Skill Sense OT

Skill Sense OT Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Skill Sense OT, Occupational therapist, Bunbury.

Skill Sense OT (formerly SPOTS Therapy for Children) helps parents uncover what’s behind emotional, sensory, behavioural or learning challenges with clear, professional OT support. *Helping children in the greater Bunbury region with self-care, play, school, leisure, social skills and emotional well-being.
*20+ years experience in various paediatric private practices, clinics and specialist schools.
*The practice has a special interest in sensory integration.
*Esmé is certified in Ayres Sensory Integration (specialist post-graduate training through University of Southern California, U.S.A.).
*Bridget is certified in Neuro Developmental Treatment (specialist post-graduate training).
*The practice is well-equipped and experienced in paediatric modalities, including sensory processing issues, general developmental delays, learning difficulties, gross and fine motor difficulties, and handwriting.
*We have a heart for under-achievers (children that struggle at school for seemingly no apparent / obvious reason) and also for children with trauma-based backgrounds.
*We administer assessments and therapy tailored to each child's and family's specific, individual needs.
*We walk the extra mile to empower parents with knowledge and strategies in understanding and helping their child.
*We continue to attend national and international professional development courses of high standing and we also present workshops.
*Email us for more information!

Many parents focus on neatness when thinking about fine motor skills. However, speed adds an entirely different layer of...
11/02/2026

Many parents focus on neatness when thinking about fine motor skills. However, speed adds an entirely different layer of difficulty. Producing work quickly requires automatic control, efficient movement patterns, and endurance — all at once.

Children with fine motor inefficiencies may manage neat work slowly, but struggle when asked to write faster or complete tasks within time limits. As speed increases, quality often drops. This isn’t carelessness — it’s a sign that the system hasn’t automatised the skill.

Recognising the role of speed helps parents understand why classroom work may look very different from homework done at a slower pace.

Children don’t suddenly develop fine motor difficulties — those challenges often emerge when the demands increase. Longe...
09/02/2026

Children don’t suddenly develop fine motor difficulties — those challenges often emerge when the demands increase. Longer tasks, faster pace, and higher expectations reveal skills that were previously just coping.

Understanding this helps parents stop asking, “Why now?” and start asking, “What’s being asked of their hands?” That shift changes how challenges are interpreted and supported.

Did you know that fine motor difficulties often become more obvious as school expectations increase?Many children appear...
09/02/2026

Did you know that fine motor difficulties often become more obvious as school expectations increase?

Many children appear to cope reasonably well with fine motor tasks in the early years. Drawing, colouring, or short bursts of writing may not raise immediate concerns. However, as children move through school, the demands on fine motor skills increase significantly — longer writing tasks, faster output, greater accuracy, and less time to rest.

This is often the point where parents notice things “falling apart.” Writing becomes messy or rushed. Hands tire quickly. Homework takes far longer than expected. Importantly, this doesn’t mean a child’s skills have gone backwards. It means the demands now exceed what their fine motor system can manage efficiently.

Fine motor skills aren’t just about whether a child can complete a task — they’re about how sustainable that task is over time. When speed, endurance, and precision are required together, underlying fine motor inefficiencies become much harder to hide.

Understanding this helps parents recognise that emerging struggles are not a sudden problem, but a sign that foundational skills need closer attention.

One of the most common patterns I see in practice is children being labelled as “emotional” or “easily frustrated” durin...
08/02/2026

One of the most common patterns I see in practice is children being labelled as “emotional” or “easily frustrated” during fine motor tasks, when what’s actually happening is fatigue.

These children are often trying hard. They’re concentrating, controlling their movements, and pushing through discomfort. By the time emotions appear, their system is already working at capacity.

When parents understand that emotional responses can be linked to fine motor effort, something important shifts. Reactions become more compassionate. Children feel less blamed and more supported. And that emotional safety makes a real difference to how they engage and persist over time.

Understanding doesn’t remove the challenge — but it changes the experience of it.

Fine motor tasks may look small, but for some children they require intense concentration and effort. When a task consis...
07/02/2026

Fine motor tasks may look small, but for some children they require intense concentration and effort. When a task consistently feels hard, emotional responses can surface quickly — even during everyday activities.

Fine motor work doesn’t just tax the hands. It draws heavily on attention, endurance, and emotional regulation. When effort is high, children have less capacity to manage frustration, mistakes, or time pressure.

Avoidance, tears, anger, or shutdown are not signs of defiance. They’re protective responses when a child’s system feels overloaded. These reactions help children cope when continuing feels too demanding.

When parents understand the link between fine motor effort and emotional responses, reactions soften. Support becomes calmer, expectations become more realistic, and children feel safer — emotionally and academically.

Children can appear emotionally reactive during fine motor tasks not because they’re “overreacting,” but because the tas...
06/02/2026

Children can appear emotionally reactive during fine motor tasks not because they’re “overreacting,” but because the task itself is consuming more effort than it should.

When fine motor skills are inefficient, children use a large amount of mental and physical energy just to keep going. As that effort builds, there’s less capacity left for emotional control, persistence, or frustration tolerance. Small challenges can suddenly feel overwhelming.

This is why some children cope well early in a task but become upset, avoidant, or tearful as it continues. The emotional response is often a signal of fatigue — not behaviour or attitude.

Understanding this helps parents respond with empathy rather than pressure. Emotional reactions during fine motor tasks are often communication, not misbehaviour.

When children react strongly to fine motor demands, they’re communicating something important about their capacity in th...
05/02/2026

When children react strongly to fine motor demands, they’re communicating something important about their capacity in that moment. Seeing behaviour through this lens helps parents respond with empathy and insight — and protects a child’s sense of self.

Did you know that fine motor challenges can amplify emotional responses during learning?When tasks feel physically deman...
04/02/2026

Did you know that fine motor challenges can amplify emotional responses during learning?

When tasks feel physically demanding, emotional regulation becomes harder. Children may become tearful, irritable, or withdrawn during fine motor activities — not because they’re being dramatic, but because their system is under strain.

Recognising this connection helps parents respond to emotional reactions with understanding rather than frustration. Emotional responses are often the first sign that a task is exceeding a child’s current capacity.

A common comment I hear from parents is, “They can focus when they want to — just not when writing.”In practice, this of...
03/02/2026

A common comment I hear from parents is, “They can focus when they want to — just not when writing.”

In practice, this often reflects the load of the task, not the child’s attention skills. Writing may be one of the most demanding activities in their day, drawing on posture, coordination, visual control, and emotional regulation all at once.

When parents understand this, they often feel relieved. It explains why their child can focus on stories, games, or conversations but struggles to stay engaged during fine motor tasks.

Children are often described as “losing focus” during writing or table-top tasks. What’s often missed is how physically ...
02/02/2026

Children are often described as “losing focus” during writing or table-top tasks. What’s often missed is how physically demanding these tasks can be. When so much effort goes into controlling the hands, mental engagement becomes harder to sustain.

The brain has a limited capacity for effort. When posture, grip, and movement take up most of that capacity, there’s less available for listening, remembering, or staying focused. Attention hasn’t disappeared — it’s being used elsewhere.

When fine motor overload is mistaken for poor attention, children are often asked to try harder or focus more. This increases pressure without reducing the demand, making tasks feel even harder and more stressful.

When parents understand how fine motor effort affects attention, responses become calmer and more supportive. Children feel seen rather than criticised — and that sense of understanding helps protect confidence and engagement.

Fine motor overload can reduce listening and following instructions.When a child is concentrating hard on controlling th...
01/02/2026

Fine motor overload can reduce listening and following instructions.

When a child is concentrating hard on controlling their hands, there is often less mental capacity available for processing verbal information. This can make it seem like they aren’t listening or following directions — especially during writing or craft tasks.

In reality, the child’s cognitive resources are already stretched. The more effort required to physically manage the task, the harder it becomes to hold instructions in mind at the same time.

This is why some children appear capable in one-to-one conversation but struggle to follow directions during fine motor activities. Recognising this reduces misinterpretation and supports more realistic expectations.

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Bunbury, WA

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