509 Therapy Hub

There is mounting evidence on the benefits of spending time in nature on our physical and emotional well-being. As our world becomes more virtual and disconnected with what is real, nature keeps us grounded to our surroundings and relationships. Time spent outdoors can strengthen family ties, give us a sense of calmness, and awaken our inner creativity. Traditional individual Occupational Therapy services try to mimic natural settings with beams, colors, textures, and sounds as a means of helping children develop and regulate the senses that help us explore the world. Typical sessions with other OT’s are held on an individual basis, neglecting the child’s ability to develop skills that require interacting with peers. Rather than mimic these natural stimuli, at Sensory Pathway our group sessions are held IN NATURE to provide opportunities for children to experience those same inputs in their natural setting, where they can explore, create, and get messy…all things that every child should experience. Led by a skilled Occupational Therapist, each group session is designed to help your child develop skills that will help them confidently navigate their surroundings while interacting with their peers in a healthy way. These sessions are adult-supervised, child-led so that the children can have control of their learning experience while being guided by the skilled training of their therapist. Unstructured free play is a core value of each session. Groups are made up of 3-5 children with similar needs but also include Peer Pals, children not needing therapy services, but wanting to be a part of an outdoor social group. Sessions are designed to allow for frequent social interactions.

We are firm believers that there is no such thing as bad weather - only bad clothing and preparation. When it rains, we play outdoors. When it snows, we play outdoors. Variance in weather provides opportunities to address different skills that are crucial in life (i.e., balancing on ice) and teach kids to adapt to a variety of challenges.

Absolutely! We feel it is important for typically developing children to learn to interact with atypically developing children, and vice versa. For that reason we provide opportunities for children to enroll as "Peer Playmates." These children will NOT receive the traditional therapy progress updates/goal setting but will participate in the groups just as the other children needing OT services. No evaluation is needed.

You can pay per session if you’d like for both OT services and Peer Playmates. Package deals include a discounted rate. “SPOT Kids” outdoor packets are included with package pricing only.

-10, 90-minute sessions over the course of a 12-week period -Progress reports at the end of each quarter -Monthly, 45-minute phone consultations -Each child will receive a “Sensory Pathway OT (SPOT) Kids” outdoor packet with items to help them engage in nature, including a “SPOT Kids” t-shirt, journal, backpack, and other goodies.

Outdoor group sessions are 90 minutes each and will be held in a local park/recreation area. Individual sessions are 60 minutes and held at our clinic.

Therapy sessions include activities to: -Increase muscle strength -Improve coordination -Explore sensations in order to better tolerate a variety of textures, movements, and noises -Learn to calm the body and mind -Practice patience, concentration, and following directions -Foster social skills Sessions are often dirty, muddy, wet, and an absolute blast!

Unfortunately, there are times when we must be inside. If the air quality index (AQI) is in unhealthy ranges we do sessions indoors or in the event of extreme weather. Otherwise, we want to be outdoors! Individual sessions are held indoors.