What We Do

Occupational therapy (OT) is a dynamic and interactive therapeutic approach OT professionals use to support children in achieving success in various crucial areas of their lives. OT utilizes multisensory activities incorporating sight, sound, touch, movement, and muscle support to help children build and refine essential skills. By addressing aspects such as regulation of arousal level, sensory processing and discrimination, fine motor and gross motor skills, visual motor and perceptual skills, communication development, social interaction and participation, cognitive skills, self-esteem, self-identity, and self-care, occupational therapy guides children on a path towards becoming capable, healthy, and independent individuals. Pediatric Occupational therapists address various skills to support students in their educational journey. Here are some of the critical skills that occupational therapists focus on:

• Fine Motor Skills: Occupational therapists work on developing and improving fine motor skills, which are crucial for tasks like handwriting, cutting with scissors, using utensils, and manipulating small objects. They address areas such as hand strength, dexterity, finger coordination, and pencil grip to enhance students' ability to participate in classroom activities.
• Gross Motor Skills: Occupational therapists also address gross motor skills, which involve coordinating large muscle groups. These skills are essential for running, jumping, balance, and coordination. By improving gross motor skills, occupational therapists help students participate in physical education classes, recess, and other physical activities throughout the school day.
• Visual-Motor Skills: Occupational therapists enhance visual-motor skills, which involve the coordination of visual perception and motor movements. These skills are necessary for tasks such as copying from the board, tracking words while reading, and accurately placing objects. By strengthening visual-motor skills, occupational therapists support students' academic performance and overall functional abilities.
• Sensory Processing Skills: Occupational therapists address sensory processing skills to help students effectively process and respond to sensory information from their environment. They work with students with sensory sensitivities or difficulties with sensory integration. By implementing sensory-based interventions and strategies, occupational therapists support students in managing sensory challenges and enhancing their attention, focus, and self-regulation in the classroom.
• Self-Care Skills: Occupational therapists assist students in developing and improving self-care skills, including activities like dressing, grooming, toileting, and feeding. They provide strategies and interventions to promote independence and self-confidence in managing these daily tasks, ensuring students can participate fully in their school routines.
• Executive Functioning Skills: Occupational therapists address executive functioning skills, encompassing a range of cognitive processes such as planning, organizing, time management, problem-solving, and self-control. These skills are essential for academic success and independent functioning. Occupational therapists help students develop strategies and routines to enhance their executive functioning abilities, enabling them to manage tasks, assignments, and classroom expectations effectively.
• Social Skills: Occupational therapists promote social skills and social-emotional development in students. They address turn-taking, sharing, empathy, communication, and social interaction. By providing guidance, social stories, and social skills training, occupational therapists support students in building positive relationships, enhancing peer interactions, and navigating social situations within the school setting.
• Assistive Technology and Adaptive Equipment: Occupational therapists assess and recommend using assistive technology and adaptive equipment to support students with physical or cognitive challenges. They ensure that students have access to appropriate tools and devices to facilitate their participation in classroom activities and promote independence.

Speech-language pathology for children, also known as pediatric speech therapy, is a specialized field that focuses on assessing, diagnosing, and treating communication and pragmatic skills in children. Pediatric speech therapy employs evidence-based techniques and activities to achieve these goals. These may include play-based therapy, interactive exercises, visual aids, storytelling, role-playing, language games, and structured practice. SLPs collaborate closely with children, families, and other professionals involved in the child's care, such as teachers and occupational therapists, to ensure a comprehensive and coordinated approach. By addressing communication and swallowing challenges in children, speech-language pathology aims to improve their overall quality of life, promote academic success, enhance social interactions, and foster independence in daily activities. The main goals of pediatric speech therapy include:

• Speech Sound Production: SLPs address articulation and phonological disorders, helping children improve their ability to produce speech sounds correctly. They work on speech clarity, articulatory placement, and overall speech intelligibility.
• Language Development: Speech-language pathologists target various aspects of language, including vocabulary, grammar, sentence structure, understanding and following directions, and storytelling skills. They assist children in developing age-appropriate language skills for effective communication.
• Social Communication: SLPs work on enhancing social communication skills, including nonverbal cues, turn-taking, understanding social norms, initiating and maintaining conversations, and interpreting social contexts. They help children navigate social interactions and build meaningful relationships with peers and adults.
• Fluency: Speech therapists address fluency disorders, such as stuttering, by providing techniques and strategies to manage disfluencies, improve speech fluency, and increase confidence in speaking.
• Swallowing and Feeding: SLPs assess and treat swallowing and feeding difficulties in children, addressing issues related to oral motor control, chewing, swallowing coordination, and managing different food textures and consistencies. They help ensure safe and efficient swallowing and promote adequate nutrition and hydration.
• Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC): SLPs may introduce and support using AAC systems for children with limited or no speech abilities. They help children and their families understand and effectively use AAC devices, such as communication boards, sign language, or speech-generating devices, to facilitate communication.

Physical therapy for children, also known as pediatric physical therapy, is a specialized branch of healthcare that promotes optimal movement, function, and physical independence in children. Pediatric physical therapy employs various techniques and interventions tailored to each child's needs. These may include therapeutic exercises, play-based activities, balance and coordination training, aquatic therapy, gait training, and therapeutic equipment or modalities. Pediatric physical therapists collaborate closely with children, families, and other healthcare professionals to establish goals, monitor progress, and develop comprehensive treatment plans. They aim to promote physical development, enhance functional abilities, and improve children's overall quality of life. The primary goals of pediatric physical therapy include:

1. Gross Motor Development: Pediatric physical therapists address gross motor skills, which involve coordinating and controlling large muscle groups. They work on crawling, walking, running, jumping, balance, coordination, and overall mobility. By promoting gross motor development, they help children gain independence in activities and participate fully in their environment.
2. Strength and Endurance: Physical therapists focus on improving children's strength, endurance, and muscle control. They design exercises and activities that target specific muscle groups and functional movements, helping children build the physical strength and stamina required for daily activities and participation in sports or recreational activities.
3. Motor Planning and Coordination: Pediatric physical therapy addresses motor planning and coordination difficulties. Therapists work on activities that enhance children's ability to plan and execute movements, improve bilateral coordination, refine hand-eye coordination, and promote body awareness.
4. Balance and Posture: Physical therapists assist children in developing proper balance and posture. They address core stability, alignment, and positioning issues to ensure optimal postural control during various activities, such as sitting, standing, and walking.
5. Range of Motion and Flexibility: Pediatric physical therapy includes interventions to improve joint range of motion and flexibility. Therapists utilize exercises, stretches, and manual techniques to increase mobility and prevent or manage joint stiffness or contractures.
6. Rehabilitation and Recovery: Physical therapists play a vital role in the rehabilitation and recovery process for children who have experienced injuries, surgeries, or illnesses. They provide exercises, therapeutic interventions, and modalities to facilitate healing, restore movement, and regain functional abilities.
7. Assistive Devices and Adaptive Equipment: Physical therapists assess the need for and recommend assistive devices, orthotics, or adaptive equipment to support children with mobility or functional limitations. They ensure proper fitting, educate children and families on device use, and facilitate independence.
8. Pediatric physical therapy employs various techniques and interventions tailored to each child's needs. These may include therapeutic exercises, play-based activities, balance and coordination training, aquatic therapy, gait training, and therapeutic equipment or modalities.
9. Pediatric physical therapists collaborate closely with children, families, and other healthcare professionals to establish goals, monitor progress, and develop comprehensive treatment plans. They aim to promote physical development, enhance functional abilities, and improve children's overall quality of life.