Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapy helps autistic individuals build the skills they need to participate in the world

Why occupational therapy?

Occupational therapy (OT) helps autistic children and adolescents succeed in life’s everyday activities by developing regulation, sensory processing, fine and gross motor skills and planning, play, social-emotional development, and daily activity skills.

At Positive Development

We work to understand your child’s unique way of processing the world so that we can tailor therapies to their needs and development goals. Our licensed Occupational Therapist (OTR/L) develops strategies to build competence and independence in different settings, such as home, school, and out in public, and may introduce adaptive environments, tools, and technologies to improve outcomes.

“It's not just answering questions, it's not just avoiding a behavior that we don't like but it's understanding where the behavior is coming from.”

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Occupational therapy goals

Each client’s OT goals and therapy program will be wholly unique, just like they are. Skills that may be developed include:

Sensory modulation

Functional emotional development

Regulation (moving from adult co-regulation to self-regulation)

Postural control

Motor planning

Gross and fine motor skills

Visual motor and visual spatial development

Social levels of play (e.g., moving from solitary play to parallel play, associative play, and cooperative play)

What is occupational therapy like?

Our OT assistants (supervised by our licensed Occupational Therapists) provide playful experiences that build toward OT goals, while engaging your child. We also equip your family with tips and techniques to continue the learning (and fun!) during everyday activities like meals, bath time, and getting ready for the day.

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Some examples of occupational play therapy include:

Sensory exploration activities, such as playing with water using cups, spoons and funnels, which promotes intentionality, social reciprocity, and functional tool use.

Playing hide and seek, which teaches motor planning skills, visual-spatial skills, cognitive development, and social emotional development.

New food exploration via touching, looking, and smelling to help your child feel comfortable before tasting it.

Visiting a park for sensory-motor exploration of equipment, like crawling through a tunnel or climbing a ladder, and emotional regulation.

Creating art or playing with blocks to support fine motor skill development.

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How It Works

Step 1

Meet Your Care Coordinator

After you contact us and complete your intake form, you will be assigned a care coordinator who will reach out, answer questions about the program, and help with insurance verification.

Step 2

Clinician Interview

One of our lead clinicians will conduct a parent/caregiver interview with you to understand the background of your child’s diagnosis, past therapeutic experiences, and goals for your child.

Step 3

Evaluation Sessions

Next, a masters-level clinician will conduct several sessions to really get to know your child to evaluate their unique strengths, processing abilities, and needs.

Step 4

Your Child’s Personalized Treatment Plan

Our holistic clinician team will meet with you to discuss the evaluation and review the recommended treatment plan.

Step 5

Treatment and Coaching Sessions

This is the fun part. A Developmental Client Coach (DCC) will work directly with your child in a child-led, play-based practice. A Parent Educator will also provide training and support for your family’s ongoing learning process.