EVIDENCE-INFORMED SUPPORT BY OUR EXPERIENCED OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS
Occupational Therapy Training & Professional Mentoring
Our OT-led training and mentoring is for anyone looking to feel more confident and make a real difference for the children and teens they support. We help occupational therapists, support workers, educators, and SSOs build practical knowledge they can put into practice straight away, shaped around their setting, their team, and the children and situations they face.
FOR SCHOOLS, SUPPORT WORKERS AND COMMUNITY ORGANISATIONS
OT Group Training for Schools and Community Organisations
We provide practical, evidence-informed training designed to support everyday practice in schools and community settings.
Training may focus on areas such as:
- Emotional regulation and sensory needs
- Handwriting and fine motor development
- Supporting learning and executive functioning skills
- Inclusive classroom and community practices
- Adapting environments to support accessibility and participation
Sessions are tailored to your context, with a clear focus on applying occupational therapy principles in ways that are realistic, relevant, and usable in daily work.
We can work with you to develop a bespoke training course to address your team’s CPD needs and give you confidence in the care you provide.
Professional Development for Schools
Practical, occupational therapy-led professional development designed to help educators better support participation, regulation, learning and inclusion.
The Executive Functioning Classroom
Why Students “Know What to Do” But Don’t Do It
Students can understand an instruction and still struggle to get started, stay organised, manage time or complete a task. This practical session helps teachers understand the executive functioning skills behind everyday classroom challenges and provides simple strategies to reduce the cognitive load on students.
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Teachers will learn practical ways to support:
- Getting started and task initiation
- Planning and organising
- Working memory and following instructions
- Time management and task completion
- Flexibility and managing changes
- Breaking complex tasks into achievable steps
The takeaway: Strategies that help students become more independent without simply repeating instructions or lowering expectations.
Creating Inclusive, Trauma-Informed & Neuroaffirming Classrooms
How we understand students directly influences how we respond to them. This session explores how to create classrooms that recognise neurodiversity, support students who have experienced stress or trauma, and reduce barriers to participation without expecting every student to learn or behave in the same way.
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Teachers will explore practical ways to adapt the environment, communication, expectations and classroom routines to better support diverse learners.
We’ll explore:
- Looking beyond behaviour to understand what a student may be communicating
- Moving from compliance-focused approaches towards participation and connection
- Supporting autonomy, predictability and psychological safety
- Recognising masking, shutdown and overwhelm
- Making reasonable adjustments without creating an entirely different programme for each student
- Using strengths-based and neuroaffirming language
The takeaway: Practical classroom changes that create greater access, belonging and participation for all students.
Understanding & Supporting Students with Autism and ADHD
Autism and ADHD can look very different from one student to the next. This practical session moves beyond diagnostic characteristics to explore how neurodivergence can impact learning, regulation, communication, executive functioning, sensory processing and participation at school.
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Teachers will develop a better understanding of why a student may struggle with things that appear simple and learn practical strategies to support them.
We’ll explore:
- Common classroom presentations of autism and ADHD
- Attention, impulsivity and movement
- Executive functioning difficulties
- Sensory differences
- Communication and social demands
- Transitions, flexibility and unexpected change
- Task avoidance and demand-related distress
- Practical classroom adjustments and supports
The takeaway: A clearer understanding of why students may be struggling, and a toolkit of strategies to help them participate and succeed.
The Executive Functioning Classroom
Why Students “Know What to Do” But Don’t Do It
Students can understand an instruction and still struggle to get started, stay organised, manage time or complete a task. This practical session helps teachers understand the executive functioning skills behind everyday classroom challenges and provides simple strategies to reduce the cognitive load on students.
View Session
Teachers will learn practical ways to support:
- Getting started and task initiation
- Planning and organising
- Working memory and following instructions
- Time management and task completion
- Flexibility and managing changes
- Breaking complex tasks into achievable steps
The takeaway: Strategies that help students become more independent without simply repeating instructions or lowering expectations.
Inclusive, Trauma-Informed & Neuroaffirming Classrooms
How we understand students directly influences how we respond to them. This session explores how to create classrooms that recognise neurodiversity, support students who have experienced stress or trauma, and reduce barriers to participation without expecting every student to learn or behave in the same way.
View Session
Teachers will explore practical ways to adapt the environment, communication, expectations and classroom routines to better support diverse learners.
We’ll explore:
- Looking beyond behaviour to understand what a student may be communicating
- Moving from compliance-focused approaches towards participation and connection
- Supporting autonomy, predictability and psychological safety
- Recognising masking, shutdown and overwhelm
- Making reasonable adjustments without creating an entirely different programme for each student
- Using strengths-based and neuroaffirming language
The takeaway: Practical classroom changes that create greater access, belonging and participation for all students.
Understanding & Supporting Students with Autism and ADHD
Autism and ADHD can look very different from one student to the next. This practical session moves beyond diagnostic characteristics to explore how neurodivergence can impact learning, regulation, communication, executive functioning, sensory processing and participation at school.
View Session
Teachers will develop a better understanding of why a student may struggle with things that appear simple and learn practical strategies to support them.
We’ll explore:
- Common classroom presentations of autism and ADHD
- Attention, impulsivity and movement
- Executive functioning difficulties
- Sensory differences
- Communication and social demands
- Transitions, flexibility and unexpected change
- Task avoidance and demand-related distress
- Practical classroom adjustments and supports
The takeaway: A clearer understanding of why students may be struggling, and a toolkit of strategies to help them participate and succeed.
The Executive Functioning Classroom
Why Students “Know What to Do” But Don’t Do It
Students can understand an instruction and still struggle to get started, stay organised, manage time or complete a task. This practical session helps teachers understand the executive functioning skills behind everyday classroom challenges and provides simple strategies to reduce the cognitive load on students.
View Session
Teachers will learn practical ways to support:
- Getting started and task initiation
- Planning and organising
- Working memory and following instructions
- Time management and task completion
- Flexibility and managing changes
- Breaking complex tasks into achievable steps
The takeaway: Strategies that help students become more independent without simply repeating instructions or lowering expectations.
The Executive Functioning Classroom
Why Students “Know What to Do” But Don’t Do It
Students can understand an instruction and still struggle to get started, stay organised, manage time or complete a task. This practical session helps teachers understand the executive functioning skills behind everyday classroom challenges and provides simple strategies to reduce the cognitive load on students.
View Session
Teachers will learn practical ways to support:
- Getting started and task initiation
- Planning and organising
- Working memory and following instructions
- Time management and task completion
- Flexibility and managing changes
- Breaking complex tasks into achievable steps
The takeaway: Strategies that help students become more independent without simply repeating instructions or lowering expectations.
Flexible Formats To Suit Your Setting
Training Delivery Options
Training can be delivered through:
- Clinic-based in-person sessions
- On-site school or organisational workshops
- Individual or small group formats
- Online training
Delivery options are discussed to ensure the format aligns with your setting, goals, and capacity.
FOR ALLIED HEALTH PROFESSIONALS
Professional Supervision and Mentoring for Allied Health
We offer mentoring and supervision for occupational therapists, allied health assistants, and support professionals, providing a collaborative space to build confidence and strengthen everyday practice.
Mentoring may support professionals with:
- Reflecting on clinical practice and decision-making
- Working through complex or challenging cases
- Developing and applying paediatric frameworks
- Strengthening documentation and reporting skills
- Supporting service delivery and professional development
- Exploring career progression and growth
Each supervision experience is tailored to your individual goals, experience level, and areas of interest. Our approach focuses on practical strategies that can be applied confidently in your day-to-day work..
All supervision is delivered via Microsoft Teams video call and available to OTs across Australia.
Our Approach to Training and Mentoring
Across both training and mentoring, our approach is:
Grounded in occupational therapy theory and evidence
Practical and relevant to day-to-day work
Collaborative rather than prescriptive
Respectful of existing knowledge and experience
Support is designed to be useful, applicable, and grounded in the realities of practice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Whether you are a school coordinator exploring training options or an allied health professional considering mentoring, it is natural to have questions. Here are some of the ones we hear most often.
What Is the Difference Between Training and Mentoring?
Training is designed for groups or organisations and focuses on building practical knowledge around specific topics, such as sensory regulation, handwriting development, or inclusive classroom strategies. Mentoring is an individually tailored professional development process for allied health practitioners. It provides a collaborative space to reflect on clinical practice, work through challenges, and build confidence over time. Both are led by experienced occupational therapists.
Is the Training Delivered by Occupational Therapists?
Yes. All training and mentoring at Learn for Life is delivered by experienced, AHPRA-registered occupational therapists. Our facilitators have applied clinical experience in the areas they teach, so training is grounded in real-world practice rather than theory alone. We draw on current evidence and tailor content to the context and goals of the group or individual.
Can Training Be Tailored to Our School or Organisation?
Yes. We design training around your setting, your team, and the specific challenges you are facing. Whether you work in a school, a disability support organisation, or another community context, we take time to understand what will be most useful before we begin. Training topics, format, and delivery mode can all be adjusted to suit your needs and the time you have available.
Is Mentoring Only Available to Occupational Therapists?
No. While many of our mentees are occupational therapists, we also offer mentoring to allied health assistants and other support professionals who benefit from OT-informed guidance. If you are unsure whether mentoring is right for your role, contact us and we can discuss what the process would look like for your specific context and goals.
Can Mentoring Help With Complex Cases or Documentation and Reporting?
Yes. Working through complex or challenging cases is one of the most common reasons professionals seek mentoring. Sessions provide a structured, reflective space to think through clinical reasoning, assessment findings, and next steps. Strengthening documentation and report writing is also a frequent focus, particularly for practitioners working within NDIS contexts where clear, evidence-informed writing is essential.
Do You Offer Group Training and Group Mentoring?
Yes, for both. Group training is our primary format for schools and community organisations, and works well for teams of varying sizes. Group mentoring is also available for small professional cohorts who want to build shared knowledge, reflective practice, and peer support alongside individual growth. Contact us to discuss which format best suits your team and what you are hoping to achieve.
How Do I Know Whether Training or Mentoring Is the Right Fit?
If you are a school, support organisation, or community group looking to build knowledge and practical skills across a team, training is likely the right fit. If you are an allied health professional looking for structured, reflective support for your own practice and professional development, mentoring is more appropriate. If you are still unsure, reach out and we will help you work out which pathway fits your situation and goals.
Get Started with Learn for Life
Learning for real life starts here. We make it simple.
1. Send us an enquiry
2. We’ll be in touch within 1–2 business days
3. We’ll let you know if and how we can help
4. We’ll organise a training at a time that suits you