Occupational Therapy
Global Developmental Delay: What it Means and How FOCUS Therapy Can Help
Some diagnoses arrive with a folder of information. Global developmental delay usually arrives as a phrase at the end of a pediatric appointment, written on a referral form, sometimes with no explanation attached. Parents leave holding a term they have…
Potty Training a Child With Developmental Delays
Few parenting milestones come with as much pressure, mythology, and unsolicited advice as potty training. Everyone has a cousin whose toddler trained in a weekend, a neighbor with a foolproof sticker chart, and a strong opinion about how soon is…
Late to Walk? Gross Motor Milestones and When to Take the Next Step
There is a special kind of suspense that comes with waiting for a baby’s first steps. The phone camera is charged, the grandparents are on standby, and every wobble near the coffee table feels like the big moment. Then a…
W-Sitting, Toe-Walking, and Clumsiness: Fort Myers Occupational Therapists Red Flags
Your four-year-old is playing on the living room floor and you notice they’re sitting in that strange position again, legs splayed out behind them like a letter W, while their sibling sits cross-legged. Or maybe your son has been walking…
Why “Play-Based” Therapy Is Serious Work — and Why That Matters to Us
Pediatric therapy is more than a job. For the right clinician, it is a calling. If you are a speech-language pathologist, occupational therapist, or behavior analyst who takes both the science and the joy of working with children seriously, we…
What to Know When Your Child Needs Speech, OT, and ABA at a Fort Myers Pediatric Therapy Clinic
If your child has been recommended for speech therapy, occupational therapy, and ABA therapy, you may be feeling a mix of emotions: relief that there is a plan, but also overwhelmed by the prospect of multiple appointments, multiple therapists, and…
Is It “Naughty” — Or Is It Vestibular? When Behavioral Outbursts Are Actually a Cry for Physical Movement
Your child melts down at the dinner table, bolts across the waiting room, can’t sit still during homework, or throws themselves dramatically onto the couch for the tenth time before noon. You’ve tried the gentle reminders, the consequences, the deep…
The “Routine Gap”: Fort Myers ABA Therapy Tips for Maintaining Your Child’s Progress During Winter Break
‘Tis the season and the halls are decked, the house smells like cookies, and your child is buzzing with excitement about two glorious weeks of freedom. While winter break is a wonderful time for family connection and holiday magic, many…
The “No Thank You” Plate: A Simple Feeding Strategy to Reduce Mealtime Power Struggles
As Fort Myers occupational therapists who specialize in pediatric feeding therapy, we at FOCUS Therapy understand the daily challenges families face when their child with autism struggles with extreme picky eating. If mealtimes in your home have become battlegrounds filled…
The Scoop on Zippers and Buttons: OT Strategies for Mastering Daily Dressing Skills
As Fort Myers occupational therapists, one of the most rewarding moments for us is when a child successfully zips their own jacket for the first time. The pride that lights up their face tells a story that goes far beyond…