A dog in a therapy session might sound like a gimmick. It isn't. When a trained therapy animal is deliberately integrated into occupational therapy by a qualified therapist, it becomes what clinicians call a co-therapist, a partner that helps children and young adults reach goals in ways that humans alone sometimes can't. At Planet Ability in Warrandyte, our animal team includes certified therapy dogs and miniature donkeys, and sheep they're part of a considered clinical fram

Choosing the right occupational therapist is key to helping your family thrive. An occupational therapist acts as a bridge between current challenges and future independence. At Planet Ability in Warrandyte, every occupational therapist on our team provides neurodiversity-affirming support for children, teens, and young adults (ages 2 to 35). Most importantly, an occupational therapist does not try to change a person we adapt environments and builds practical strategies for e

At Planet Ability, we don’t just work in the world of neurodivergence: we live in it. When you walk through the doors of our Warrandyte clinic, you’re not just meeting clinicians with degrees and clinical hours. You’re meeting people who understand the internal feeling of sensory overwhelm, the intricate dance of executive functioning, and the profound importance of finding a space where you can truly be yourself. Today, we want to introduce you to the two humans (and one ver

At Planet Ability, we know that for many of our families, the day doesn't start with a gentle alarm and a slow cup of coffee. It often starts with a high-stakes negotiation over socks or a desperate search for a school form. We’ve also lived through the other end of the day: the 3:30 pm meltdown, the executive function "cliff," and the sheer exhaustion of masking through a six-hour school day. When we designed our practice on our beautiful 2.5-acre property in Warrandyte, we

For many neurodivergent teens and young adults, the traditional "clinical" environment can feel like a barrier. The bright fluorescent lights, the small, windowless rooms, and the pressure of sitting face-to-face across a desk can send the nervous system into high alert. At Planet Ability, we know that when the environment doesn't fit the person, everything else becomes infinitely harder to navigate. That’s why we’ve built something different. Based on a beautiful 2.5-acre na

When families or participants first look into Planet Ability, one of the most common questions we get is: "Why such a broad age range? How can an occupational therapy clinic support both a 2-year-old toddler and a 35-year-old adult?" It is a great question. Traditional therapy spaces often separate people into strict categories—you’re either a paediatric clinic focused entirely on play, or an adult clinic that skips the lighthearted play side of OT. At Planet Ability, we don