Occupational Therapist

Role Overview

Occupational Therapist at NMC Healthcare. The role provides specialized occupational therapy services within Pediatric Rehabilitation Services, delivering comprehensive assessment, treatment planning, intervention and outcome monitoring for children with developmental, neurological and neurodevelopmental conditions that affect functional performance, participation and independence.

Role Purpose

The Occupational Therapist works as part of a multidisciplinary pediatric rehabilitation team to develop individualized, evidence-based intervention plans that support the child's participation in self-care, play, learning, mobility and daily routines across home, educational and community environments. The role manages children with complex conditions such as cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorder, developmental delay, ADHD and other pediatric conditions through interventions addressing upper-limb function, fine motor and visual-motor skills, sensory processing, activities of daily living, positioning, seating, splinting, assistive technology and environmental adaptation according to individual needs.

Key Responsibilities

Assessment

• Conduct comprehensive, age-appropriate occupational therapy assessments for children with developmental, neurological and neurodevelopmental conditions, including cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorder, ADHD and developmental delay.
• Assess the child's functional performance and participation in self-care, play, learning and daily routines, considering motor, sensory, cognitive, perceptual, psychosocial and environmental factors.
• Use standardized pediatric assessments, clinical and play-based observation, caregiver and educator interviews and functional outcome measures appropriate to the child's age, diagnosis and needs.
• Assess and address fine motor, gross motor participation, visual-motor integration, visual-perceptual skills, upper-limb function, bilateral coordination, motor planning and functional hand use within the occupational therapy scope of practice.
• Assess sensory processing and regulation needs and implement appropriate evidence-based sensory-motor strategies to support participation, attention and engagement in daily activities.
• Assess functional independence in age-appropriate activities of daily living, including dressing, grooming, feeding, toileting and other self-care tasks, and provide graded interventions and adaptive strategies as indicated.
• Assess seating, positioning and postural support needs and recommend appropriate wheelchairs, seating systems, positioning aids, splints, orthoses, adaptive equipment and assistive technology within professional scope and competency.

Treatment Planning and Intervention

• Develop and implement individualized, evidence-based treatment plans with measurable functional goals that promote independence, participation and quality of life across home, educational and community environments.
• Fabricate or prescribe splints and other occupational therapy devices where clinically indicated, and provide training to children, families and caregivers in their safe and effective use.
• Observe children within their educational or functional environments, where appropriate, to identify barriers to participation, learning, self-care and independence and recommend practical strategies, adaptive equipment and environmental modifications.

Collaboration and Coordination

• Work collaboratively with Physicians, Physiotherapy, Speech and Language Therapy, Dietetics, Psychology, educators, inclusion teams and other relevant professionals to support coordinated multidisciplinary assessment, goal setting and intervention.
• Collaborate with educators, inclusion teams and learning support staff to integrate therapeutic recommendations, positioning, sensory strategies and functional adaptations into the child's daily routines and learning environment.
• Participate in multidisciplinary case conferences, progress reviews, care planning and discharge or transition planning, providing relevant clinical recommendations and progress updates within consent and confidentiality requirements.

Family-Centered Care and Education

• Provide family-centered care and actively involve parents and caregivers in goal setting, home programs, caregiver education and carry-over of therapeutic strategies.
• Provide caregiver and educator training on positioning, handling, self-care strategies, sensory regulation, adaptive techniques, equipment use and environmental modifications to promote consistent carry-over across the child's environments.

Monitoring and Documentation

• Monitor progress using appropriate pediatric outcome measures and revise intervention plans according to clinical findings, functional progress, family feedback and multidisciplinary recommendations.
• Maintain timely, accurate and comprehensive documentation of assessments, treatment sessions, progress, communication, cancellations, reports, equipment recommendations and discharge planning in accordance with legal, professional and organizational requirements.
• Identify developmental, safeguarding or clinical concerns and escalate or refer appropriately in accordance with organizational policies and procedures.

Qualifications & Experience

Education

• Bachelor's Degree in Occupational Therapy or equivalent recognized qualification (essential).
• Master's Degree in Occupational Therapy or a relevant pediatric rehabilitation field (preferred).

Experience

• Minimum 2 years' Occupational Therapy experience, including pediatric clinical experience (essential).
• 5+ years' pediatric rehabilitation experience, particularly with children with neurological and neurodevelopmental conditions (preferred).
• Experience working with children with cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, developmental delay and other neurodevelopmental conditions (preferred).
• Previous experience in school-based rehabilitation or pediatric therapy within educational settings (preferred).

Certification and Licensure

• Current DOH licensure and home-country professional registration/licensure, as applicable (essential).
• Membership of relevant professional bodies (preferred).

Skills & Competencies

• Knowledge and experience in pediatric occupational therapy assessment and intervention.
• Knowledge of functional assessment, activities of daily living, fine motor and visual-motor skills, sensory processing and participation-based interventions.
• Ability to develop functional, child- and family-centered goals and deliver therapy across school, home and community environments.
• Knowledge of seating, positioning, splinting, adaptive equipment and assistive technology.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with children, families, educators and multidisciplinary teams.
• Effective clinical reasoning, treatment planning, documentation and communication skills.
• Computer proficiency and ability to learn relevant clinical systems.
• Training and/or experience in pediatric standardized assessments, such as PEDI-CAT, Sensory Profile 2 and SPM-2 (preferred).
• Pediatric NDT/Bobath knowledge, training or certification (preferred).
• Sensory Integration training or qualification (preferred).
• Experience in specialized pediatric seating and positioning, splinting, adaptive equipment and assistive technology (preferred).
• Arabic language skills or experience providing occupational therapy to Arabic-speaking children and families (preferred).

Additional Information

• Services are delivered in accordance with Department of Health (DOH) requirements, organizational policies and procedures, and the professional scope of practice for Occupational Therapy.