Occupational Therapist

Job Description

Brisbane, QLD | Full-time / Part-time | Hybrid |

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Come see things a little differently.

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At Upside Down Therapy, we believe the best paediatric therapy starts by getting curious about the child in front of us.

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Sometimes that means sitting on the floor. Sometimes it means getting on a swing. Sometimes it means building an obstacle course, talking Minecraft, figuring out why socks are ruining someone's morning, or helping a parent understand that what looks like "behaviour" might actually be a nervous system asking for support.

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We are a Brisbane-based paediatric Occupational Therapy practice supporting children and their families through meaningful, relationship-based therapy.

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Our clinic has a strong focus on sensory processing, regulation, motor development, praxis, participation and connection, drawing on approaches including Ayres Sensory Integration®, DIR® FloortimeTM, developmental neuroscience and neuroaffirming, play-based practice.

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We have purpose-built therapy spaces, plenty of equipment to play with, a team who genuinely enjoys learning together, and a belief that paediatric OT should be both clinically excellent and a whole lot of fun.

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The role

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We're looking for an Occupational Therapist who loves working with children and wants to keep becoming a better clinician.

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This role is predominantly clinic-based, allowing you to make full use of our purpose-built therapy spaces, sensory equipment and resources. Community visits may also form part of your caseload where they are clinically appropriate, including visits to schools, kindergartens, homes or other community settings.

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• build
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• ing a pirate-themed obstacle course while secretly working on praxis, bilateral coordination and postural control;using
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• swings, crash mats, climbing equipment and play to support sensory integration and regulation;compl
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• eting comprehensive assessments and helping families actually understand what the results mean;suppo
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• rting a child who finds dressing, handwriting, mealtimes, playgrounds, toileting, school or everyday routines tricky;talki
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• ng with parents about what is happening underneath the behaviour they are seeing;visit
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• ing a school or community setting to better understand how a child participates in their everyday environment;colla
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• borating with teachers, educators, speech pathologists and other professionals;writi
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• ng reports and documentation that are clear, functional and meaningful;joini
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• ng clinical discussions where curiosity is encouraged and nobody is expected to know everything;celeb
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• rating the small wins that are actually very big wins for our children and families.
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New grads — you are very welcome here

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You do not need years of paediatric experience to apply.

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If you are a new graduate or early career therapist with a genuine interest in paediatrics, sensory processing, play-based therapy and learning how to become a thoughtful, confident clinician, we would love to hear from you.

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We understand that early-career therapists need more than a caseload and a laptop. They need support, supervision, time to ask questions, opportunities to observe, and people around them who are invested in their development.

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You won't be expected to know everything on day one.

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What matters most to us is that you are curious, reflective, open to feedback and excited to learn.

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Who we're looking for

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You might be:

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• a new graduate looking for a supportive start to your paediatric OT career;
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• an early-career therapist wanting to build stronger clinical foundations; or
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• an experienced paediatric OT looking for somewhere to deepen your skills and continue growing.
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More than anything, we are looking for someone who is curious, kind, reflective and genuinely interested in understanding children rather than simply changing their behaviour.

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You will need:

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• a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Occupational Therapy;
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• current AHPRA registration, or eligibility for registration in Australia;
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• a genuine interest in paediatric Occupational Therapy and family-centred practice;
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• strong communication and relationship-building skills;
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• an interest in child development, participation, sensory processing and functional performance;
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• the flexibility to work primarily in clinic, with community visits where required;
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• the ability to collaborate with children, families, educators and other professionals;
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• good organisation and willingness to develop strong documentation and time-management skills; and
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• a commitment to evidence-informed, neuroaffirming and reflective practice.
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Experience or training in Ayres Sensory Integration®, DIR® FloortimeTM, developmental approaches, trauma-responsive practice or other relationship- and play-based models is highly valued — but it is not essential.

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We can teach skills.

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We are looking for the right person.

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What matters to us

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At UDT, our values aren't words sitting on a wall.

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We Honour Every Story.

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We look beyond the surface and seek to understand the whole child and family.

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We're Stronger Together.

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Good therapy rarely happens in isolation. We collaborate, ask questions, share ideas and support one another.

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We Play With Heart.

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Play is serious business around here. We believe children learn, connect and develop through experiences that feel meaningful to them.

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We Strive for Excellence.

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We are proud of the quality of care we provide and are always looking for ways to deepen our knowledge and improve our practice.

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You'll probably love UDT if...

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You get excited about understanding why a child is finding something difficult.

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You think a therapy gym full of swings, climbing equipment and crash mats looks like a pretty great workplace.

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You enjoy having a clinic base and all the resources that come with it, while recognising that sometimes the best way to understand a child is to see them in their everyday environment.

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You want supervision where you can bring the questions you're genuinely unsure about.

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You like being part of a team where learning happens through conversations, observations, case discussions and sharing ideas — not just formal PD.

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You can be silly with a six-year-old and have a thoughtful clinical conversation with their parent five minutes later.

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You believe neuroaffirming practice means working with children rather than trying to make them appear more typical.

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And you want to work somewhere that takes paediatric OT seriously — without taking ourselves too seriously.

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Come grow with us.

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And yes — being willing to occasionally crawl through a tunnel, sit on the floor, build Lego or push someone on a swing is considered an occupational requirement.*

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*Not actually an AHPRA requirement. Just very helpful around here.