

Children join in with short, engaging activities, one on one or in small groups. Where it suits, we may also observe children in the classroom.

3. Families and teachers share what they see

Parents and teachers complete a short questionnaire about the child’s development. This adds what is happening at home and at school into the screening report.

4. We identify strengths and areas for support

We consider how each child is tracking against their developmental milestones and the skills that matter for school, play, learning and communication at home, at school and in the community.

5. You receive a clear screening report

Parents and teachers receive a brief individual report. It outlines the child’s strengths, any areas that may benefit from support, and practical recommendations.

6. We help you understand the next steps

If screening suggests a child may benefit from more support, we recommend what could come next. That might be home or classroom strategies, monitoring, further assessment or therapy with a local provider.

Our Approach

Our Approach to Group Programs

Our Group interventions combine professional guidance with peer interaction to help children practise communication, social and developmental skills in a fun and supportive environment.

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1. Small Group Learning

Children participate in carefully structured small groups designed to encourage interaction, communication and collaboration while ensuring every child receives guidance and individual support from group facilitators.

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2. Guided Skill Building

Group facilitators guide engaging and enjoyable activities designed to support the development of social communication, teamwork and self-advocacy skills in meaningful ways.

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3. Real World Practice

Children have the opportunities to practice meaningful social communication skills such as perspective taking, problem-solving, negotiation, flexible thinking and collaboration in a natural group environment that supports confidence across school and everyday settings.

What Can We Screen?

Schools can choose Occupational Therapy, Speech Pathology or Physiotherapy screening, or a combined program. We tailor the areas covered to the age and needs of each school or group.

How group programs can help?

Kids OT screening

Our OT screening looks at the skills children use every day to take part in the classroom. Find out more about occupational therapy at Kids Club.

  • Self-care and independence: washing, dressing, toileting, continence, sleeping and eating
  • Cognition and early learning: colours, shapes, numbers, alphabet knowledge, memory and recognising their name
  • Communication: speech and understanding language
  • Gross motor skills: running, jumping, hopping, balancing, climbing, posture, ball skills and coordination
  • Fine motor skills: hand dominance, hand strength, pencil grasp, handwriting, cutting, colouring, drawing and copying shapes
  • Perceptual and coordination skills: bilateral coordination, crossing the midline and clumsiness
  • Attention and concentration: following instructions, attending to the teacher, fidgeting and sitting still
  • Sensory processing: responses to sound, sight, touch, taste, smell and movement, including sensory seeking or avoiding
  • Emotional regulation: managing big feelings such as frustration, anxiety, anger, tears and meltdowns
  • Social participation: cooperative play, friendships, solving conflict, personal space and social interaction
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Kids speech pathology screening

This screening looks at the communication and early literacy skills that help children connect, learn and take part at school. Find out more about paediatric speech pathology at Kids Club.

  • Semantics and vocabulary: naming and explaining objects, understanding categories, and spotting similarities and differences
  • Speech sounds and articulation: how clearly speech sounds are made
  • Comprehension: following instructions (including multi-step ones), answering questions and understanding concepts such as size, colour and location
  • Expressive language: vocabulary, sentence building, grammar and using past and future tense
  • Narrative skills: understanding how stories work, putting events in order and retelling the main events
  • Phonological awareness: rhyming, syllables, blending and segmenting sounds, and hearing sounds within words
  • Fluency and stuttering: repeated sounds or words and stretched sounds
  • Voice: vocal quality, including hoarseness or an unusually flat, monotone voice
  • Social interaction: playing and sharing with peers
How Group Programs Support Your Child

Kids physiotherapy screening

We look at how children move, balance and keep up with their peers in the playground and on sports day. Each screen is carried out by a child physiotherapist from the team that provides paediatric physiotherapy Perth families can trust.

  • Gross motor skills: running, jumping, hopping, skipping and climbing
  • Balance: still and moving balance, including standing on one leg
  • Coordination: coordinating arms, legs and whole-body movement
  • Strength: functional strength in the legs, arms and core
  • Gait and walking pattern: walking, running pattern, foot position and symmetry
  • Ball skills: throwing, catching, kicking and tracking a ball
  • Motor planning: learning, sequencing and organising new movements
  • Flexibility and joint mobility: range of movement at the hips, knees, ankles and other joints
  • Motor control and movement quality: posture, alignment, control and how efficiently a child moves
  • Functional participation: joining in with play, the playground, stairs, sports carnivals and keeping up with friends

Why Screen at School?

Children use their developmental skills all day at school. They hold a pencil, sit at the table, follow instructions, talk with friends and manage a busy, noisy classroom. School-based screening lets our therapists see these skills in a real learning environment, working alongside educators and families. Our strengths-based approach looks at what each child can already do, not only what they find tricky.

For parents

Screening can help you:

  • understand your child’s current strengths
  • see where they may need some extra support
  • understand how their skills may be affecting school life
  • get practical ideas to support your child
  • know whether further assessment may help

For teachers

Screening can help you:

  • understand each student’s strengths and needs
  • identify children who may benefit from extra support
  • plan classroom strategies and adjustments
  • pick up developmental concerns early
  • work more closely with families and allied health professionals

For schools

Our program gives schools a proactive way to:

  • identify possible concerns early
  • support children’s learning and participation
  • give families accessible information about development
  • connect children with the right support when needed
  • strengthen links between school, family and allied health

Early Support Can Make a Difference

Sometimes a child is working harder than their classmates to finish everyday tasks. Other times, a difficulty only becomes noticeable as classroom demands grow. A school screening can be a helpful first step towards early intervention, helping you understand why something feels tricky and what support might help.

Screening in early childhood is highly recommended to identify children at risk of developmental delay at this critical age. Screening provides valuable information to families and teachers about the child’s development and identifies children who may require additional support to develop their skills. Early intervention supports the child’s physical/cognitive/language/sensory/social and emotional development and has both immediate and lifelong benefits for the child, their family, their school and their community.

Who Can Take Part?

Our School Screening Program can be tailored for:

We can adapt the process and screening areas to suit the age, needs and priorities of your school.

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Frequently Asked Questions on School Screening

Answers to common questions about our School Screening Programs and how group based therapy sessions help children build social, communication and developmental skills.
What is the difference between a screening and an assessment?

A screening is a short snapshot of a child’s skills compared with the developmental milestones we would expect for their age. It does not give a diagnosis. If a screening suggests a child may need more support, we may recommend a full assessment, which looks at their skills in much more depth.

Kids Club’s Occupational Therapists, Speech Pathologists and Physiotherapists deliver the program. Schools can choose one discipline or a combination that suits their needs best.

We usually work with a class or year group over several days. Each child takes part in brief, engaging activities, one on one or in small groups, so there is very little time away from normal classroom learning.

Yes. Families are asked to give consent before their child is screened. Parents also complete a short questionnaire about their child’s development, which becomes part of the report. The information parents can provide about their child’s development is invaluable to the screening process.

Yes. Teachers and early childhood eductors play an important role in our school and day care screenings as they are able to comment on how the child is developing in these settings. Teachers and educators are asked to complete a quick and easy to complete screening grid prior to our therapists attending the school for screenings. The grid has all of the kids names across the top of the document and all of the skills tested during screening down the side. Teachers just need to put a tick in the corresponding box if they have any concerns and can make notes to expand on this if they feel this is necessary.

Families and teachers receive a brief individual report with the child’s strengths, areas that may benefit from support and practical recommendations. Each child also receives a handout detailing how to develop their skills at home e.g. in handwriting, language development, coordination. If further support could help, we explain the options, such as classroom strategies, monitoring, further assessment or therapy with a local provider. We make recommendations about any relevant referrals for your child, not just therapy e.g. it may be beneficial for them to be seen by a GP, Paediatrician, Dietician, Podiatrist etc. We take a family-centred approach, so parents are part of every decision about next steps.

Yes. Our paediatric physio team screens gross motor skills, balance, coordination, strength and walking patterns at school. They are the same physiotherapists families see for babies and kids physiotherapy in Perth at our Bassendean clinic. If a child would benefit from ongoing support, you can book a child physiotherapist directly, including NDIS physiotherapy and private sessions.

Yes. If screening shows your child would benefit from occupational therapy, speech pathology or physiotherapy following screening you will be provided with a list of providers in your local area to choose from. Support can also be provided by our team at our Bassendean clinic, our Guilford Grammar School clinic in Guildford, or at our Casa Mia Montessori Community School clinic in Bassendean. We can also provide therapy at your home, school, daycare or local playground, wherever is most suitable for your child and family.

The cost depends on the number of children, the disciplines your school chooses and how many days we spend on site. We provide a quote based on your school’s needs.

We work with schools and early childhood settings across the Perth Metro area and can also complete screenings for rural and remote schools and early education centres via telehealth. Feel free to get in touch with our team to find out how you can book a screening for the kids you support.

Meet Our Team of Caring Experienced

Support Beyond Screening

Screening is often the first step. Our Bassendean clinic offers ongoing kids OT, speech pathology and physio, plus infant physiotherapy for younger siblings who are not at school yet.

Passionate – Dedicated – Professional

Ready to Bring Developmental Screening to Your School?

Give families and teachers a clearer picture of how their children are developing, and help identify support needs early. Get in touch with the Kids Club team to talk through a screening program for your school or day care. You can also contact us about 1:1 occupational therapy, speech pathology or physiotherapy screening in Perth for your own child.

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