Programs

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Lauren will conduct an initial assessment that may include analysis of your child’s fine motor, visual motor, visual perception, sensory motor, and self-care skills.

A consultation includes an hour home visit.  A brief typed report will follow discussing your child’s strengths and weaknesses.  Additionally, suggestions for home activities and exercises will be included 

A formal evaluation including standardized testing and a complete written report may be recommended after a consultation to gain specific insight on areas of weakness.  Test scores will help determine specific goals that will be followed during the course of therapy. 

If it is determined that weekly or bi-weekly occupational therapy is necessary, Lauren will use a variety of treatment techniques to target problems in fine motor skills, sensory integration, behavior, self-help skills (eg: holding a spoon, getting dressed, brushing hair, etc), handwriting, or other areas that require the attention of a pediatric occupational therapist.  Treatment in your home is scheduled for one-hour sessions. 

If necessary, Lauren may offer to observe your child at school.  It is important that children thrive at home, school, and in daily life. 

Handwriting evaluations include assessment of a child’s fine motor skills as well as administration of The Print Tool; a standardized handwriting evaluation tool.  A written report following the evaluation is included, stating areas of strength and weakness as well as a remediation treatment plan.  A handwriting evaluation does not include a formal evaluation of gross motor or sensory integration skills.

As handwriting delays could be compromised due to fine motor and sensory integration problems, it may be necessary to conduct a complete sensory-motor evaluation in conjunction with a handwriting evaluation.  Lauren will discuss which evaluation is the most appropriate for your child.

Using the Handwriting Without Tears curriculum, Lauren offers 2 of her own handwriting programs for children at different stages of handwriting development:

 *Smart Scribbles™ lays the foundation for good writing habits at ages two and three.  Lauren will help your child develop the basic pre-writing skills: grasp development, fine motor coordination, hand and arm muscle strength, finger manipulation, and visual motor skills.
*Smart Strokes™ teaches basic to complex handwriting skills to preschoolers through elementary school, inclusive of learning uppercase and lowercase print, numbers, and cursive writing.  Lauren will design the appropriate handwriting program based on your child’s needs.

In anticipation of NYC kindergarten admission, many families look to provide extra support for their children during the preschool years.  Lauren offers a kindergarten readiness program for typically developing children who may need to sharpen existing skills.  This program may be beneficial for children who:

• Have inconsistent grasp patterns when holding a crayon
• Need to improve ability to write his/her name or draw simple shapes and pictures
• Have difficulty using scissors to cut simple lines and shapes
• Would prefer to run around than attend to a fine motor activity such as coloring at the table
• Have a challenging time copying block designs

Over the course of treatment, Lauren typically sees an improvement in children’s attention and motor skills expected of them upon entering their kindergarten year.  One hour weekly sessions are recommended.

 To complement occupational therapy your child may be receiving in a sensory gym, Lauren designs individualized sensory diets for home use.  A sensory diet refers to the unique amount of sensory input that your child needs each day for optimal success in all tasks.  Lauren educates parents about how to carry out the activities.  For your child to find success with sensory integration at home, Lauren provides home adaptation suggestions such as, but not limited to:

• Specialty seating
• Lighting
• Bedding
• Music adaptations
• Toy selection
• Movement
• Deep touc