Kirsty Fleischer OT

14/01/2026

✨ Hi, I'm Kirsty! ✨

I’m a paediatric OT with 25 years of OT experience from rehabilitation to burns, but discovered that helping children thrive through play, connection, and sensory-based therapy is my true passion.

I thrive on empowering little ones, and their families, to grow with confidence and be the best they can be. 💛

This is me!

18/12/2025

12/12/2025

☃️❄️ Snowman Fun That Builds Skills! ❄️☃️

These two OT-approved snowman activities are packed with Christmas magic and motor skill development.

Whether it’s crafting or tracing, your little one will be working on important foundations for handwriting and coordination – all while having snow much fun! 🖍️🎨

🎨 Activity 1: Snowman Card Craft
✨ Supports: fine motor skills, hand strength, bilateral hand use, pre-writing strokes, creative expression, and visual-motor integration.

You’ll need:
🔹 Black paper or cardboard
🔹 Pencil
🔹 Coloured paper (for the hat)
🔹 Scissors
🔹 White paint
🔹 Fat paintbrush or fingers
🔹 Stick-on eyes
🔹 Buttons

Instructions:
1.⁠ ⁠Draw two circles (one for the head, one for the body) on the black paper or cardboard.
2.⁠ ⁠Cut out a snowman hat from coloured paper.
3.⁠ ⁠Using a fat paintbrush or your child's finger, paint over the circles to build the snowman. Add snowflakes around the background!
4.⁠ ⁠Stick on the googly eyes, buttons, and glue on the hat.
5.⁠ ⁠Let it dry and turn it into a card or a holiday decoration! 🎅

🖍️ Activity 2: Snowman Pre-Writing Practice
✨ Supports: shoulder stability, vertical surface writing, pre-writing pattern development, motor planning, and visual tracking.

You’ll need:
🔹 Blackboard
🔹 Chalk
🔹 An easel or elevated surface (e.g., garage wall)

Instructions:
1.⁠ ⁠Secure your blackboard on a vertical surface like a wall or easel.
2.⁠ ⁠Draw different pre-writing patterns (e.g., waves, zigzags, circles) that resemble snowballs flying!
3.⁠ ⁠Encourage your child to trace the patterns with chalk – making it look like the snowman is throwing snowballs!

Try using different coloured chalk to add some festive flair. 🌈

Both activities are packed with festive cheer and sneaky skill-building that helps your child stay on track with their development over the holidays. ☃️🎄

05/12/2025

🎄✨ Festive Fun Meets OT Skills! ✨🎄

Looking for holiday activities that keep little hands busy and support their OT goals?

Try these two Christmas crafts that combine creativity with coordination, fun with function! 🌟🎅

🎁 Activity 1: Threaded Star Ornament
✨ Supports: fine motor skills, bilateral coordination, hand-eye coordination, tracing, cutting, and threading.

You’ll need:
🔹 A star template
🔹 Cardboard
🔹 Pencil
🔹 Scissors
🔹 Hole punch
🔹 Wool (go festive, think red, green, gold!)

Instructions:
1.⁠ ⁠Trace the star template onto a piece of cardboard.
2.⁠ ⁠Cut out the star carefully.
3.⁠ ⁠Use the hole punch to make holes evenly spaced around the star.
4.⁠ ⁠Thread the wool through the holes in any pattern – criss-cross, spiral, or freestyle!
5.⁠ ⁠Tie off the end and hang your star on the Christmas tree! 🎄

☃️ Activity 2: Play Doh Christmas Tree
✨ Supports: finger strength, creativity, bilateral hand use, visual planning, and sensory play.

You’ll need:
🔹 Christmas tree outline (draw or print)
🔹 Cardboard
🔹 Glue or paste
🔹 Cling film
🔹 Play Doh in assorted colours

Instructions:
1.⁠ ⁠Cut out your Christmas tree outline.
2.⁠ ⁠Paste it onto a piece of cardboard for stability.
3.⁠ ⁠Cover the whole thing with cling film (so you can reuse it!).
4.⁠ ⁠Use play doh to make ornaments, lights, garlands – and decorate your tree! 🎨

These simple, joyful crafts help kids stay in the holiday spirit while continuing to develop essential skills. A perfect balance of fun and function! 🎅💪

🎉 We’d LOVE to see your creations so tag us in your festive OT fun!

25/11/2025

Credit to

21/11/2025

🎓 Term 4 is almost up, and we know it can feel like a sprint to the finish line!

With concerts, exams, and year-end events, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed.

💡 But here’s the secret: the last term is the perfect time to consolidate progress, keep routines going, and finish strong.

Why Term 4 therapy matters:

✅ Keeps regulation strategies fresh before the holidays
✅ Reinforces skills during a structured school term
✅ Prepares your child for a smoother transition to the next grade
✅ Reduces anxiety with consistent, familiar support

Let’s make the most of every session 💪

We’re with you to the finish line (and beyond)!

www.otherapy.co.za

12/11/2025

But my child can speak… why speech therapy?

It's a common question, and a great one!

Pediatric Occupational Therapists often collaborate with Speech-Language Therapists because communication is about so much more than just talking.

👉 Your OT might notice your child struggles with:

- Following instructions
- Organising thoughts into clear sentences
- Social communication (understanding tone, turn-taking)
- Oral motor skills (important for clear speech and even feeding)

When we work hand-in-hand with speech therapy, we can build a more complete support plan tailored to your child’s needs. It’s all about helping them thrive across environments, home, school, and play.

🤝 Collaboration = Better outcomes!

Got questions? I'm here to talk!

www.otherapy.co.za

03/11/2025

📚 Exams are here… but does that mean therapy should take a back seat?

Not necessarily. In fact, therapy can support your child’s academic performance by:

✨ Helping them regulate stress and anxiety
✨ Supporting attention and executive functioning
✨ Maintaining routine and predictability in a busy time

🧠 Think of therapy as a foundation, not an extra.

If needed, we can adjust session times or goals to suit your child’s load. The key is communication 💬

Let’s navigate this season together and keep your child supported and empowered.

www.otherapy.co.za

01/11/2025

Happy Children’s Day! 🌟

Today we celebrate the curious, resilient, imaginative, and unique children who walk through our doors every day. 💛

To every child working hard in therapy: YOU are brave!

To every parent showing up with love and patience: YOU are incredible!

And to our community: THANK YOU for trusting us to walk this journey with you.

Let’s keep cheering them on one milestone at a time.

💫 Here’s to a childhood full of wonder, growth, and possibility.

www.otherapy.co.za

27/10/2025

📚 Why would my OT suggest exploring a remedial school?

This is a question we’re often asked, and it’s an important one.

Occupational therapists don’t just look at motor skills or sensory needs, we look at the whole child, including how they function in their school environment. When learning challenges persist despite strong support, a remedial setting may be considered as helpful to unlocking your child’s full potential.

👦 A remedial school might be investigated, and an educational psychologist assessment explored, if your child:

🔹 Struggles with sustained attention
🔹 Needs a smaller class size to thrive
🔹 Has developmental delays impacting academic progress
🔹 Requires a highly supportive, individualised learning approach
🔹 Shows signs of learning disorders that need specialist teaching

At its heart, it’s about giving your child the right environment to grow in confidence and ability.

🌱 We work closely with families and schools to ensure that all considerations are thoughtful, compassionate, and in your child’s best interest.

www.otherapy.co.za

20/10/2025

Happy Diwali to all our parents celebrating