Occupational Therapy
Occupational therapists (OTs) help people perform optimally in their occupations. These are things we do every day, such as eating, drinking, playing, socializing, dressing, toileting… among many other things! When a child cannot perform these activities, further support may be warranted.
Pediatric occupational therapy supports children in full participation and engagement with their daily activities across home, school, and in the community. This could be someone who can’t get dressed in the morning because their clothes don’t feel right, or their socks have seams in them, or they want to wear short sleeves instead of long sleeves. Or perhaps the child refuses to eat certain foods if they don’t look right, feel funny, or smell different. Or maybe it’s the child who can’t stop moving, loves to crash into things, and rough houses just a little too much. Or maybe even the child who has really big emotions, whether that be crying a little too easily or getting mad beyond belief. All of these things are related to your child’s sensory processing. Your child doesn’t want to act this way, but it’s their body’s way of responding to the world around them and asking for help.
Occupational therapy can help! The brain allows for change through neuroplasticity. We help make new connections in the brain to participate more fully in daily activities. A child’s most meaningful occupation is play. Play is therefore the basis of our therapy sessions. We want your child to have fun in sessions while working through challenging skill areas. Through OT, we can target various areas such as fine motor coordination, self-care skills, picky eating, feeding difficulties, attention, emotional regulation, handwriting, and overreactive or underactive sensory systems.
Our OTs work with children of all ages supporting them through transitions such as preschool to elementary school, all the way through the transition to college. We work with children with a variety of backgrounds and diagnoses, such as those with autism, ADHD, developmental delays, trauma history, or sensory processing concerns.
Our Areas of Expertise:
Sensory Processing: Our OTs specialize in addressing sensory processing difficulties, ensuring that children can effectively navigate their sensory experiences and engage more fully in their daily activities. Through targeted interventions and personalized strategies, we help children regulate their sensory responses and thrive in various environments.
Emotional Regulation: We are experienced in supporting children in developing emotional regulation skills, empowering them to manage their emotions effectively and participate more fully in social interactions and daily routines. Our compassionate approach focuses on building self-awareness and coping mechanisms to foster emotional well-being.
Picky Eating: Our OTs are skilled in addressing feeding difficulties and picky eating behaviors. We understand the complexities of mealtime challenges and work closely with children and families to create positive mealtime experiences. Using evidence-based interventions, we help children expand their food preferences and develop healthier eating habits.
Handwriting: Our OTs address handwriting difficulties, providing targeted interventions to improve handwriting legibility and proficiency. Through specialized techniques and individualized strategies, we help children develop the fine motor skills and coordination needed for successful handwriting.
Sign up for a free consultation call below to chat with one of our OTs about how we can help your child better participate in daily activities!
Client Testimonials
"We were not sure who else to turn too for some of our daughters struggles but after filling out a thorough assessment and talking in length to Kristy, we felt comfortable and encouraged to start with OT. She was so easy to talk to and made herself available for questions or concerns any time. She helped us see and understand that sensory challenges could be the best place to focus attention and therapy on. We had no idea! Therapy with Kristy helped so much!"
"I can’t say enough wonderful things about Prickly Pear. My son has made progress since he began therapy with Kristy (OT) and Kalista (Speech). My son is autistic and nonverbal. He is four years old. The therapists are empathetic, fun, engaging, knowledgeable, understanding, patient, and professional. Their space is great and has a number of fun activities that my son enjoys. I am very grateful for these gals! They are superb! I highly recommend Prickly Pear!!"