The beauty of pediatric occupational therapy (OT) is that it leads kids toward independence in what they love to do most…play! A child’s learning is grounded in play, so Hopebridge’s licensed OTRs and COTAs use it to teach kids with autism and other developmental delays the foundational skills they need to occupy their time as they grow.
Center-based OT is effective in assisting with a range of challenges, especially when combined with other valuable therapies in the Hopebridge 360 Cares model.* Our specialists assist children with:
People often misunderstand the meaning of occupational therapy… “so you help people get back to work?” Add on pediatrics and it’s another layer of confusion.
This crucial therapy stems from the definition of the word, “occupation,” which is “an activity in which one engages.” So, what is a child’s occupation? Learning and play, which provide the building blocks for a lifetime.
Our developmental pediatric occupational therapy is different than that of the adult population, where someone may have lost a skill or had difficulty functioning in something he or she once did. At our centers,* these kids are delayed in milestones for whatever reason, whether it be genetic, neural, etc. It is our job to customize a plan that teaches them those skills from the beginning to set them up for success in preschool, elementary school and maybe even college or their own jobs one day.
Ongoing training ensures our therapists use the most current treatments to address fine motor skills, perceptual and cognitive skills, handwriting, self-care skills, feeding, social skills and sensory processing.
Unlike a therapy in the home, Hopebridge centers are built around your child’s therapeutic needs. In addition to play spaces and other learning atmospheres, Hopebridge is equipped with all the necessary equipment and surroundings to create a foundation for education. Fully functioning bathrooms, kitchens and laundry rooms are all on site to make sure kids are comfortable both at the center and at home. For families hoping to transition their children for kindergarten or school, we have mock classrooms, desks and circle time areas to adequately prepare them for the new environment that awaits them.