• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Home
  • Meet Our Team
  • About OT
  • Evaluations & Services
  • Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Books
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Phone

Building Blocks Pediatric Occupational Therapy Services

Fairfield Connecticut Occupational Therapist

203-341-0178
943 Post Rd E Suite A
Westport, CT 06880
bbpedot@yahoo.com
  • Home
  • Meet Our Team
  • About OT
  • Evaluations & Services
  • Books
  • Testimonials
  • Blog
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Phone

Meet Our Team

Justine “Jellybean” Bedocs, OTR/L

Known lovingly by her patients as “Justine Jellybean” (a term of endearment given to her in childhood by her late father, Roger Prefontaine), Justine Bedocs was born and raised in New Bedford, Massachusetts. She earned her degree in Occupational Therapy from Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut, and is a board-certified occupational therapist licensed by the Connecticut Department of Health Services.

Justine is a proud member of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) and the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). She is certified in Therapeutic Listening®, Sensory Integration, and Developmental Therapy, with advanced training in handwriting programs and motor protocols.

With over two decades of experience, she has worked in private practice, schools, Birth-to-Three and home-based services, aquatic therapy, and transitional life skills programs. In 2005, she opened Building Blocks Pediatric Occupational Therapy Services, creating a space that feels like home for children and families. Beyond her professional life, Justine is a proud mother of two, and her love for family, patients, and community shines through in her work every day.

Kristen “Krissy” Campbell, OTR/L

Kristen “Krissy” Campbell has over two decades of experience as an occupational therapist. A graduate of Quinnipiac University in 1996, she has dedicated much of her career to working with children in pediatric settings, while also gaining valuable experience in rehabilitation and geriatric care.

She is committed to lifelong learning, attending the AOTA National Conference, the Annual Therapies in Schools Conference, and the Annual Pediatrics Symposium. Widely respected within the school system, Kristen is known for her collaborative spirit and dedication to supporting students’ success.

Outside of her professional life, Kristen is a proud mother of three girls and, as a fun fact, is also a twin. Her warmth and playful energy shine through in her work with children.

Dawn Sutfin, MS, OTR/L

Dawn Sutfin, MS, OTR/L has worked in a variety of pediatric settings, including Birth-to-Three programs, private clinics, preschools, and public schools. A graduate of the University of Hartford, she recently earned her Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy and brings over two decades of experience to her practice.

She has pursued extensive continuing education with a focus on sensory integration, autism, and developmental therapy, and she is certified in the Therapeutic Listening® program. Known for her dedication and compassion, Dawn partners closely with families and schools to help children succeed.

Beyond her professional work, Dawn is a proud mother of two college students, and her warmth and love of family inspire her work with children every day.

JULIA CHIAPPETTA, MS, OTR/L

Julia Chiappetta, MS, OTR/L has been practicing as an occupational therapist for the past eight years. She completed her fieldwork at Building Blocks Pediatric Occupational Therapy Services, where Justine immediately recognized her special gift for connecting with children. Today, Julia works as both a school-based occupational therapist and a therapist at Building Blocks.
Julia earned her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from Sacred Heart University. Her experience also includes work in skilled nursing facilities and with injury populations, which has given her a broad perspective on therapy across the lifespan. Her greatest passion, however, remains pediatrics.
Known for her caring and compassionate nature, Julia builds strong relationships with children and families and is committed to ongoing growth through continuing education courses. She brings both skill and heart to every session, making her a valued member of the Building Blocks team.

Michelle DiDonato licensed pediatric occupational therapist serving children and families in Connecticut.

Michelle DiDonato, COTA/L

Michelle DiDonato, COTA/L is a certified occupational therapy assistant with a passion for helping young children thrive. She earned her degree magna cum laude from Goodwin University in 2022 and has specialized in early childhood intervention and home-based therapy. She also has training in primitive reflex integration, which supports foundational motor and sensory development.

With over 10 years of experience across therapeutic preschools, public schools, and private special education programs, Michelle brings deep knowledge and compassion to her work. She is known for her empathetic and joyful presence, building strong relationships with families and helping them carry strategies into everyday routines.

Michelle is also a proud mother of two young boys and a Connecticut resident. She is admired by families and colleagues alike for being loving, kind, and dedicated.

Here’s a simple visual for therapists to share w Here’s a simple visual for therapists to share with parents as a helpful handout on the developmental sequence of pencil grasps. ✏️

As a seasoned professional, one of my goals is to get practical, easy-to-use tools into the hands of as many therapists, parents, teachers, and caregivers as possible. If something I create can make a concept easier to understand or support a child’s development, I want it shared.

Please feel free to use it, share it, save it, and pass it along. I hope it helps! 💛
#PediatricOT #PencilGrasp #FineMotorSkills #Handwriting #Explore
Cutest William — a day in his OT session! 🤩 Cutest William — a day in his OT session! 🤩

Such huge growth today and such a gift to witness his progress in feeding and regulation skills. 💛 We are seeing him trying new texture foods, expanding his repertoire, and feeling more confident. He is also beginning to move toward more rotary chewing patterns, building upon all of the foods he already feels comfortable eating. His trach was removed a few months ago, and although he still has a G-tube, we are continuing to work on building safe and confident oral feeding skills.

We always start with high sensory input prior to feeding to help his body feel ready to learn. Today William wore his weighted vest and engaged in calming, organizing input including vibration plate + therapeutic music from Vital Links to support regulation and attention.

We also did gentle body massage and oral-motor input to the outside of his cheeks before moving into Z-Vibe work to help prepare his mouth for feeding success.

🥄 Then we moved into feeding!

We incorporated an acrylic stand mirror during feeding practice to support visual feedback and body awareness while eating. This helped William better understand mouth movements and positioning as we worked on oral control and coordination.

We are also introducing more intentional tongue and oral-motor awareness work, helping William become more comfortable handling food inside his mouth and learning how to use his tongue to move and manage food. We are working on tongue lateralization, positioning food onto the chewing surfaces, progressing from a munching pattern toward rotary chewing, and learning how to gather food together to form a manageable bolus for swallowing. 🤩

💡 OT TIP:
High sensory input before feeding or other challenging tasks can make a big difference. Movement, vibration, deep pressure, therapeutic listening, a metronome, or other calming and organizing input can help prepare the nervous system for participation.

✨ Small supports = big growth ✨

#Explore #PediatricOT #FeedingTherapy #SensoryIntegration #OTTips
FINE MOTOR + HANDWRITING STRATEGIES: A THERAPIST-F FINE MOTOR + HANDWRITING STRATEGIES: A THERAPIST-FRIENDLY GUIDE! ✨✏️

I know how much time therapists spend creating parent handouts, finding pictures, explaining tools, and putting together home programs — so I thought I would start sharing some of mine! 💛

My goal is to create resources that therapists can easily share with families and that parents can actually use at home — one less thing on your plate. 🌈

This guide focuses on the skills that support successful handwriting and everyday fine motor development, including:

🌟 Fine motor skills
🌟 Hand strengthening
🌟 Pencil grasp and pencil control
🌟 Visual motor integration
🌟 Visual perceptual skills
🌟 Bilateral coordination
🌟 Weight-bearing and proprioceptive activities
🌟 Handwriting strategies

You’ll also find some of my favorite tools and simple strategies for home, including different pencil grips, the HandyWriter, weighted writing tools, writing slant boards, adapted scissors, visual guides, spacing tools, and activities to strengthen the entire hand. ✋✏️

One of the biggest things I remind families is that handwriting is about so much more than holding a pencil!

Before we expect a child to sit down and write, we want to look at the foundations: shoulder stability, core strength, hand strength, bilateral coordination, visual attention, visual perception, motor planning, and the ability to coordinate what the eyes see with what the hands are doing.

Sometimes the best “handwriting practice” doesn’t involve a pencil at all. 💪🌈

Think:
✨ Animal walks
✨ Wheelbarrow walking
✨ Crawling
✨ Weight-bearing through open hands
✨ Playdough and resistive activities
✨ Clothespins and tongs
✨ Cutting activities
✨ Vertical surface play
✨ Visual scanning and visual perceptual games

SAVE this guide for your therapy toolbox and SHARE it with a parent, teacher, or therapist who could use a few new fine motor and handwriting ideas! 💾📤

These strategies are meant to provide general ideas and are not a substitute for an individualized occupational therapy evaluation when concerns are impacting a child’s participation or development.

#PediatricOT #FineMotorSkills #Handwriting #VisualMotor #explore
🌈 SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL TOOLBOX FOR PARENTS, TEACHER 🌈 SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL TOOLBOX FOR PARENTS, TEACHERS & THERAPISTS 🌈

Occupational therapy is personal to me. I truly love what I do, I love the children and families I work with, and I want to help as many people as I can. ❤️

After 25 years as an occupational therapist, I’ve learned there isn’t one strategy that works for every child or every moment. That’s why I created this Social-Emotional Handout & Toolbox for parents, teachers, therapists, caregivers, and anyone supporting children.

It’s filled with quick, practical tools you can reach for in the moment—recognizing body signals, emotional regulation, anxiety and worry, frustration and anger, transitions, flexible thinking, friendships, sensory strategies, movement, calming tools, and repairing after a hard moment.

My hope is that you save it, share it, and use it when a child needs a little extra support. Sometimes having the right tool at the right time can make all the difference. 💛

Please reach out anytime with questions, for additional resources, or if you’d like me to become part of your child’s team. Helping children, families, teachers, and fellow therapists is truly why I love what I do. 🌈

#PediatricOT #SocialEmotionalSkills #TeacherTools #TherapyTools #Explore
PRIMITIVE REFLEXES: NOW WITH VISUALS! ✨ My orig PRIMITIVE REFLEXES: NOW WITH VISUALS! ✨

My original Primitive Reflexes Parent Guide received so much attention and such wonderful feedback! 💛 One of the biggest requests was: “Can you show us pictures of the exercises?”

So here you go! 🌈

I created visual examples to go along with the home strategies so parents can more easily see what each movement should look like and feel more confident practicing them at home.

Primitive reflexes can play an important role in the foundations for movement, posture, coordination, balance, body awareness, attention, regulation, handwriting, motor planning, and everyday functional skills.

This guide covers:
🌟 Moro
🌟 ATNR
🌟 STNR
🌟 TLR
🌟 Spinal Galant
🌟 Palmar Grasp

You’ll also find simple home activities like cross-crawl, cat-cow, bird-dog, log rolls, starfish movements, animal walks, hand-strengthening activities, deep pressure, and breathing—now with pictures to provide a clear visual! 📸

The goal isn’t perfection. Keep the movements slow, playful, comfortable, and consistent. Even a short daily movement routine can be a great way to support foundational skills through play. 💪🌈

📚 For more information: Primitive Reflexes: Retained Reflexes and Integration Techniques by Justine Bedocs, OTR/L, available on Amazon.

💾 SAVE this guide to use at home and 📤 SHARE it with a parent, teacher, or therapist who may find the visuals helpful!

Primitive reflexes are only one piece of a child’s development. Individual concerns should always be evaluated by a qualified professional.

#PrimitiveReflexes #PediatricOT #OccupationalTherapy #HomeProgram #explore
🧡 WHY BALANCE ACTIVITIES MATTER! Balance is SO 🧡 WHY BALANCE ACTIVITIES MATTER!

Balance is SO much more than just standing without falling! Balance activities help build the underlying skills kids need to move, learn, play, and feel confident in their bodies. 🌈

Working on balance helps develop:

✨ Core strength & stability
✨ Postural control
✨ Coordination
✨ Motor planning
✨ Body awareness & proprioception
✨ Vestibular processing
✨ Bilateral coordination
✨ Protective reactions
✨ Focus & attention
✨ Confidence with movement

And when balance improves, we often see improvements in everyday skills too—running, jumping, climbing, navigating playgrounds, sitting upright for learning, participating in sports, dressing, and moving safely through the environment.

Balance boards are one of my favorite OT tools because there are SO many ways to use them—rocking, wobbling, squatting, reaching, playing games, or even using them during tummy time!

💙 Better balance → stronger bodies → more confident kids!

#Balance #Explore #OccupationalTherapy #PediatricOT #MovePlayGrow
🧡 THE PEANUT BALL — SUCH A GREAT BANG FOR YOU 🧡 THE PEANUT BALL — SUCH A GREAT BANG FOR YOUR BUCK!

I truly love a peanut ball for home therapy. For around $20, there are so many ways to use it while working on important underlying skills through play.

Sit, bounce, stretch, do pizza squishes, work on puzzles, strengthen the core, build balance, improve body awareness, motor planning and so much more.

It’s simple, affordable, fun, and one of those therapy tools that can grow with your child. 🌈

One inexpensive tool. So many possibilities.

Always supervise and choose activities that are appropriate for your child.

#PediatricOT #OccupationalTherapy #PeanutBall #ParentTips #Explore
12 weeks of growth, learning, laughter, and memori 12 weeks of growth, learning, laughter, and memories I’ll carry with me forever 🤍

I’m so grateful for my Level II fieldwork at Building Blocks Pediatric Occupational Therapy Services and for everything this experience has taught me about pediatric OT and the therapist I hope to become.

A huge thank you to Justine for an amazing 12 weeks. Thank you for your guidance, encouragement, and for showing me what it means to truly love and care for every child you work with. I’m so lucky I got to learn from you! 🤍

And to all of the families who trusted me with your children, thank you for allowing me to be a small part of their growth and progress. I’ll always be grateful for the memories and connections I made. 🫶🏼

I shared a little more about my journey and fieldwork experience on the blog! Link in bio ✨

#PediatricOT #OccupationalTherapy #OTStudent #ᴇxᴘʟᴏʀᴇᴘᴀɢᴇ 
@lexiberroa @justinecarol77 @building_blocks_stories
Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2026 · BBPOTS, LLC · Site Design by Little Blue Deer
Privacy Policy