PlayGrow OT manages 5 data types including appointments. Helps you organize, track, and share your work in 1 place for teams and solo users.

Is this a separate service or part of every session?

Both. Coaching is woven into every child's therapy, because the carryover at home is where progress compounds. You're never an afterthought, and you're never handed a clipboard of tasks. With your child's plan as the guide, you'll get plain-language explanations of what we're working on and why, plus one or two simple things to try between sessions. If you'd ever like a dedicated parent-only check-in, virtual or in person, that's available too — just ask.

What if both parents can't attend?

That's the norm, not the exception. Between work, siblings, and life, rarely does every caregiver make it to every session. When one parent attends, they become the bridge home — and we make sure the strategies are simple and specific enough to pass along. We can send a short recap of the week's strategy, share a quick video of how it's done, or schedule a virtual check-in so the other parent (or a grandparent or sitter) is in the loop. The aim is that whoever is with your child at the tricky moments knows the playbook.

Do you offer virtual parent check-ins?

Yes. Many families use a short virtual check-in between in-person sessions — to troubleshoot a strategy that isn't landing, talk through a new challenge, or catch up both parents at once without coordinating a sitter. These are focused and practical, not a replacement for hands-on therapy. Think of them as a tune-up for the home program. If your schedule makes in-person attendance hard, virtual check-ins keep you in the loop and keep progress moving.

Parent Coaching

Parent Coaching: Because You're With Your Child the Other 167 Hours a Week

Your child sees a therapist for an hour. The other 167 hours a week, they're with you. That math is the whole case for parent coaching. When you know what to do in the moments that actually matter — the meltdown before school, the standoff over socks, the bedtime that never ends — progress doesn't stop when the session does. Pediatric occupational therapy in Nassau County, with parents built into the process.

Why Parent Involvement Multiplies Progress

Therapy once a week matters — but the research is clear that the biggest gains come when families carry the strategies into everyday life. A child who practices a calming routine every morning at home moves faster than one who only sees it in a session. It's not about doing more therapy; it's about making the ordinary moments therapeutic.

You also know your child better than anyone. You notice the early signs of overload, the specific texture that's a no-go, the exact moment in the bedtime routine it derails. That knowledge is essential to good therapy. When you and Cheryl are working from the same playbook, sessions get sharper and home gets calmer.

What Coaching Looks Like

Coaching isn't a separate class you attend. It's part of how every session works.

In-session participation — you're invited into the room (or right nearby) to watch, try, and ask. You see exactly what Cheryl is doing and why.

Plain-language explanations — no jargon, no acronyms. When something is working, you'll understand the reason so you can re-create it at home.

Simple weekly strategies — one or two small, specific things to practice between sessions, woven into routines you're already doing.

Notice what this isn't: a homework overload. The goal is a lighter home, not a longer to-do list. If a strategy isn't fitting your family's real life, we change it.

Examples of Strategies You'll Learn

A few concrete examples of the kinds of doable strategies families leave with:

A calming routine before homework

Three to five minutes of heavy work — wall pushes, carrying a loaded backpack, jumping on a mini trampoline — before sitting down to focus. It gives a sensory-seeking child the input their body needs to settle.

A mealtime setup for a hesitant eater

A predictable pre-meal cue, a preferred plate, one low-pressure "learning food" alongside safe favorites, and a no-thank-you bowl for spitting out calmly. Less drama, more slow exposure.

A dressing sequence for independence

Laid-out clothes in order, a visual or first-then cue, and the one step you wait on so your child does the rest. Builds dressing skills and the "I did it" feeling at once.

A transition warning that actually works

A five-minute heads-up, a visual timer, and a predictable "finished" phrase — so moving from screen time, the playground, or the bath doesn't end in a meltdown.

Frequently Asked Questions

You might also be looking for

Sensory Processing Therapy

Understanding your child's sensory profile — and what to do at home when the world is too much, or not enough.

Feeding Therapy

No-pressure strategies for picky eaters, and calm mealtime routines that carry over to home.

You don't need to become a therapist. You just need the right playbook.

Tell Cheryl what's hard at home — the meltdowns, the mealtime standoffs, the mornings that never end. She'll help you see what's really going on and what a parent-coaching plan could look like for your family — no pressure, no commitment.

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This page is for general education and isn't a substitute for an individualized evaluation or medical advice.