Build Engaging, Play-Based Sessions That Drive Lasting Progress

Play with Purpose: Essential Paediatric Principles and Practice (Online)

This course equips Paediatric Therapists with the knowledge and clinical frameworks to design play that is not just engaging, but transformative.

You’ll explore theory, build practical skills, improve clinical reasoning and gain the confidence to apply purposeful play in sessions that drive measurable change


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What You’ll Learn

This course is designed to move you beyond theory into practical confidence.

Each module combines evidence, clinical reasoning, and step-by-step application so you can bring purposeful play into your sessions with clarity and skill.

Introduction to Paediatric Principles

We build the developmental foundation for purposeful play.

  • Cognitive development through play: Understand how children learn and process information in playful contexts.

  • Neuroscience of problem-solving: Discover what happens in the brain during play and how this supports attention, memory, and learning.

  • Higher-level skills: Learn how play fosters critical thinking, decision-making, and planning in children.

  • Language through movement: See how motor-skill-based games and sports drive communication and language development.


Play Theory, Development & Your Role as a Therapist

  • Explore play development theories and their relevance to modern therapy.

  • Understand the stages of play and how they link to motor, cognitive, and social development.

  • Define your role as a therapist in shaping purposeful, play-based interventions.


Outcome: You’ll gain a deep theoretical foundation of how and why play matters while developing the clinical reasoning skills to adapt and include play within your practice.

Motor Skill Assessment: Balance, Coordination, Proprioception, Agility, Endurance, Core Strength, Visual Skills

  • Learn how motor skills develop across infancy and childhood.

  • Use structured checklists (0–6+ years) to assess balance, vestibular function,  proprioception, coordination, core strength, motor planning, endurance, and agility.

  • Identify strengths and areas for support with clear, age-banded developmental milestones.


Outcome: You’ll leave with practical assessment tools to benchmark progress and guide program design with confidence.

Play with Purpose: Interventions

  • Learn how to design and structure play interventions for different developmental needs.

  • Understand motor planning and sequencing within play to target higher-level skills.

  • Tailor interventions to individual goals while maintaining engagement and progression.

Outcome: You’ll be equipped with a toolkit of purposeful play interventions, ready to adapt for diverse caseloads and therapy environments.

Education, Advocacy & NDIS Report Writing

  • Learn how to support children with specific needs (ADHD, ASD, Neurological Conditions) through targeted play-based therapy.

  • Develop skills for setting clear goals and tracking progress.

  • Access practical templates for NDIS reviews and therapy reports.

  • Understand how to communicate the value of play-based therapy to parents, teachers, and multidisciplinary teams.

Outcome: You’ll strengthen your professional voice as a therapist, confident not only in delivering interventions, but in documenting, advocating, and communicating their impact.

This course is structured as a yearly subscription to make professional development accessible, flexible, and genuinely useful:


🔹 Complete course access — Revisit lessons and frameworks whenever you need them.
🔹 Continuous updates — New modules and resources added throughout the year.
🔹 Practical downloads — Keep all templates, checklists, and tools for life.
🔹 No lock-in — Cancel anytime; your access continues for 12 months, and all downloaded resources remain yours.


💡 An entire year of structured learning, assessments, interventions, and ongoing updates that are accessible on your schedule to suit your life.

About Us

Hi, I’m James Dowton, Paediatric Physiotherapist and founder of Adaptive Kids.

Play is a powerful way to support children with motor delays, coordination challenges, and sensory needs. In this course, my focus is simple: to equip you with the knowledge and confidence to understand development and apply play with real purpose.

To give you a step-by-step framework to assess, plan, and deliver engaging therapy sessions with confidence, creativity, and measurable results.

You’ll learn how to:

✅ Understand child development in a play-based context: so you know what to expect, when to adapt, and how to set meaningful goals.

✅ Assess effectively through play: using practical checklists and frameworks that translate observations into clear clinical reasoning.

✅ Apply structured programs — progressions that build strength, coordination, and engagement over time.

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.
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 

James Dowton

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.
✅ Step by Step progression-based interventions for kids of all abilities from beginner to advanced
✅ 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.

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.

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 organised sports outside of school hours, compared to 64% of children without disabilities.

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 optimise 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 this different from other PD courses?

The course is delivered online with self-paced modules that combines both: developmental theory, neuroscience, and assessment frameworks plus practical checklists, interventions, and templates you can apply straight away.

It’s designed to bridge the gap between learning and real-world practice.

❓ 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 maintain access until 12 months from purchase, 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

❓ 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.

❓ 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.
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