Play with Purpose: Essential Paediatric Principles and Practice for Ages 4-12 (Online)
🎯 Learn a step-by-step framework for assessing, planning, and delivering play-based therapy—designed specifically for Paediatric therapists!
Write your awesome label here.
A complete, step-by-step framework to confidently assess, plan, and implement play-based therapy that improves motor skills, coordination, balance, and sensory integration.
Through this course, you’ll gain:
✅ A Complete Play-Based Therapy Framework: Learn how to use play to improve motor skills, sensory integration, and executive function.
✅ Ready to use assessment tools and checklists for balance, coordination, proprioception, vestibular system, core and agility
✅ Track progress and easily communicate results with parents and NDIS reports.
✅ Track progress and easily communicate results with parents and NDIS reports.
✅ Step by Step progression-based interventions for kids of all abilities from beginner to advanved
✅ NDIS documentation templates to streamline goal-setting and reporting
✅ Practical, real-world strategies to engage children in therapy
✅ 20 CPD Hours—Recognized professional development
Whether you’re a new or experienced therapist, this course will support you to deliver high-quality, engaging therapy that gets real results with purposeful play.
Whether you’re a new or experienced therapist, this course will support you to deliver high-quality, engaging therapy that gets real results with purposeful play.
Who is this course for?
🎯 Paediatric Physiotherapists, OTs and Exercise Physiologists looking for structured, evidence-based play therapy approaches.
🎯 Professionals wanting ready-to-use assessment tools and intervention strategies that are relevant to real world practice
🎯 Anyone working with NDIS clients who needs effective goal-setting and documentation strategies.
Real World Principles for Immediate Impact
Transform Your Paediatric Therapy Sessions with Engaging Purposeful Play:
Master Play-Based Principles: Learn to integrate play-based principles and fundamental developmental concepts into your practice, with engaging activities to support children with disabilities. Universal principles that can be applied to any session, enhancing therapy time.
Comprehensive Assessments: Improve your ability to accurately assess developmental progress and needs, leading to more targeted and successful interventions. Gain expertise in conducting play based assessments and outcome measures, with training on neurodevelopmental and neurological conditions.
Motor Skills Development: Understand universal principles in motor skills development through targeted play activities. Gain techniques and strategies that can be adapted to address physical development challenges for any child or goal, ensuring comprehensive and effective therapies across diverse needs and abilities.
Adaptive Play Techniques: Explore adaptive play techniques and modifications that enable children with disabilities to participate in and enjoy play, enhancing their physical and social development.
Comprehensive Assessments: Improve your ability to accurately assess developmental progress and needs, leading to more targeted and successful interventions. Gain expertise in conducting play based assessments and outcome measures, with training on neurodevelopmental and neurological conditions.
Motor Skills Development: Understand universal principles in motor skills development through targeted play activities. Gain techniques and strategies that can be adapted to address physical development challenges for any child or goal, ensuring comprehensive and effective therapies across diverse needs and abilities.
Adaptive Play Techniques: Explore adaptive play techniques and modifications that enable children with disabilities to participate in and enjoy play, enhancing their physical and social development.
Why We Need Play Based Therapists
Approximately 7% of Australian children have developmental disorders that benefit from physiotherapy interventions.
The Early Childhood Intervention Australia (ECIA) estimates that 1 in 5 children under five years old could benefit from early intervention services.
Approximately 29% of children with disabilities aged 5-14 years participate in organized sports outside of school hours, compared to 64% of children without disabilities.
About Us
Hi, I’m James Dowton, Paediatric Physiotherapist and founder of Adaptive Kids.
With years of experience helping children develop motor skills with play-based interventions. I created the Play with Purpose Course.
This was developed to support Paediatric therapists with a step-by-step framework to assess, plan, and deliver engaging therapy sessions with confidence, creativity, and measurable results.
This was developed to support Paediatric therapists with a step-by-step framework to assess, plan, and deliver engaging therapy sessions with confidence, creativity, and measurable results.
🎯 Our Mission: Every child deserves access to meaningful play that helps them grow, move, and engage with the world. Play with Purpose empowers therapists with the tools, knowledge, and support to make that happen.
🔥 Join me inside Play with Purpose and transform the way you approach therapy — together we can support more kids to move and with freedom and confidence!
Australian Paediatric Physiotherapist
Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Hons) - University of Newcastle
Masters of Advanced Paediatric Physiotherapy - Monash University
NSW APA Paediatric Committee
Member of the Australian College of Physiotherapists
Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Hons) - University of Newcastle
Masters of Advanced Paediatric Physiotherapy - Monash University
NSW APA Paediatric Committee
Member of the Australian College of Physiotherapists
James Dowton
Frequently asked questions
❓ What is Play with Purpose: Essential Paediatric Principles and Practice for Ages 4-12
This course is a comprehensive, evidence-based program designed for Paediatric therapists who want to integrate structured, play-based interventions into their therapy sessions. It covers motor skill assessment, play-based interventions, NDIS documentation templates, and practical strategies to enhance therapy outcomes for children aged 4-12.
❓ Who is this course for?
This course is designed for:
✔️ Paediatric Physiotherapists and Exercise Physiologists who want to optimize play-based therapy strategies.
✔️ Occupational Therapists looking for structured motor skill development approaches.
✔️ Therapists working with NDIS participants who need effective assessment tools and intervention strategies.
✔️ New graduates or those starting in the Paediatric Space seeking a deeper understanding of play-based therapy and skills to support their Paediatric Development.
✔️ Experienced clinicians looking for fresh, evidence-based approaches to play.
✔️ Paediatric Physiotherapists and Exercise Physiologists who want to optimize play-based therapy strategies.
✔️ Occupational Therapists looking for structured motor skill development approaches.
✔️ Therapists working with NDIS participants who need effective assessment tools and intervention strategies.
✔️ New graduates or those starting in the Paediatric Space seeking a deeper understanding of play-based therapy and skills to support their Paediatric Development.
✔️ Experienced clinicians looking for fresh, evidence-based approaches to play.
❓ How is the course structured?
The course is delivered online with self-paced modules that include:
📌Introduction to Paediatric Principles: Foundations of pediatric physiotherapy and play-based intervention.
📌Understanding typical and atypical development in children aged 4-12.
📌Structured assessment checklist tools to evaluate motor skills across key domains: Balance, Coordination, Proprioception Agility, Core Strength, Motor Planning & Sequencing
📌Understanding the 'Why, How, and What' of Each System
📌 Intervention Frameworks – Play-based strategies with progression levels to match children’s needs.
📌 NDIS Documentation & Templates – Pre-made functional reports, progress tracking tools, and goal-setting guides.
📌Introduction to Paediatric Principles: Foundations of pediatric physiotherapy and play-based intervention.
📌Understanding typical and atypical development in children aged 4-12.
📌Structured assessment checklist tools to evaluate motor skills across key domains: Balance, Coordination, Proprioception Agility, Core Strength, Motor Planning & Sequencing
📌Understanding the 'Why, How, and What' of Each System
📌 Intervention Frameworks – Play-based strategies with progression levels to match children’s needs.
📌 NDIS Documentation & Templates – Pre-made functional reports, progress tracking tools, and goal-setting guides.
❓ How does the course subscription work?
To make this course as accessible and affordable as possible, it’s available as a yearly subscription. This means you get ongoing access to:
🔹 All course content – Watch and revisit lessons at your own pace.
🔹 New updates & additional resources – Continuous access to evolving best practices.
🔹You can cancel anytime with no lock-in contracts. If you cancel, you’ll still retain access to all resources you’ve downloaded before cancellation.
🔹As long as your subscription is active, you’ll have unlimited access to the course and any future updates. If you choose to cancel, you will no longer have access to the course content, but any downloaded templates, checklists, or resources are yours to keep forever.
🔹 All course content – Watch and revisit lessons at your own pace.
🔹 New updates & additional resources – Continuous access to evolving best practices.
🔹You can cancel anytime with no lock-in contracts. If you cancel, you’ll still retain access to all resources you’ve downloaded before cancellation.
🔹As long as your subscription is active, you’ll have unlimited access to the course and any future updates. If you choose to cancel, you will no longer have access to the course content, but any downloaded templates, checklists, or resources are yours to keep forever.
❓ What is a Certified Play with Purpose Therapist?
Becoming a Certified Play with Purpose Therapist means you’ve successfully completed this program and demonstrated competency in using play-based principles, structured assessments, and therapy progressions to enhance paediatric intervention.
As a Certified Play with Purpose Therapist, you’ll receive:
✔️ A professional certification badge to display on your website, emails, or clinic materials.
✔️ This certification boosts your credibility as a paediatric therapist and helps differentiate your practice from others, it is a certification that parents and families can recognise and trust
As a Certified Play with Purpose Therapist, you’ll receive:
✔️ A professional certification badge to display on your website, emails, or clinic materials.
✔️ This certification boosts your credibility as a paediatric therapist and helps differentiate your practice from others, it is a certification that parents and families can recognise and trust
❓ Does this course count towards my CPD hours?
Yes! Completing this course provides 20 CPD hours, which can be used towards your continuing professional development as a paediatric therapist.
❓ How will this course improve my practice as a Paediatric therapist?
By completing this course, you will:
✔️ Learn structured assessment techniques to evaluate key motor skills (balance, coordination, proprioception, agility, vestibular system, core strength.).
✔️ Master play-based interventions with clear progressions that increase child engagement and skill development.
✔️ Improve therapy efficiency by using ready-made checklists, intervention plans, and NDIS documentation templates.
✔️ Reduce admin time with streamlined functional reports and goal-setting tools.
✔️ Build confidence in using play as a therapy tool across different developmental levels.
✔️ Learn structured assessment techniques to evaluate key motor skills (balance, coordination, proprioception, agility, vestibular system, core strength.).
✔️ Master play-based interventions with clear progressions that increase child engagement and skill development.
✔️ Improve therapy efficiency by using ready-made checklists, intervention plans, and NDIS documentation templates.
✔️ Reduce admin time with streamlined functional reports and goal-setting tools.
✔️ Build confidence in using play as a therapy tool across different developmental levels.
❓ What if I have questions during the course?
We provide ongoing support inside the course where you can directly ask questions, discuss case studies, and connect. If you have technical or course-related issues, you can also contact info@adaptivekids.com.au
💡 Still not sure if this course is right for you?
If you’re a Paediatric Therapist looking for a structured, evidence-based approach to play-based therapy, this course will give you the confidence, tools, and strategies you need to transform your sessions.
Our mission is to empower children to move with confidence through fun, engaging, and expertly designed activities.
Every child deserves the opportunity to play in a way that feels natural, enjoyable, and meaningful. By blending play with purposeful movement, we help kids develop the skills they need to thrive — on the playground, in sports, and in everyday life.
Every child deserves the opportunity to play in a way that feels natural, enjoyable, and meaningful. By blending play with purposeful movement, we help kids develop the skills they need to thrive — on the playground, in sports, and in everyday life.
Copyright © 2025
Created with
