What is Pediatric Occupational Therapy?
A child’s most important occupations are to play, learn, grow, develop relationships, and become increasingly independent in everyday life. Pediatric occupational therapy helps children build the foundational skills they need to participate successfully at home, in school, in the community, and beyond.
At Building Blocks Pediatric Occupational Therapy Services, we believe that every child has unique strengths and tremendous potential. Through individualized, play-based and evidence-informed intervention, our occupational therapists help children develop the physical, sensory, emotional, cognitive, and social skills needed to thrive.
Occupational therapy is so much more than helping a child hold a pencil or improve handwriting. It is about helping children:
• Feel confident in their own bodies
• Develop independence and self-care skills
• Build meaningful relationships and friendships
• Participate successfully in school and community activities
• Understand and regulate their emotions and sensory needs
• Gain the skills needed to become happy, capable, and successful individuals
We work with children and young adults from birth through young adulthood, partnering closely with families, teachers, physicians, and other professionals to help every child reach their fullest potential.
Areas We Address Through Occupational Therapy
Early Development and Play
• Infant and early childhood development
• Developmental milestones
• Play skills and engagement
• School readiness abilities
• Attention and participation
Fine Motor and Visual Skills
• Fine motor development
• Hand strength and dexterity
• Handwriting and Dysgraphia
• Visual motor integration
• Visual perceptual skills
• Scissor skills and tool use
Gross Motor and Coordination Skills
• Motor planning and praxis
• Balance and coordination
• Bilateral integration and crossing midline
• Posture and core strength
• Body awareness and motor confidence
Sensory Processing and Self-Regulation
• Sensory processing and sensory integration
• Interoception development and body awareness
• Emotional regulation and coping strategies
• Attention and focus
• Self-regulation and executive functioning
• Anxiety and sensory-based behaviors
Activities of Daily Living
• Dressing and clothing management
• Feeding and mealtime participation
• Self-feeding skills
• Oral motor skills
• Toileting skills
• Grooming and hygiene routines
• Sleep and daily routines
Social and Executive Functioning Skills
• Social skills and peer interactions
• Problem-solving and flexibility
• Organizational skills
• Planning and time management
• Independence and self-advocacy
Neurological and Developmental Foundations
• Primitive reflex integration
• Sensory-motor development
• Body awareness and postural control
• Developmental coordination difficulties and dyspraxia
Our ultimate goal is to help children become successful participants in the activities that matter most to them—whether that is getting dressed independently, joining a soccer team, making friends, succeeding in school, riding a bike, trying new foods, or simply feeling more confident in their own skin.
What is Sensory Integration?
Every second of every day, our brains are taking in information from our senses. We process what we see, hear, touch, smell, taste, and feel within our bodies and use this information to move, learn, pay attention, manage emotions, and participate in everyday life.
Sensory integration is the brain’s ability to organize and make sense of this information so that we can respond appropriately to the world around us.
For many children, this process develops naturally through everyday experiences such as playing on the playground, climbing, swinging, running, cuddling, listening to music, and exploring new environments.
For some children, however, the brain has difficulty organizing and processing sensory information efficiently. When this occurs, daily activities that seem easy for others may feel overwhelming, confusing, or challenging.
A child with sensory processing difficulties may:
• Have difficulty paying attention or sitting still
• Become easily overwhelmed by sounds, clothing textures, or busy environments
• Constantly seek movement, crashing, jumping, or spinning activities
• Avoid certain sensations or become anxious with new experiences
• Have difficulty with coordination and motor planning
• Struggle with emotional regulation and transitions
• Appear clumsy or awkward in their movements
• Have challenges with self-confidence and body awareness
• Experience difficulties with behavior, learning, and social participation
Sometimes these children are described as being “out of sync.” The behaviors that parents and teachers see are often the result of a child’s nervous system working very hard to process and respond to sensory information.
At Building Blocks, we look beyond the behaviors and seek to understand why a child is struggling.
Through comprehensive evaluation and individualized treatment, our therapists help children:
• Better understand and regulate their bodies
• Improve attention and participation
• Develop motor skills and coordination
• Build confidence and independence
• Increase flexibility and coping skills
• Successfully participate at home, in school, and in the community
Treatment Services
Because every child is unique, therapy is individualized and designed around each child’s strengths, challenges, interests, and goals.
Treatment may include:
• Sensory integration intervention
• Therapeutic play activities
• Fine and gross motor development
• Feeding therapy and oral motor intervention
• Primitive reflex integration
• Emotional regulation and coping strategies
• Executive functioning interventions
• Social skills development
• Parent coaching and education
• School consultation and collaboration
Services are provided across a variety of settings, including:
• In-home therapy
• School-based services and staff consultation
• Outpatient and clinical therapy
• Aquatic and pool therapy
• Community-based intervention
• Job site training and transition services for adolescents and young adults
We believe children make the greatest gains when families, schools, and therapists work together as a team.
Specialized Programs and Groups
We also offer individualized and group-based programs, including:
• Sensory-motor groups
• Play-based therapy groups
• Executive functioning programs
• School readiness groups
• Handwriting Without Tears®
• Therapeutic Listening®
• How Does Your Engine Run?®
• Brain Gym®
• Social skills groups
At Building Blocks Pediatric Occupational Therapy Services, our mission is simple:
