Pediatric Occupational Therapy

Why Pediatric OT?

Occupational therapy assists children in building the skills needed for everyday activities like safely playing on the playground, coloring, transitioning between activities, writing their name or playing with others.

At Brave Wings Therapy, occupational therapy takes an integrative approach, examining how cognitive, motor, perceptual, social, and sensory skills influence the development of your child’s ability to play, learn and take care of themselves.

The main benefits of getting support for their child:

  • Helps children gain independence.

  • Enhances the development of fine motor skills.

  • Develops visual motor skills.

  • Improves sensory processing and sensory integration.

  • Decreases body tension and increases core strength and stability.

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Pediatric Occupational Therapy can help your child with:

Our team of occupational therapists at Brave Wings work to highlight your child's strengths while working to improve their skills that may be impacting their engagement  in everyday activities. The goal of childhood is developing confidence and independence, though every day “occupations.”

An occupational therapist working with child on posture and core stability at Brave Wings Therapy in New Jersey.

Posture & Core Stability

A child tying his shoes after working with an occupational therapist at Brave Wings Therapy in New Jersey.

Fine & Gross Motor Skills

A child doing sensory activities during occupational therapy at Brave Wings Therapy in New Jersey.

Sensory Processing

A group of children playing together using regulation skills from occupational therapy at Brave Wings Therapy.

Regulation and executive function skills 

How pediatric occupational therapy works

Development often occurs sequentially and children often need support to progress or build the skills they need to play, explore and learn.

Occupational Therapists often start with foundational skills such as strength and control of the body and their affect on more complex tasks like self care and following a routine. Areas that are often targeted include:

Postural control

  • Gross and fine motor skills

  • Hand eye coordination

  • Feeding

  • Self-care

  • Regulation

  • Improved attention

  • Play skills

While safety, function and independence are the foundation of pediatric occupational therapy the occupational therapists at Brave Wings Therapy are trained in a variety of specialized techniques that are often blended into sessions to help children meet their goals. 

  • Neurodevelopmental treatment

  • Body Work: massage, cranial sacral therapy, manual techniques

  • External supports: kinesio tape, weighted vests, compression garments

  • Sensorimotor 

  • Sensory regulation and modulation

  • Therapeutic Listening

  • Reflex integration

  • DIR/Floortime

The Sensory Motor Gym at Brave Wings

Our gym area is where children receive occupational therapy services, as well as sensory-integration speech therapy sessions. We have colorful equipment ranging from monkey bars, a slide, swings (hammock, platform, teardrop), yoga balls, balance beams, crash pads, river stones, and much more!

This room targets many different skills including (but not limited to) gross motor, fine motor, strengthening, balance, and coordination.

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The pediatric occupational therapy gym at Brave Wings Therapy in Fairfield NJ.

OT can help with:

  • Sensory Integration

  • Fine Motor

  • Visual Motor Integration

  • Handwriting

  • Gross Motor

  • Self-Care

  • Executive Function

  • Posture and Core Strength

Ready to see the impact firsthand?

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Parent Love for Brave Wings Therapy

"My daughter has been attending Brave Wings for early intervention therapies (she's 2). The speech therapy, ABA and OT therapies she receives are both fun and effective! My daughter loves coming every day and work playing with the amazing therapists! She has only been attending since January but we see so much great progress in Emilia!! Her speech is picking up and much more intentional as well as her playing and interacting with everyone around her. We feel so lucky to have found Brave Wings for our daughter and we look forward to continuing our relationship together!! Thanks to Jenn and her entire team for the individual and specialized attention they provide to my child and all the children in their care."

- Michelle C.

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girl throwing ball in occupational therapy at Brave Wings Therapy in NJ.
child playing with rainbow blocks in occupational therapy at Brave Wings Therapy in NJ.

We share about occupational therapy on our Instagram!

Can OT help my child?

Baby sitting at milestone time after occupational therapy at Brave Wings Therapy in NJ

Facilitate timely acquisition of age expected milestones

  • Does your baby show a head a turn preference to one side?

  • Does your baby seem to dislike being on their belly or placed in tummy time?

  • Does your baby seem to have difficulty holding their head and neck steady?

  • Is your child showing delays in rolling over, sitting up, crawling or walking?

  • Do they seem to have trouble using the two sides of their body together in a coordinated manner or show any asymmetries of movement (i.e. prefers to crawl using one arm or one leg, preferences to only pick up items or use one hand during play)?

  • Do they seem to have a hard time staying balanced or appear to be more “clumsy” than other kids their age?

Child eating after feeding readiness program at Brave Wings Therapy in NJ

Pre-feeding/feeding readiness

  • Is your baby delayed in sitting or seem to always lean to one side when placed in a highchair?

  • Is your baby willingly bringing hands and objects to mouth to explore orally?

  • Is your baby showing limited interest in trying solid foods or gagging / coughing when bringing new foods to mouth?

  • Is your baby having a hard time transitioning from a bottle to a straw or open cup?

  • Is your child having difficulty using a fork or spoon to self -feed?

  • Do they seem to limit their food preferences based on smells, tastes or textures?

  • Do they have a hard time remaining seated during mealtimes and like to move around the room while they eat?

Child playing with friends and self-regulating after occupational therapy at Brave Wings Therapy in NJ

Promote regulation and executive function skills to maximize participation within daily tasks

  • Does your child have a hard time managing emotions or impulses?

  • Do they seem easily distractible and have a hard time paying attention?

  • Do they have problems with starting, organizing and completing tasks without your help?

  • Do they become avoidant of new or difficult tasks?

  • Do they seem to have low motivation and limited interest in doing different activities?

  • Do they have a hard time making friends?

  • Have difficulty coping with changes in routines or transitioning between tasks?

Child playing with sand in sensory activity at Brave Wings Therapy in NJ

Strengthens the development of sensory-motor skills

  • Does your child present with activity levels that seem unusually high or low?

  • Are they overly sensitive to touch, sight, sounds, smells or different movements?

  • Do they become easily overwhelmed in large crowds or loud places?

  • Struggle with coordination or have delays in developing skills such as jumping, hopping or balancing on one foot?

  • Have poor sitting or standing posture?

  • Seem weaker than most kids their age?

  • Have difficulty holding crayons to color or write, hard time manipulating scissors and /or managing fasteners on clothing?

  • Dislike water play, sand play, play doh or finger painting?

Ready to see the impact firsthand?