Rate My Professor Simon Garbellini

Dr. Simon Garbellini serves as a Senior Occupational Therapist in the Cerebral Palsy Service and Research Coordinator within Kids Rehab WA at Perth Children’s Hospital. He holds a conjoint position with the Curtin University School of Allied Health in the Faculty of Health Sciences. With more than 30 years of clinical experience as an occupational therapist, including over 25 years focused on children with cerebral palsy, Garbellini provides direct clinical care using evidence-informed practices for children with complex movement disorders, chronic pain, and hand and upper limb impairments. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy (BSc OT), Master of Health Service Management (MHSM), and PhD in 2021 from Australian Catholic University. His doctoral research investigated clinical decision-making about upper limb orthosis prescription for children with cerebral palsy and the application of the Neurological Hand Deformity Classification (NHDC) to guide orthotic interventions. Garbellini also runs a private practice specializing in the management of neurological upper limb impairments and serves as an associate investigator in multicentre randomised controlled trials at Australian Catholic University examining the medium- to long-term use of rigid wrist and hand orthoses for children with cerebral palsy.

Garbellini’s academic interests center on upper limb interventions for children with cerebral palsy, encompassing goal-directed training, orthotic prescription rationale and effectiveness, hand deformity classification, and education for healthcare professionals. He leads the CONNECT-CP project, which seeks to enable earlier diagnosis of cerebral palsy and ensure all children in Western Australia have access to timely assessment and support. Notable publications include “Use of the Neurological Hand Deformity Classification in clinical practice for children with cerebral palsy: a case study approach” (2025, Disability and Rehabilitation); “Key elements of Goal-Directed Training for children with cerebral palsy: A qualitative content analysis” (2024, British Journal of Occupational Therapy); “Exploring themes to inform an education module on cerebral palsy upper limb management for novice healthcare professionals” (2024); “Identifying priorities for Australian disability research using Q-methodology” (2024, Disability and Health Journal); “The Neurological Hand Deformity Classification: Construct validity, test-retest, and inter-rater reliability” (2021, Journal of Hand Therapy); “Prescribing upper limb orthoses for children with cerebral palsy: a Q methodology study of occupational therapists’ decision making” (2019); and “Rationale for prescription, and effectiveness of, upper limb orthotic intervention for children with cerebral palsy: a systematic review” (2017, Disability and Rehabilitation). A member of the Australian Hand Therapy Association and Australasian Academy of Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine, Garbellini champions the translation of research into clinical practice to enhance health outcomes for children with cerebral palsy.