Tegan Quinnell - Occupational Therapy

12/09/2025

Being a paediatric occupational therapist always takes me to the most interesting places. By following the child's lead and meeting them with curiosity, we build functional skills, regulation and social engagement through a variety of tasks!!

Therapist goal:
Midline crossing
Fine motor skills
Social engagement

Child's idea:
Let's make you some monkey earrings :)

14/08/2025

13/08/2025

06/08/2025

28/07/2025

PARENTS ARE THE EXPERTS AND IT IS MY GREATEST PRIVILEGE TO BE A PART OF THEIR TEAM!!!

As therapists who work with children, we are given the privilege of being welcomed into families and trusted with their hardest times. 😣 😩 😔
Our greatest strength is in hearing parents, uplifting them, and providing support that builds upon their voices and brings meaning (as defined by them) across daily life. 🥰
It is 100% ok to not have all the answer. To be a partner in finding the solutions, and exploring the options. 👀 👂
But it is NEVER ok to disrespect, ignore or put down the extremely valuable insights that parents have into the lives of their loved ones. 👎
If I bring just one moment of value to the world of others through my work, I hope that it’s to make parents feel heard, to make them feel safe in expressing all of their emotions, and to make them feel just a tiny bit less alone in walking this path that makes you feel so alone and misunderstood. 💪
To give what I rarely had, and to uplift with every interaction shared. 🌻 🌈

24/06/2025

The risk was never in overpaying therapists.
That’s not even possible -
not when so many run at a loss,
absorbing unpaid hours,
covering travel gaps
and personally carrying the emotional weight of a system that keeps asking for more with less.

We are not overfunded.
We are overstretched,
undervalued
and systemically under-resourced.

The real risk?

Is relying on us to keep showing up,
while giving us every reason to walk away.
And when we do,
it’s the participants who lose.
Lose their access.
Lose their progress towards independence.
Lose the supports that help them stay in work, school, community and connection.

This wont be a gap in service delivery.
It will be a collapse of care, with real human cost.

08/05/2025

“Living a meaningful life through engagement in occupations" is the entire foundation of Occupational Therapy as a profession.

More and more I reflect on the way in which, as a therapist, our focus is on the client. But the client functions as a part of a family, and empowering mums (and dads) to find joy and purpose in meaningful occupations enhances their capacity to continue in their role. Their role not only as a mum, but as a carer, a life coordinator, the holder of all information, the one who doesn't sleep and lives with constant stress, verging on burnout in any given moment. And that's for their one child with a disability. Let's not forget jobs, partners, other children, and everything else that comes with a typical adult life.

Interventions which build the child’s skills absolutely have value and purpose. But they do not for one second alleviate the enormous toll that caregivers experience on a relentless constant basis.

The further I travel down my OT path, the more I realise that my passion lies in finding that missing piece within our funding and support systems. The piece that says "I am here as your child's OT, but I want to focus on finding your joy and building your meaningful engagement, to help recharge your batteries so you can continue". Because the reality is, most children with a disability have one parent who holds it all together.

Because this constant stress and exhaustion, it doesn't change, no matter how much funding is thrown at the child. It's not only the physical toll, which in theory can be alleviated by a few hours away, but the mental toll, which is relentless and 24/7. I walk this path myself as a mum, and the one thing I need, is to feel less alone and have support systems in place that work to address that.

So I'm embarking on a passion project. I have no idea what that may look like yet. But I need your help.. As a mum, a dad, a caregiver, what comes to mind when you consider supports or options that would help you spark joy and find meaningful engagement for yourself in life. If no barriers existed. Nothing is too big or small. Throw it all at me in the comments below.

11/04/2025

Please send a message via messenger or an email if you have difficulties getting through by phone.

With the local area having tower upgrades the work phone has been uncontactable for the past 24 hours and this is anticipated to extend into the coming weeks.

17/03/2025

I will be on personal and medical leave…

Wednesday March 19th
Thursday March 20th

Monday March 24th until Monday March 31st

I will be unavailable by phone and email during this time but will respond to all enquiries as soon as possible upon my return.

☺️

05/02/2025

Tegan Quinnell Occupational Therapy will be moving to a mobile-only service for the foreseeable future.

It is hoped that in the future a permanent property will be secured, but for now all supports will be delivered in natural environments only (which is actually best practice).

If you have questions, comment below or send a message through.

20/01/2025

This quote is so apt at this time of year!
Too often we focus on book smarts and forget life smarts.
The ability to organise yourself and your belongings, play with others and regulate your emotions is such a key foundation for starting school, miles ahead of any of the academic skills that are too often focused on.

Send a message to learn more