OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY SERVICES
Is your child having trouble with handwriting, attention, emotional regulation, or coordination? These are important skills every child needs for success at home, in school, and in the community.
Pediatric occupational therapy (OT) helps children and adolescents develop the motor, sensory, cognitive, and social skills they need to participate in their “occupations” of play, school (learning), and self-care.
Occupational therapy may address:
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Fine Motor Skills: Strengthening small hand muscles for tasks like using scissors, writing with a pencil, or manipulating buttons and zippers.
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Sensory Processing: Helping children who are overly sensitive or under-responsive to sights, sounds, textures (like itchy clothing), or movements.
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Daily Living Skills (ADLs): Addressing skills for self-care, including feeding themselves, dressing, and personal hygiene.
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Social & Emotional Skills: Teaching kids how to take turns, interact with peers, and regulate their emotions.
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Cognitive Skills: Addressing areas such as attention and following multi-step directions.
WHO CAN BENEFIT FROM OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY?
Reach out for an occupational therapy evaluation if your child:
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Is constantly “on the go”, always fidgeting, unable to keep their bodies still
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Is sluggish much of the time, having difficulty even holding their heads up when sitting
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Is distracted by everything in their environment, even things most of us can easily “tune out”
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Seems clumsy and frequently bumps or crashes into everything around them
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Overreacts to common sensations from everyday activities such as being touched,hearing a loud noise, being in a crowded place, or touching certain textures.
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Seems more bothered than other children by getting dressed, having hair washed, or having teeth brushed.
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Appears overly frightened of climbing on playground equipment, playing on moving toys, going on swings
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Struggles to use both hands together such as when holding a paper to cut with scissors or stringing beads
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Scribbles on the paper when asked to draw a simple picture or shape
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Has difficulty coming up with new play ideas or knowing how to play with toys
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Seems to take longer than other children to learn common things like getting dressed, putting together puzzles, or riding a tricycle
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Has difficulty using utensils or eating a variety of tastes or textures of food
CONDITIONS AND DIAGNOSES OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS TREAT
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Autism Spectrum Disorder
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Developmental delays
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Sensory processing difficulties
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Dyspraxia
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Down Syndrome
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Cerebral Palsy
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Prematurity
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Retained reflexes
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Picky eating
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Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
PHYSICAL THERAPY SERVICES
Physical therapy may address:
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Gross motor skills: Improving ability to use large muscles for body movements like sitting, crawling, standing, walking or running.
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Balance: Strengthening muscles needed for improved postural control and stability
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Mobility and Gait training: Improving walking patterns and overall movement
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Strength and Endurance: Building muscle power for movements like pulling themselves up to the couch from the floor or being able to walk longer distances without being carried
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Motor planning: Helping children conceive, plan, or carry out a new movement or play idea
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Coordination: Helping children use smooth and accurate movement patterns
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Equipment Training: Learning to use orthotics, walkers, or wheelchairs effectively.
Does your child have difficulty with movement, coordination, or keeping up with their peers during physical activities? Being able to move and play safely is an important skill that gives children the opportunity to learn and explore the world around them.
Pediatric physical therapy (PT) helps children and adolescents develop their gross motor skills and mobility by addressing range of motion, strength, flexibility, balance, coordination, and movement patterns.
WHO CAN BENEFIT FROM PHYSICAL THERAPY?
Reach out for an physical therapy evaluation if your child:
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Is not progressing through motor milestones such as rolling, sitting, crawling, standing or walking
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Demonstrates clumsiness and frequent falls
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Has poor endurance for typical play or walking longer distances
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Has poor core strength and difficulty sitting at school for longer periods
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Shows difficulty with more complex tasks like alternating feet to go up and down stairs, riding a bike or skipping
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Shows difficulty throwing or catching a ball
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Uses stiff or awkward movement patterns
CONDITIONS AND DIAGNOSES PHYSICAL THERAPISTS TREAT
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Autism Spectrum Disorder
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Developmental delays
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Cerebral palsy
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Prematurity
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Genetic Disorders
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Torticollis
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Plagiocephaly
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Brachial Plexus Injuries
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Hypertonia (high muscle tone)
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Hypotonia (low muscle tone)
EARLY INTERVENTION SERVICES
The North Carolina Infant Toddler Program provides support and services for families and their children, birth to three years old, who have developmental delays or certain established conditions. Sixteen Children’s Developmental Services Agencies (CDSA’s) across North Carolina work with local service providers to help locate and provide these services. Partners in Therapy is a contracted provider with the Raleigh CDSA, which covers families living in Wake County, NC. The CDSA will determine if your child is eligible for the North Carolina Infant Toddler Program. If your child is found eligible and therapy assessments or treatment are part of the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP), your therapist at Partners in Therapy will work with your Early Intervention Service Coordinator (EISC) to help deliver these services within the guidelines of the Infant Toddler Program.
HIPPOTHERAPY
COMING SOON!
Partners in Therapy will be offering hippotherapy as a treatment tool starting in 2027.
Hippotherapy is a treatment tool that involves the use of evidence-based practice and clinical reasoning in the purposeful and controlled manipulation of equine movement as a therapy tool to engage sensory, neuromotor and cognitive systems to promote functional outcomes. It will be provided by our licensed occupational therapists or licensed physical therapists who have received specialized training through the American Hippotherapy Association and who will work collaboratively with trained horse handlers. Hippotherapy is just one of many tools and/or strategies used as part of a comprehensive individualized plan of care. Your child’s therapist will determine if this treatment tool is appropriate to meet your child’s therapy goals.