Pediatric Occupational Therapy Services

 

Sunshine Center^® Provides Occupational Therapy Services to:

• Infants
• Toddlers
• Children up to age 18

Our occupational therapists will help your child strengthen the following areas:

• Fine Motor Skills
• Sensory Motor Skills
• Visual Motor Skills
• Visual Perceptual Skills
• Executive Functioning
• Handwriting
• Cutting with Scissors
• Sensory Regulation
• Emotional Regulation
• Play Skills
• Muscle Tone
• Self-Help Skills (e.g. getting dressed, brushing teeth, using utensils, etc.)

Sunshine Center Locations Offering Occupational Therapy Services:

• Manalapan, NJ (Monmouth County)
• Edison, NJ (Middlesex County)
• Brick, NJ (Ocean County)
• West Windsor, NJ (Mercer County)
• Lawton, OK (Comanche County)

Individual evaluations are completed with your child and our occupational therapist at the Sunshine Center.

Most private medical insurance accepted. Call us now to schedule an evaluation:

1-866-987-8669

 

Hours for Manalapan, NJ: Mon - Fri: 9:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. | Sat: 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. | Sun: 9:00 a.m. - noon

Hours for West Windsor, NJ: Mon - Fri: 9:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. | Sat - Sun: Closed

Hours for Brick, NJ: Mon - Sat: 9:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. | Sun: Closed

Hours for Edison, NJ: Mon - Fri: 8:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m. | Sat: 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. | Sun: Closed

Hours for Lawton, OK: Mon - Fri: 8:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. | Sat - Sun: Closed

About Our Pediatric Occupational Therapy Services: 

Occupational therapy (OT) is a type of functional therapy that helps people recover, maintain, or develop skills which are necessary for day-to-day life. OT increases children's independence in their daily activities, including:

• Dressing
• Bathing
• Walking
• Handwriting
• Scissor skills
• Feeding
• Fine motor skills (grasping, manipulating small objects)
  
• Gross motor coordination
  
• Sensory processing and regulation
  
• Visual-motor integration
  
• Hand-eye coordination
  
• Core strength and postural control
  
• Balance and body awareness
  
• Self-regulation and emotional regulation
  
• Attention and task completion
  
• Executive functioning (planning, organization, transitions)
  
• Bilateral coordination (using both hands together)
  
• Motor planning (praxis)
  
• Adaptive skills
  
• Daily living skills (toothbrushing, toileting, grooming)

Building occupational skills helps kids live their lives to the fullest each day. Pediatric OT sessions are full of fun and creative activities that are individualized to help your child become more independent and build the confidence needed to be successful in academics, play, self-help skills, and social participation.

Pediatric Occupational Therapy Evaluations

Occupational therapy evaluations are the first step in determining a child’s need for individualized therapy services and identifying the most effective ways to support their development.

Families play an active role in the evaluation process. The evaluation typically includes a discussion of your child’s developmental milestones, daily routines, strengths, and medical history. The occupational therapist will assess areas such as motor skills, muscle strength, mobility, visual skills, and sensory processing.

Pediatric OT evaluations are comprehensive and may take up to two hours to ensure a thorough understanding of your child’s needs and to develop appropriate treatment recommendations.

How Do I Know if My Child Needs Occupational Therapy? 

Children who demonstrate challenges in their daily activities or development may benefit from occupational therapy. Your child may be a good candidate for OT if he or she exhibits any of the following:

• Sensory sensitivities or aversions (discomfort with clothing tags, refusal to wear socks, preference for short sleeves, avoiding sticky or wet textures)
  
  
• Difficulty with self-regulation, especially when upset or overwhelmed
  
  
• Weak or delayed fine motor skills (difficulty grasping objects, handwriting challenges, trouble with buttoning or zipping)
  
  
• Delayed mobility milestones (sitting, crawling, walking)
  
  
• Challenges with daily living skills (dressing, grooming, hygiene, eating)
  
  
• Poor coordination or balance
  
  
• Difficulty paying attention or staying focused
  
  
• Trouble following directions
  
  
• Immature or inappropriate play skills for their age
  
  

If your child has challenges with any of the above, an occupational therapy evaluation can help determine his or her strengths, areas of need, and whether occupational therapy would be beneficial.

What Kind of Progress Can I Expect? 

Every child’s occupational development is unique and is influenced by factors such as age, strengths and weaknesses, family goals, and evaluation results.

Some children progress quickly, while others need consistent, ongoing instruction to develop and strengthen skills over a longer period of time. It is also normal for children to experience periods of slower progress as they learn to integrate and generalize new skills.

Skills learned in occupational therapy can take time to carry over into home, school, or community settings. Continued practice, repetition, and family involvement play an important role in helping children apply these skills across environments.

Sunshine Center's OTs will partner with your family throughout your child’s occupational therapy journey. We make sessions fun, engaging, and educational. Through individualized, one-on-one therapy, we will work together to support meaningful progress, build confidence, and help your child reach their greatest potential.

Credentials and Licensing

Our Occupational therapists (OTs) are highly trained healthcare professionals that meet strict educational and licensing standards.

• Completion of an accredited occupational therapy program
  

• • Master’s degree (MSOT or MOT) or
    
    
  • Doctorate (OTD)
    
    
• Supervised clinical fieldwork experience
  
  
• Passing a national certification exam

Occupational Therapy (OT) FAQs

What is occupational therapy for children?
Occupational therapy helps children develop the sensory processing, motor skills, emotional regulation, and independence needed for everyday activities: play, self-care, learning, and social participation.

What concerns does OT address?
Occupational therapy can help children who have challenges with:

• Fine motor skills (writing, cutting, grasping)
  
• Sensory processing (over- or under-sensitivity to sounds, textures, movement)
  
• Emotional regulation and attention
  
• Self-care skills (dressing, feeding, toileting)
  
• Visual-motor and perceptual skills

How do I know if my child needs occupational therapy?
If your child struggles with daily routines, becomes easily frustrated, avoids certain activities, or is not meeting developmental milestones, an OT evaluation can help determine whether therapy would be beneficial.

What does an OT session look like?
OT sessions are play-based, engaging, and individualized. Therapy may include games, movement, sensory activities, fine motor tasks, and real-life skill practice. All activities are designed to support the goals established for your child.

How long will my child need occupational therapy?
There is no specified duration for occupational therapy. Some children progress rapidly, while others benefit from longer-term support. Progress is influenced by factors such as age, consistency, home practice, and the ability to generalize skills across environments.

Will my child always make steady progress with occupational therapy?
As with most things, progress is not always linear in occupational therapy. It’s normal for children to experience plateaus or periods where new occupational skills take time to generalize. These phases are a typical part of development and therapy.

How often are OT sessions recommended?
OT session frequency is prescribed after the evaluation and may change over time based on progress, goals, and family needs.

Can parents be involved in OT sessions?
Definitely. Parent education and collaboration are a key part of occupational therapy. Sunshine Center's therapists share strategies, activities, and recommendations to support practice at home.

Does OT replace school-based services?
Outpatient OT complements, but does not replace, school-based therapy; each setting addresses different goals. Collaboration between outpatient and school-based therapists is beneficial.

Which diagnoses benefit from occupational therapy?
Children with developmental delays, autism, ADHD, sensory processing challenges, motor delays, and other developmental differences may benefit from OT. A diagnosis is not required to begin occupational therapy services.

How do you measure progress in occupational therapy?
OT progress is monitored through regular clinical observation, goal tracking, and ongoing communication with the child's family.

Will OT help my child be more independent?
Sunshine Center's goal is to help children build functional skills that support independence, confidence, and participation in daily life.