How Can Occupational Therapy Help My Child?
As parents, we want to ensure our children meet developmental milestones.
When my friend’s toddler was not interested in eating anything besides baby food, their pediatrician recommended an occupational therapist to assist with chewing and textures.
She called it a “game-changer” for her daughter, who thrived after just a few sessions.
Pediatric occupational therapists have been changing the game for children for decades, assisting with a variety of motor and developmental skills.
We’ve polled KZOOKIDS readers for the best pediatric OTs in Kalamazoo and have their results below. If you’re looking for additional providers, try our Best Doctors Guide for other specialties.
Occupational Therapy Areas of Focus
So what do occupational therapists DO, exactly? The answer is a pretty extensive list.
Occupational Therapists, commonly referred to as OTs, can help children with a variety of gross and fine motor skills:
• Developmental Delays: not meeting developmental milestones on time, not engaging in age-appropriate play
• Gross Motor Skills: using both sides of the body, maneuvering stairs, improving balance
• Fine Motor Skills: using scissors, manipulating buttons, tying laces, improving handwriting
• Sensory Processing: heightened reactivity to sound, touch, or movement, easily distracted by stimuli
• Visual Processing: letter recognition, spacing between letters, differentiating right versus left
• Oral Motor/Processing: eating and drinking using age-appropriate tools and techniques, picky eating/food texture concerns
Voting Results: Pediatric Occupational Therapists
With most developmental concerns, your family doctor or pediatrician is your first stop for guidance.
If they believe occupational therapy can benefit your child, their office will refer you to a local OT office. Children participating in EarlyOn may receive OT services as well through their program.
Every name in this guide received significant votes from our readers. Any sponsors you see were first voted by our readers and then were invited to offer more information about their practice.
We polled local parents for their top picks in occupational therapy; the top seven are listed below.
Best Pediatric Occupational Therapist
Kelly Pixley
at
Functional Kids Therapy
Top Occupational Therapists in Kalamazoo
1 • Pixley, Kelly • Functional Kids Therapy
2 • Hernandez, Rebecca • Santosha Wellness
3 • Davis, Lori • The Center for Childhood Development
4 • Bell, Marie • Rise Therapy & Wellness
4 • Horton-Bierma, Wendy • Arcadia Center for OT, LLC
4 • Ortiz, Kim • Rise Therapy & Wellness
7 • Firth, Jessica • Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency (KRESA)
sponsored listings
Rise Therapy & Wellness (Rise) is an organization based in Richland, Michigan, that was established in 2020.
Our services include occupational therapy and community enrichment, which aim to enhance individuals' health, wellness, and education outcomes.
We are dedicated to increasing the accessibility of services that enrich the health, wellbeing, and quality of life of our clients and the community. We do this by passionately focusing on caring for our clients, caring for the whole person, and investing in our team.
Learn more at www.risetherapyandwellness.org.
Our services include occupational therapy and community enrichment, which aim to enhance individuals' health, wellness, and education outcomes.
We are dedicated to increasing the accessibility of services that enrich the health, wellbeing, and quality of life of our clients and the community. We do this by passionately focusing on caring for our clients, caring for the whole person, and investing in our team.
Learn more at www.risetherapyandwellness.org.
The Center’s Kalamazoo location is an assessment/treatment clinic treating children and their families.
Our speech and occupational therapists incorporate therapeutic interventions into all aspects of your child’s life – addressing attention, cognition, social-emotional, language-communication, motor/sensory processing, play, and behavior skills.
Our speech and occupational therapists incorporate therapeutic interventions into all aspects of your child’s life – addressing attention, cognition, social-emotional, language-communication, motor/sensory processing, play, and behavior skills.
Does Your Family Have a Pediatric Occupational Therapist?
Do you have a favorite OT for kids? Let us know in the comments.
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