Children, Youth, and Family (CYF)

Please call (314) 286-1669 Opt. #1 to schedule an appointment.

Whether it’s helping students develop the skills they need to perform schoolwork and succeed in the classroom or working with kids in the clinic, home, or community setting, our clinicians are trained to address a wide variety of needs within each of these environments and tailor the treatment to best meet each child and family’s goals.

Within the school setting
Children spending large amounts of their time at school, so schools are natural settings for occupational therapists to provide supportive services for kids. While some schools will have designated occupational therapists on staff, others will contract with local providers or allow private clinicians the ability to work with students while at school. Whether our clinician is working directly with your child in the classroom or partnering with an occupational therapist on staff at the school, we will work hand-in-hand with the child’s teachers, administrators, and family as appropriate to develop strategies that will promote independence and best help your child succeed in the school environment. Our focus will primarily rest on identifying ways that we can help him/her fully participate in class and school-related activities by addressing skills such as:

• organization
• problem-solving
• self-care
• social skills
• handwriting
• self-regulation
• attention

Our therapists collaborate with teachers to prioritize challenges, identify classroom accommodations, and create individual and group intervention programs. School-based occupational therapy can also address underlying sensory processing patterns that contribute to difficulties with attention, hand-eye coordination, and self-regulation challenges in order to maximize performance and keep the child focused on the goal or task at hand.

In the home, community, or clinical environment
Outside of the school setting, occupational therapy addresses the ability of children to perform childhood “occupations”, which are the tasks of everyday living. Specifically, our occupational therapists partner with kids and families to ensure that the child can do the things they need and want to do every day, such as:

• get dressed
• play a game with a peer
• ride a bike
• communicate effectively with others around them
• anything else that comes along throughout the course of a normal day

Services can take place in either the clinic or home environment based upon what will be the most effective for the child and family. In many cases, a variety of locations will be utilized so that we can understand and address each child and family’s unique needs comprehensively and as they relate to each specific environment.

Regardless of the location, our clinicians will be sure to involve the parents, family members, and relevant community helpers throughout the entire process so that everyone in the child’s life feels empowered and ready to help the child meet his/her goals. Together, we’ll form the support system needed to help them thrive both in and out of the classroom.