Children with ADHD may face challenges with turn taking, listening, emotional regulation, and impulse control. These difficulties can affect peer relationships, classroom participation, and confidence in social settings. Learn how occupational therapy supports children with ADHD through tailored activities that develop social and emotional skills in real-life situations.
Rather than teaching social rules in isolation, ADHD occupational therapy focuses on participation. This helps children engage more successfully at home, school, and in the community. An occupational therapist for ADHD tailors activities based on a child’s strengths, regulation needs, sensory profile, and daily environments.
Therapy can be delivered through clinics, schools, or via in-home and mobile occupational therapy. It helps children practise their skills in settings where social challenges naturally occur.
Children with ADHD may find it harder to:
Occupational therapy activities for ADHD are designed to support these skills through structured, goal-directed play and daily routines. The focus is on helping children participate more effectively in everyday occupations such as play, learning, and social interaction.
Discover play-based occupational therapy activities for kids with ADHD that improve attention, social skills, and participation in everyday routines.
Common areas of focus include:
Role playing is a commonly used occupational therapy activity for ADHD that helps children practise real-life social situations such as joining a game, starting a conversation, handling frustration, or responding to peer conflict.
At Roaming Therapy, our mobile occupational therapists use visual supports, modelling, and guided discussion to help children slow down and consider different responses. These activities are often delivered one-on-one or in small groups and are particularly effective in home visit occupational therapy, where scenarios mirror real family or school experiences.
Skills supported include:
Cooperative games allow children to practise social interaction within clear and predictable rules. Examples include board games, shared goal challenges, and team-based activities.
Within occupational therapy for kids with ADHD in Melbourne, these games are structured to reduce frustration while supporting engagement. Therapists guide turn taking, model appropriate communication, and help children manage winning and losing.
Group-based occupational therapy exercises for ADHD commonly support:
Sensory-integrated activities are sometimes included in ADHD occupational therapy to support regulation and engagement, rather than directly treating social skills. Activities may include movement-based play, obstacle courses, sand or water play, and tactile games.
Following an occupational therapy assessment for ADHD, therapists may use sensory input to help some children maintain a regulated state, making it easier to participate in shared activities and tolerate group environments.
Potential benefits for some children include:
Visual supports such as turn-taking tokens, cards, or timers are commonly used occupational therapy activities for ADHD. These tools help children understand expectations, wait their turn, and follow rules during play.
Rule-based games provide predictability and structure, supporting impulse control and reducing social conflict. These strategies are effective across clinics, schools, and in-home occupational therapy settings.
Skills commonly supported include:
Emotion-focused activities help children recognise feelings in themselves and others. Emotion charades, visual emotion cards, and social stories are frequently used occupational therapy exercises for ADHD.
These activities support emotional awareness, empathy, and appropriate social responses. Short, engaging tasks are especially helpful for younger children to maintain attention and participation.
Skills supported include:
Parent involvement is key to helping children generalise skills beyond therapy sessions. Occupational therapy for ADHD often includes parent coaching to support consistent strategies at home.
Through mobile and home visit occupational therapy, therapists guide families during everyday routines, such as playtime, mealtimes, and sibling interactions.
Families can reinforce skill development by:
Research shows parent-supported interventions lead to stronger long-term outcomes.
NDIS funding for occupational therapy is provided under Capacity Building – Improved Daily Living. Funding covers:
Typical costs (subject to the latest NDIS Price Guide) include:
Note: Exact funding depends on your child’s functional impact, your NDIS plan, and whether the service is deemed reasonable and necessary.
Learn more about common NDIS OT pricing and funding considerations.
Yes, but eligibility is not guaranteed by diagnosis alone. To receive NDIS funding for occupational therapy, your child must demonstrate that ADHD:
Occupational therapists can help families document functional needs and submit reports for NDIS plan approval.
NDIS funding may support:
These services are tailored based on your child’s ADHD profile, sensory needs, and social participation goals.
Frequency depends on your child’s functional needs, therapy goals, and NDIS funding allocation. Typical schedules include:
Many families combine clinic sessions with home practice for better generalisation.
Yes. Practising skills in familiar environments (home, school, community) helps children:
Research supports home visit occupational therapy as a way to improve long-term social participation in children with ADHD.
An OT assessment may include:
Assessments are usually the first step before ongoing therapy and may be billed separately under NDIS.
Occupational therapy activities for ADHD provide practical, evidence-informed ways for children to develop social participation, emotional regulation, and peer confidence. Activities such as role play, cooperative games, sensory-based play, turn-taking strategies, and emotion-focused tasks allow children to practise meaningful skills in everyday contexts.
Through clinics, home OT visits, and mobile services, families can access support that fits their child’s unique needs. For families in Melbourne, Roaming Therapy offers flexible, goal-focused interventions to help children succeed at home, school, and in the community.
Ready to help your child thrive? Contact Roaming Therapy today to book an assessment and start a personalised occupational therapy program that supports your child’s social skills, confidence, and everyday participation.
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