About

About Stepping Stones

Is your child having difficulties with participating fully in their life? Are they less independent than you would like?

Stepping Stones can help.

We offer a wide range of occupational therapy services to assist you in helping your child to develop the skills and confidence they need to flourish.

We see children from birth to 18 years and can offer a comprehensive assessment and individualised interventions to meet the needs of your child. We are available to see children in our clinics, their own homes, at school, in the community or via telehealth.

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We offer a wide range of occupational therapy services to assist you in helping your child to develop the skills and confidence they need to flourish.

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What is Occupational Therapy?

Occupational Therapists (OT’s) are registered health professionals who help people overcome challenges in their everyday occupations.

You might wonder what occupations your child has, and the answer to that is many! The primary occupation of childhood is play. Your child will spend many hours of the day engaged in different types of play activities, and during this time they are busy developing essential physical, sensory, social, emotional and cognitive (i.e., thinking) skills that lay the foundations for success in later life.

Other childhood occupations include self-care tasks (e.g., feeding yourself, having a bath, washing your hair, getting dressed, doing up buttons and shoelaces etc.) and activities of productivity (e.g. kindy/school activities, handwriting, using scissors, doing chores etc.).

Stepping Stones OT’s are trained to assess your child’s performance in these areas in order to determine the specific barriers to their success. Using this information we can then design a treatment program to meet your child’s individual needs. We then work with you in order to help your understanding and to give you practical tools and advice that you can use at home.

Stepping Stones was born in Wellington, New Zealand in 2010, when Clinical Director Michelle Newby realised her dream of offering therapy to children that focused on evidence-based interventions to help them get more out of life. When Michelle and her family moved back to Newcastle in 2015, they brought Stepping Stones with them.Over the years, Stepping Stones grew from a single room in a shared clinic in Merewether, NSW, into a multi-clinic practice, operating across Charlestown, Merewether and Toronto. At its peak, the practice included three clinics and employed up to 22 staff at any one time.

In 2026, Stepping Stones has intentionally returned to a clinician-led model, with Michelle once again providing therapy directly to children and families. While the practice is now smaller in scale, it continues with the same heart, values, and passion that have guided Stepping Stones from the very beginning.

Stepping Stones Therapy for Children strives to help children to unlock their potential and achieve their goals.

Excellence Always:

We are committed to continuous improvement & are always open to new opportunities. Our growth mindset and proactive attitude inspires us to strive for excellence every day.

Make a difference:

Building positive relationships with children and families is at the core of everything we do. We use an evidence-based approach to help children reach their own goals and to get more out of life.

Good Vibes:

We love to laugh & bring positive energy to our days. We care deeply about each other and the communities we serve. Celebrating the small and big wins energises and inspires us on a daily basis.

Pay it forward:

We are committed to making meaningful contributions to the communities we serve and those that have served us. We are generous with our time, energy & knowledge.

Looking to help your child develop the skills & confidence they need to flourish?

Stepping Stones Occupational Therapy offers a wide range of occupational therapy services to assist you or your client! Booking or making a referral online is really quick & convenient.

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