Occupational Therapy

Our occupational therapists (OTs) are committed to providing exceptional treatment for children and youth. We celebrate diversity with an emphasis on building from your child’s unique sensory, physical, and learning profile. We will work closely with your family to develop a complete plan of care and will empower your child to enjoy the “occupations” of childhood: learning and playing, eating and drinking, dressing and self-care. Through carefully composed treatment sessions, they’ll be guided to manage their emotions and sensory needs and to be independent at home and in the community.

Occupational therapy practitioners work with children and their families/caregivers to promote active engagement and participation with activities of daily living and occupations. Occupation refers to activities that support the health, well-being, and development of an individual (American Occupational Therapy Association, 2014). “For children and youth, occupations are activities that enable them to learn and develop life skills (e.g., preschool and school activities), be creative and/or derive enjoyment (e.g., play), and thrive (e.g., self-care and relationships with others) as both a means and an end. Occupational therapy practitioners work with children of all ages and abilities. Recommended interventions are based on a thorough understanding of typical development, the environments in which children engage (e.g., home, school, playground), and the impact of disability, illness, and impairment on the individual child’s development, play, learning, and overall occupational performance” (American Occupational Therapy Association, 2015). Children who may benefit from occupational therapy may be struggling with poor gross and/or fine motor skills, difficulty with coordination, sensory processing difficulties, emotional/behavioral issues, visual or cognitive impairments, neurological or musculoskeletal impairments, developmental delay, etc.

Sensory Processing

Does your child appear to be hypersensitive to certain textures, sounds, clothing, or hate getting hands messy? Do they fear swinging or climbing on playground equipment? Hate tummy time, have low endurance, frequently trips or falls? Do they appear to require intense amounts of input such as movement and/or love to crash into furniture/people, etc.? Do you have other sensory concerns not listed?

Gross Motor Issues

Difficulty crawling, walking, running, skipping, hopping, climbing, etc? Appearing clumsy and/or constantly bumping into furniture, walls or people? Difficulty with two-handed tasks? Overall delayed milestones?

Expressive Language

Does your child have difficulty manipulating clothing fasteners (zippers, buttons, tying shoes), getting dressed, using a fork or spoon, or opening food containers? Difficulty holding and utilizing a pencil? Is handwriting poor or sloppy? Does your child complain of their hands hurting frequently?

Specialized Programs