Pediatric Occupational Therapy
Located in Massapequa & East Northport, NY
Our team at Sensational Development has been committed to helping children and their families for over 15 years. We provide top-notch pediatric occupational therapy services that empower children, teens, and young adults to reach their fullest potential for success in life.
Give your child the opportunity to become sensational! Call us at (516) 799-2900 or reach out to us online to schedule an appointment with our compassionate team.
What Is Pediatric Occupational Therapy?
Pediatric occupational therapy is a specialized type of healthcare that focuses on helping children develop the skills they need to participate in daily activities. When we say “occupations,” we mean the basic tasks and routines in which children participate every day, such as play, self-care, and school-related activities. Our experienced therapists work with children to help them achieve their developmental skills so they can lead fulfilling lives.
Signs Your Child May Need
Occupational Therapy
Difficulty with fine motor skills like handwriting
Frequent meltdowns or overreactions to sounds, textures, etc.
Challenges with focus, attention, and organization
Trouble with self-care activities like dressing or hygiene
Difficulty making friends or playing with others
Challenges with communication
Trouble with feeding or nursing
Struggles with learning, reading, or writing
Why Choose Sensational Development
For over 15 years, our team at Sensational Development has helped families with exceptional occupational therapy services in Nassau County and Suffolk County. Our treatments are play-based and child-led to keep your child engaged during their treatment and excited to work on their developmental skills. We provide family-oriented care because we value your involvement in the therapy process, and we take the time to help you learn more about your child’s needs and the best ways to help them succeed in life.
Conditions We Treat
Sensory processing disorders
Autism spectrum disorders
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
Developmental delays
Speech and language disorders
Learning delays and disorders
Cerebral palsy
Down syndrome
Muscular dystrophy
Feeding delays or disorders
Individual Occupational Therapy Treatment Modalities
We understand that every child is unique, and their therapeutic needs vary. That’s why we offer a range of individual pediatric occupational therapy treatment modalities to address specific challenges.
Kinesio Tape
Kinesio tape is a treatment method designed to support and stabilize muscles and joints through the use of colorful elastic tape. This technique can improve muscle function, reduce pain, and empower children to move their bodies effectively.
Therapeutic Listening
Therapeutic Listening uses music to help children with occupational delays and sensory processing challenges. It provides specific auditory input (music) that simulates a child’s nervous system and helps them achieve developmental milestones.
Interactive Metronome
The Interactive Metronome is a computer program that gives children games and other activities to work on to improve their occupational skills. This evidence-based technique can improve attention, coordination, and overall motor planning abilities.
Bal-a-Vis-X
Bal-a-Vis-X is a multi-sensory program that works on balance, auditory, and vision through fun exercises. This treatment can improve a child’s attention, coordination, and sensory integration so they can handle daily activities more easily.
Wilbarger Deep Pressure and Proprioceptive Technique
This technique, also called the Wilbarger Protocol, uses deep pressure input from a specialized brush to help children who are extremely sensitive to touch. Through “pressure brushing,” children can overcome their sensory processing challenges for success in life.
Astronaut Training
Astronaut Training is a sound activated visual-vestibular protocol developed by Mary Kawar and Sheila Frick.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What should I expect during my child’s occupational therapy evaluation?
Your child’s first occupational therapy appointment will be an evaluation with one of our expert therapists. During this evaluation, we will use a variety of standardized tests and clinical observations to assess your child’s current skills and limitations. Depending on your child’s age and communication level, we will also speak with them about their daily life, what they struggle with, and what goals they have to help create a personalized therapy plan.
We will also speak with you to learn more about their medical history, development, and any concerns you have about their growth. This will enable us to get a full picture of your child’s current circumstances so that we can determine if occupational therapy is the best treatment for their unique needs.
Once we have finished the evaluation, we will go over the results with you so that you can better understand your child’s developmental progress. Then we will work with you to determine a therapy schedule that best fits your family’s needs. If you have any questions about our evaluations, you can always give us a call at (516) 799-2900 for more information.
2. How long does a pediatric occupational therapy session last?
In general, pediatric occupational therapy sessions last between 30-45 minutes depending on your child’s specific needs and treatment plan. The exact length of time your child will need per appointment will be determined at their initial evaluation with our skilled therapists.
During this initial evaluation, we will also determine how often your child should attend therapy sessions. For some children, once per week is enough when combined with education for parents to help your child continue to make progress at home between appointments. For other children, two or three therapy sessions per week may be more appropriate to help them achieve their occupational skills.
However, as your child progresses through their occupational therapy treatment program, we may recommend changes to your child’s therapy schedule. This could mean cutting back or increasing the length of time of individual appointments, or the number of appointments per week. If any schedule changes are recommended, we will of course work with you to ensure the schedule best fits your family’s needs. And if at any time you feel like a change should be made to increase or decrease your child’s therapy schedule, you can always speak with their occupational therapist to go over this.
3. How long will my child need to be in occupational therapy?
Many parents want to know how long they should expect their child to need occupational therapy sessions before they no longer need to attend therapy. Unfortunately, the best answer is, it depends. Every child is different, with unique needs, skills, and limitations. Not only are your child’s needs unique, but the rate at which they learn their valuable occupational skills can also vary widely. Some children pick up new skills relatively quickly, and others may need more support to achieve their goals.
At your child’s initial occupational therapy evaluation, our skilled therapists may be able to give you a better estimate of how long your child will need to attend therapy to reach their milestones and other goals. In most cases, however, this estimate will change over time. Your child’s occupational therapist will be happy to keep you updated on your child’s therapy progress and any changes that need to be made to their treatment plan. And if you have any questions or concerns about your child’s progress, or any other aspect of their development, our team will be happy to help answer those, as well.
4. Is my child too young for occupational therapy?
No! Part of what makes occupational therapy such a fantastic treatment option for children who are struggling to achieve their developmental milestones is that there is no minimum starting age. We have worked with children of all ages, and we know from experience and advanced training that even infants can benefit from pediatric occupational therapy to help them gain the vital developmental skills they need to grow, learn, explore, and play.
Even in the first few weeks of your child’s life, they are already hard at work building the developmental skills they’ll need for a foundation of lifelong learning and success. We work with families to ensure every child has the support they need to become sensational, no matter how young they are. We can help address common concerns like speech and language delays, sensory processing disorders, motor skills delays, social skills, behavioral struggles, and much more. It’s what we’ve been doing successfully for over 15 years, and we would be proud to be part of your child’s journey of growth and development, too.
If you are at all curious or concerned about your child’s development, we offer a free consultation that can help you get simple answers and peace of mind.
5. Is my child too old for occupational therapy?
No! Many parents don’t realize that their child needs occupational therapy until they begin elementary school, where teachers may notice and discuss developmental delays or other struggles in the classroom setting. Sometimes, a child’s struggles may not even be noticed until they are in middle or high school. When this happens, many parents fear that they are “too late” to help their child gain the developmental skills they need for lifelong success.
Thankfully, this is not the case. While some pediatric therapy clinics may have age limits for the children that they will treat, our team at Sensational Development is happy to help children of all ages—including teens and young adults. While it is true that the earlier your child begins pediatric therapy, the easier it will be for them to achieve their skills, that doesn’t mean that it is ever “too late” to give them the support they need for their healthy development.
If you are at all curious or concerned about your child’s development, we offer a free consultation that can help you get simple answers and peace of mind.
6. What’s the difference between occupational therapy and physical therapy?
Occupational therapy and physical therapy are two similar, yet distinct treatments for children who need extra support to achieve their developmental milestones. Here are the key differences between these two therapies:
Pediatric Physical Therapy mainly focuses on a child’s ability to move their body the way they want to. Physical therapists address balance, coordination, strength, range of motion, and other gross motor skills that are vital for a child’s growth and development.
Pediatric Occupational Therapy focuses on the skills that a child needs to be able to handle daily tasks. This is much broader than movement alone, which is why occupational therapy addresses a wider range of skills, such as:
- Fine motor skills like writing, getting dressed, brushing teeth, and tying shoes.
- Cognitive skills like learning, focusing, remembering, following directions, and problem solving.
- Social skills like taking turns, sharing, and understanding body language.
- Emotional skills like self-soothing, empathy, and expressing their feelings well.
Occupational therapists can also help children who need to use assistive devices or techniques, such as Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), specialty walkers, wheelchairs, and other tools that facilitate your child’s ability to handle daily tasks.
7. Will insurance cover my child’s occupational therapy treatment?
If you’re worried about the cost of your child’s occupational therapy treatment, it is a lot simpler to get started than you may realize. Most insurance companies do cover the cost of evaluations and treatment for the children on your insurance plan. However, this does depend on the type of insurance plan you have. Other factors that will impact how much you have to pay for your child’s treatment include your deductible and copay amounts. Click here to read more about common insurance and billing questions and answers.
At Sensational Development, we are in-network with the following insurance providers:
- United Healthcare
- Blue Cross Blue Shield
- Oxford
- Aetna
- Cigna
- Northwell Direct
We also work with those who have NYSHIP insurance, though there are special instructions for how to access coverage with this provider. You can call us at (516) 799-2900 and we’ll be happy to give you more information about using your NYSHIP benefits with us.
If you have a different insurance provider, we do accept out-of-network clients. And if you are uninsured, we will be happy to work with you to ensure your child gets the treatment they need for lifelong success.
8. My child gets occupational therapy at school. Do they need clinic-based treatment too?
If your child receives school-based occupational therapy as part of their Individualized Educational Program (IEP) or other support service, then you may believe that they do not need additional support outside of school. However, that may not always be true. While some children can do well with school-based occupational therapy alone, many children need additional support to reach their developmental milestones.
School-based occupational therapy is a fantastic service that can give children additional support so they can get a good education. But the focus of those programs will be on the skills your child needs for success in school. If your child only needs help with paying attention in class, improving their handwriting, or other school-related daily tasks, then school-based therapy could be enough to meet their needs. But many children who need occupational therapy have trouble with daily tasks outside of school, such as getting dressed, hygiene, self-feeding, behavior, and much more.
We highly recommend that you get an evaluation at our clinic if your child is receiving school-based therapy. We are happy to work together to ensure that your child has all of their needs met so they can succeed in school and beyond. For more information, or to schedule an evaluation, give us a call at (516) 799-2900 today.
9. Why do my child’s occupational therapy sessions look like playtime?
Most parents have questions when their child starts attending occupational therapy. And usually, one of the first questions they have is, “Why are you just playing with my child?” It’s a great question because it’s a great observation. Most occupational therapy sessions do look like playtime. And the answer to why is simple: because children learn best through play!
If you’ve ever searched online for how to help your child learn their ABCs, or how to tie their shoes, or any number of basic life skills, you’ve probably noticed a ton of results for toys, games, and fun activities to play with your child that will help them learn. This is because children learn how to do new things by imitation, exploration, and playing with the people around them.
When our occupational therapists work with your child, we do our best to make each activity and exercise fun, exciting, and playful. So much so that many parents think we are just playing around. But rest assured, every activity and game has a specific purpose, and we are guiding your child to achieve that purpose. If you ever have any questions about an activity we are doing with your child, you can always ask and we’ll be happy to explain its purpose for their overall development.
10. How can I support my child at home while they’re getting occupational therapy?
At Sensational Development, we don’t just focus on optimizing daily life for your child—we focus on the whole family. This is because your child spends much more time at home with you than they do at their pediatric occupational therapy appointments. There is a ton that we can do with your child in our clinic, but there is even more that you can do to support their development at home between therapy sessions.
Your child’s occupational therapist will be happy to give you tips and advice on what you can do to help your child at home while they’re attending therapy. This will vary depending on your child’s specific needs, skills, and limitations, as well as your family’s dynamics and schedules. We may recommend you:
- Help your child practice a skill they’re working on in therapy between sessions
- Model specific behavior or actions at home
- Play certain games to build key social and emotional skills
- Do specific exercises or activities each day to build fine motor skills
We’re always happy to help you and answer your questions. Our team is dedicated to providing top-notch service to help your family thrive, so don’t hesitate to reach out if you need advice to make occupational therapy work best for your child and your family.
Schedule an Appointment Today
Don’t wait to make a positive change in your child’s life. Call us at (516) 799-2900 to schedule an appointment and start your child’s journey toward a brighter, more independent future.