Occupational Therapy in Aurora, Colorado

Occupational therapists (OTs) help children participate in the "occupations" of childhood — play, learning, self-care, school routines, and home life. For autistic children, OT often centers on sensory processing (how the nervous system takes in and responds to sensory input), motor coordination, and the daily-life skills that sensory or motor differences can complicate.

A pediatric OT might work on: building a sensory profile and a "sensory diet" of activities through the day that keep your child regulated; supporting fine-motor skills like writing, cutting, and dressing; addressing oral-motor and feeding concerns; helping with sleep, toileting, and other routine challenges; and recommending environmental accommodations and tools. Many OTs are also the practical resource for choosing weighted blankets, fidgets, chewables, and other regulation tools.

OT is highly individualized — what one autistic child needs from OT looks nothing like what another needs. A good OT starts with careful evaluation, partners with the family, and adapts as your child grows. Importantly, a good OT supports stimming and self-regulation rather than trying to suppress them — sensory and motor needs are real, and the goal is to meet them, not eliminate them.

Our sensory toys and tools and sensory boxes for autism guides cover related ground for at-home support.

Occupational therapists serving Aurora families practice in private clinics, in hospital systems including Children's Hospital Colorado's pediatric programs, and through school-based services in the districts that serve different parts of Aurora. Some OTs offer home visits, especially useful for working on regulation and routines in the actual environments where they happen. For specialized sensory-integration programs and complex feeding or motor needs, Children's Colorado is a major regional resource. Waitlists vary by provider.

To find an OT: ask your child's pediatrician for referrals, contact your insurance for in-network providers, or ask the diagnosing clinic for recommendations. Children's Hospital Colorado, JFK Partners, and the Autism Society of Colorado often maintain referral information. School-based OT starts through the IEP process with your child's district. When calling providers, ask about experience with autism specifically and with sensory processing.

If you know of an Aurora-area OT we should feature, please tell us.