Pediatric Services

Pediatric
Occupational Therapy

When your child struggles with something that looks simple from the outside -- holding a pencil, tolerating a scratchy shirt, getting through a meal -- it can be hard to know where to turn. Our occupational therapists work with children from infancy through young adulthood, helping them build the real-life skills they need to feel capable and confident in their daily routines.

Schedule an Evaluation (201) 509-8205
Understanding OT

What Is Pediatric Occupational Therapy?

If you’re new to the world of OT, the name itself can be a little confusing. For children, “occupation” simply means the things that fill their day -- playing, learning, eating, getting dressed, making friends. Pediatric occupational therapy helps kids develop, strengthen, or recover the skills they need to do those things with less frustration and more independence.

We start with what your child is already good at, and build from there.

Our therapists look at the whole picture -- how your child’s physical abilities, sensory responses, thinking skills, and emotions all work together (or sometimes work against each other) when they try to do everyday tasks. From there, we create a treatment plan rooted in evidence-based strategies and plenty of play, tailored to your child’s specific needs and strengths.

One thing that sets our practice apart: our OTs work side by side with our speech-language pathologists and physical therapists, so your child’s care isn’t happening in separate silos. We also stay in close contact with you and your child’s teachers, because what happens in the therapy room only matters if it carries over into the classroom and at home.

Child smiling during an occupational therapy session

Specialized Programs

  • Handwriting Without Tears

    A hands-on handwriting program that teaches letter formation, sizing, and legibility through multiple senses

  • Sensory Integration Therapy

    Purposeful sensory activities that help children process input and regulate their responses

  • Feeding Therapy

    Support for picky eaters and children who struggle with chewing, swallowing, or food textures

  • Radiant Child Yoga (Ages 4+)

    Gentle yoga-based activities that build body awareness, focus, and calm

Areas of Expertise

What We Address

Every child we see has a different story. Here are some of the most common areas where occupational therapy makes a real difference.

Fine Motor Skills

Some kids have a hard time with the small, precise hand movements that adults take for granted -- grasping a crayon, cutting with scissors, managing buttons and zippers, using a fork. We work on building hand strength, dexterity, and coordination through activities that actually feel like fun to your child.

Gross Motor Skills

When climbing, jumping, throwing, or catching feels harder than it should, it often comes down to core strength, coordination, or body awareness. We help children develop the physical confidence they need to keep up on the playground and in gym class.

Sensory Integration & Processing

You might notice your child covering their ears in a busy restaurant, refusing to wear certain clothes, or constantly seeking intense movement. These are signs that their nervous system is having trouble organizing sensory information. Through sensory integration techniques, we help children learn to manage and respond to the world around them with less distress.

Self-Care & Behavior Regulation

Getting dressed, brushing teeth, managing bathroom routines, handling transitions between activities -- these are the building blocks of a child’s independence. We also help children develop real coping strategies for frustration, anxiety, and sensory overload, so the hard moments don’t derail the whole day.

Visual Perceptual & Visual Motor Skills

Visual perception is how the brain makes sense of what the eyes see. Visual motor integration is how that information coordinates with hand movements. Together, these skills affect everything from reading and writing to catching a ball and copying from the board. When they’re not working well, school can feel overwhelming. Our therapists use targeted assessments and activities to strengthen both.

Feeding Therapy & Handwriting

Mealtimes can be stressful when your child gags on new foods, refuses anything beyond a handful of safe items, or struggles with chewing and swallowing. Our feeding therapy addresses those challenges patiently and systematically. On the handwriting side, our Handwriting Without Tears program works on pencil grip, letter formation, spacing, and legibility through multisensory techniques that hold a child’s attention.

How We Work

Our Approach

1

Comprehensive Evaluation

Before we do anything else, we want to understand your child. That means a careful evaluation of their fine motor, gross motor, sensory, visual, and self-care abilities -- using standardized tests, hands-on observation, and honest conversation with you and your child’s teachers. No two kids look the same, and neither should their evaluations.

2

Play-Based Treatment

Children learn best when they’re engaged, and for kids, that means play. Every activity in our sessions has a clinical purpose behind it, but to your child, it just feels like a good time. We use adaptive equipment, sensory tools, and creative activities matched to what motivates your child specifically -- because a bored kid isn’t a learning kid.

3

Collaborative Care

Therapy doesn’t stop when the session ends. We give you practical strategies and home activities to reinforce what your child is working on. And we stay connected with teachers, pediatricians, and any other therapists involved, so everyone is pulling in the same direction. You’ll receive regular progress updates -- no guessing about how things are going.

When to Seek Help

Signs Your Child May Need Occupational Therapy

Every child develops at their own pace, and not every struggle means something is wrong. But if you’re noticing patterns like these, it’s worth having a conversation.

Trouble holding a pencil or using scissors compared to peers
Gets upset or shuts down around certain textures, sounds, or activities
Still struggling with dressing, buttons, or zippers beyond the expected age
Extremely limited diet or intense resistance to new foods
Handwriting that’s hard to read, or difficulty staying on the lines
Seems clumsy, bumps into things, or has poor balance
Big meltdowns during transitions or when routines change
Always on the move -- crashing into things, spinning, unable to sit still
Got Questions?

Frequently Asked Questions

The simplest way to think about it: OT tends to focus on the smaller, more detailed skills -- using hands, processing sensory information, self-care tasks like dressing and eating, and handwriting. PT focuses on bigger movements -- walking, running, jumping, balance, and overall strength. There’s some overlap, and many children benefit from both. When that’s the case, our therapists work together closely so nothing falls through the cracks.

We see children from infancy all the way through young adulthood. For babies and toddlers, we offer early intervention services. For school-age kids and teens, we work on things like handwriting, executive functioning, and the social skills that become more important as children grow.

Some children’s nervous systems have a harder time making sense of everyday sensory input -- things like touch, sound, movement, taste, and what they see. A child might overreact to a gentle touch or barely notice bumping into a wall. Sensory integration therapy uses carefully structured activities to help the brain get better at organizing all that incoming information, so your child can feel more comfortable and participate more fully in daily life.

It depends on your insurance plan. Some require a referral from your pediatrician, while others let you come to us directly. The easiest thing to do is give our office a call -- we can help you check your benefits and figure out whether you need a referral before we get started.

It’s a well-researched handwriting program that teaches letter formation, sizing, spacing, and legibility through multisensory activities -- things like building letters with wooden pieces, writing in different textures, and using music and movement. Our OTs use it alongside other strategies to help children build handwriting skills that actually hold up in the classroom.

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Related Services

Speech-Language Therapy

Helping children find their voice and develop strong communication skills.

Learn more

Physical Therapy

Building strength, balance, and movement confidence from infancy through childhood.

Learn more

Orton-Gillingham Reading Program

Structured, multisensory reading and spelling support for children with dyslexia.

Learn more
Get Started

Schedule an Occupational
Therapy Evaluation

If something about your child’s development has you concerned -- whether it’s their handwriting, their reactions to sensory input, or everyday tasks that seem harder than they should be -- we’re here to help you figure out what’s going on. An evaluation is a good first step.

Book an Evaluation Call (201) 509-8205