She was also experiencing intensive Occupational Therapy for the very first time.
Sophie’s family travelled specifically to attend CPA’s two-week HABIT-ILE intensive, where she worked towards everyday goals that many people take for granted.
Sophie’s goals included pouring water with two hands, putting on socks, peeling fruit, cleaning her glasses, cutting with scissors and using both hands together more effectively.
For Sophie’s family, HABIT-ILE was unlike anything they had experienced before.
Instead of immediately practising these tasks, therapists spent the first week developing the underlying movement skills.
That meant building strength, range of movement, posture and coordination before gradually introducing the real task.
To learn how to put on socks, Sophie didn’t start with socks.
She first practised stretching and holding different resistance bands before learning to stretch them over everyday objects like drink bottles. From there, she progressed to stretching them over her feet before practising with oversized socks and, eventually, regular socks.
Each activity was carefully designed to build the exact movement she would eventually need.
As Clinical Lead and Occupational Therapist Ella Teague explains:
“We hide the practice inside the game. The children think they’re playing, but they’re actually practising the exact movement they need to achieve their goal.”
Through games, crafts and playful challenges, Sophie was developing skills without even realising how much practice she was doing.
By the end of the program, Sophie had achieved more than her therapists expected.
At graduation, a video showed her confidently pouring water without spilling—a skill she was incredibly proud to demonstrate.
Her mum was equally impressed.
Coming from a different country and a different therapy background, she was fascinated by HABIT-ILE’s approach and how breaking goals into smaller components led to such significant progress.
Inspired by Sophie’s achievements, her mum is already planning another trip to CPA so Sophie can complete another intensive – this time focusing on her gross motor goals.
For Sophie, the trip to Sydney was much more than an opportunity to visit family.
It was the beginning of a new chapter – one that gave Sophie practical skills to become more independent today, while opening the door to even more possibilities in the future.
Success!
Sophie progresses to smaller buttons
Sophie’s buttoning checklist
