When your child starts occupational therapy, one of the most common questions is: what exactly does OT involve? Occupational therapy (OT) helps children build the skills they need to take part in everyday activities. This is what we call “occupations.” These are the things your child needs and wants to do each day, like getting dressed, playing with friends, participating at school, or completing routines at home. At Joyful Journey OT, we focus on supporting children to become more confident,...

When you first begin therapy for your child, it’s completely natural to wonder: “When will you actually start working with my child?” It’s a fair question; and an important one. But here’s the part that often gets missed: We already are. Why we start with parents Your child doesn’t exist in isolation, and neither do their challenges or strengths. They exist within: your family routines your home environment your relationships your day-to-day rhythms Spending time with you first helps us...

For years, many of us in health, education and the neurodivergent community have worked hard to shift the conversation around autism. We’ve worked to move: Away from functioning labels. Away from deficit-based narratives. Away from describing autism in terms of how “severe” it appears to other people. Instead, we’ve moved toward something more accurate and more humane: support needs . Because autism itself is not “mild” or “severe.” What fluctuates is how supported someone is. How predictable...