Office # (561) 288-0512

Fax # (561) 962-1551

admin@justforkidztherapy.com

About Us

Are you tired of large therapy practices where your child is just another number? I understand because I was too. My name is Jenny Villalobos. I am a pediatric occupational therapist of 18+ years, a wife & mother of three, an adult with ADHD, and a Parkland resident. After working in a variety of settings that were focused on quantity over quality, I opened my own practice in 2021 so that I could offer better, more specialized care to children with developmental delays and/or disabilities. 

Welcome to Just for Kidz Therapy, where play meets progress! I currently serve children 1-10 years old in Coconut Creek, Parkland, Coral Springs & Deerfield- ZIP Codes: 33073, 33076, 33067, 33065 (north of Sample Rd), 33442 (west of Powerline Rd). All therapy occurs in the child's natural environment, either home or school. My mission is to provide family-centered, judgement-free, neurodiversity-affirming therapeutic intervention focused on facilitating improved engagement, communication, physical, and social-emotional development so that my clients and their families can participate in meaningful activities together and enjoy their relationships more.

What is an OT?

Occupational Therapists, called OT's, are allied health professionals that provide intervention to support their client's participation in the activities that occupy their time (aka occupations). Something unique about OT's is that we are holistic practitioners. This means that we consider the whole person and the physical, mental & emotional factors that affect their performance. Most branches of therapy, such as physical therapy or counseling, focus on one area only.

Approach to Therapy

I use a developmental, play-based & child-led approach to facilitate improved regulation and promote development of social skills, motor skills, communication, and higher level cognitive skills such as problem solving, creativity, imagination & reasoning. I do this by joining the child in their interests in order to lay the groundwork for a safe, respectful & supportive relationship. Simultaneously, I am recognizing the child's individual differences (i.e. sensory sensitivities, motor skill challenges, increased anxiety) and tailoring the experience to support them. Once a therapeutic relationship is established, I harness it to provide systematic challenges that facilitate the child's development. This is done by pushing the child just outside of their comfort zone without it becoming so frustrating that the child becomes agitated or feels defeated. In the OT world, this is referred to as providing the "just right" challenge.

I am committed to providing neurodiversity-affirming care. This is accomplished by:

• ENCOURAGING one's strengths; not only focusing on their challenges
• CONSIDERING how one's individual differences affect their performance
• IDENTIFYING any barriers (environmental or personal) to participation
• CREATING a supportive sensory environment
• MEETING kids where they are at; developmentally
• PRESUMING competence (the assumption that the child can improve/gain skills)
• HONORING all forms of communication (verbal, AAC, signs, gestures)
• RESPECTING kids bodily autonomy & right to say "no"
• CELEBRATING all accomplishments no matter how big or small
• ADVOCATING for people with disabilities & their right to have access to the supports they need in all environments

Regular Hours

Tues       9:00am to 6:00pm   In-Person

Wed        9:00am to 6:00pm  Telehealth

Thurs      9:00am to 6:00pm  In-Person

We are closed on all national holidays, including: New Year's Day, Martin Luther

King Jr Day, President's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day & Veteran's Day

Programs & Insurances

Fees

Sensory Processing

Sensory Integration Theory was developed in the 1970's by Dr. Jane Ayres, an occupational therapist and researcher. 

Dr. Ayres hypothesized that some individuals with developmental disabilities have trouble processing and integrating sensory information and that it affects their adaptive responses, regulation, and participation in daily life. Dr. Ayres work was groundbreaking and her theory has stood the test of time. It is now well understood that many neurodivergent individuals experience differences with their sensory system.

As part of our training, occupational therapists complete coursework in Human Anatomy, Physiological Responses, Developmental Psychopathology, Neuroanatomy & Kinesiology. This provides us with a unique knowledge of the nervous system, how information if transmitted to the brain via sensory receptors and how that information is processed & organized to create a response. We also learn what happens when sensory stimuli is processed differently and how it can affect one's responses, behavior & motor skills, such as poor emotional regulation, social participation, postural control, motor planning, ideation, sequencing & execution of movement.

I have completed additional, professional development coursework in sensory processing from: the STAR Institute which is considered the premiere research center for Sensory Processing Disorder, Dr. Sarah Schoen, PhD, OTR/L (Director of Research at the STAR Center), Dr. Winnie Dunn, PhD, OTR, FAOTA (author of the Sensory Profile 2), and Dr. Varleisha D. Gibbs, PhD, OTD, OTR/L (developer of the Self-Regulation and Mindfulness program). I have also taken classes in developmental, relationship-based models of practice DIR/Floortime (developed by Dr. Stanley Greenspan, MD) and the PLAY Project (developed by Dr. Rick Solomon, MD) both of which emphasize the impact of sensory processing differences on a child's development. 

Family-Centered Care

Family-centered care is widely considered best practice in pediatrics. I highly encourage caregivers to be active participants in their child's therapy sessions. During this time, I will answer questions, provide education & resources and will coach you on how to build more playful interactions into your daily routines. The most natural, least stressful, and most effective way to improve a child's ability is to empower their parent(s) to support their individualized needs and facilitate their development. It does require some commitment on your part but, I promise, it will be so worth it!

Play Helps Build Brains

Did you know that the most important interactions you have with a child happen through play? By engaging in playful serve and return interactions with a child, you can help them build stronger connections in the brain. Strong neural connections are the foundation for all of a child’s future learning, behavior, and health. Watch this Mini Parenting Master Class from the Director of Harvard University's Center on the Developing Child, Dr. Jack P. Shonkoff. MD, as he discusses the importance of serve and return interactions and how easy they are to do!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

2) What is neurodiversity and why is it important?

Neurodiversity refers to the idea that neurological differences reflect normal variations in brain development. Conditions often associated with neurodivergence include, but are not limited to: ADHD, Autism, Anxiety, OCD, Learning Disabilities & Down Syndrome. The neurodiversity paradigm suggests that these differences should be respected, understood, and supported, rather than pathologized or viewed as disordered. This is a shift from the traditional medical model of disability where historically treatment approaches that were aimed at making people appear & behave more "neurotypical".

Embracing neurodiversity is important because it:

• REDUCES the stigma around learning and thinking differences
• PROVIDES neurodivergent people a community and a sense of belonging
• INCREASES acceptance of neurodivergent people by their peers & their caregivers
• PROMOTES accessible supports and accommodations in all environments

There has been some criticism of this paradigm, particularly from parents of autistic children with high support needs. They have expressed that portraying autism as a difference, rather than a disorder, minimizes the significant difficulties that many autistic individuals and their caretakers face daily. This is an important point to consider and a reminder that not everyone will experience neurodivergence the same way.

3) Do you work with children with behavioral challenges?

Yes. Many of the children that I work with struggle with frequent tantrums and/or meltdowns due to sensory and emotional dysregulation. OT's training in sensory processing can be very beneficial in addressing this. For younger children, I focus is on developing co-regulation with caregivers, identifying the child's sensory differences & preferences, and beginning to identify a few simple emotions. For older children, I focus on self-regulation by developing a more complex understanding of emotions, stressors & sensory differences and how they all affect an individual's ability to achieve and maintain optimal regulation.

That being said, there are some unique situations where a child's behavioral needs require more support than I can offer. This is determined on a case by case basis but examples include: continuous self injurious behavior, significant physical or verbal aggression, and/or inappropriate sexual behavior. In these cases, the child should be under the care of a multidisciplinary team that includes a psychiatrist and specifically-trained mental health/behavioral professionals. 

5) How is a developmental approach different than a behavioral approach?

Behavioral therapy, such as ABA, is commonly recommended by pediatricians and neurologists especially for autistic children. There are some OT's who have adopted a behavioral approach but I use a developmental approach. There are many differences between a behavioral and a developmental approach, the main one being that they are derived from different theoretical models.

A developmental approach is derived from developmental psychology in which the aim is to understand the behavioral, emotional, physical, and cognitive growth and changes that occur throughout the lifespan. It investigates biological, genetic, neurological, psychosocial, cultural, and environmental factors (such as sensory processing, family history, mood, personality, attunement, executive function, motor skills, language, equity & trauma) and the effect of these factors on human development. Many of these factors are not outwardly observable, however; it is believed that they are crucial to understanding an individual's motivation, strengths, weaknesses, social emotional contexts, and that they must be considered to facilitate positive development and support children in reaching their fullest potential (www.verywellmind.com/developmental-psychology-4157180).

ABA, is derived from behaviorism (also referred to as behavioral learning theory). In this theoretical model, it is believed that individuals acquire all behaviors through their interactions with the environment and that all actions are shaped by external stimuli, not internal stimuli which include things like thoughts, emotions, and personality. Behaviorists argue that it is not possible to objectively observe an individual's thoughts & feelings and therefore these internal events should be explained through behavioral terms instead (i.e. avoidance, access, attention) and the focus should be on developing a plan to increase desirable behaviors and decrease undesirable behaviors through the use of contingencies (i.e. reinforcement, punishment). (www.verywellmind.com/behavioral-psychology-4157183).

As far as how it might be different in practice, let's use an example of a child that is hitting the teacher during instruction. Looking at this situation from a behaviorist viewpoint, the goal would be to identify the challenging behavior (i.e. hitting), determine the function of it (i.e. avoidance), and to develop a plan to reduce it (i.e. provide reinforcement when not doing it). The reason behind the behavior is irrelevant as the focus is on behavior change.

On the other hand, from a developmental viewpoint, I would attempt to figure out the reasons WHY he/she is hitting. I would observe them, consider the demands of the activity and what individual differences he/she has, and how they might be affecting their behavior. Let's say that in this case, hand-over-hand is being used by teacher during instruction and it was identified that the child has a high level of anxiety, hyper-responsiveness to touch, and an inability to communicate. My interventions would not be aimed at simply reducing the hitting. Instead, they might include adapting the activity so that it did not require hand-over-hand assistance or suggesting that the teacher gain his permission before touching him/her. I might teach the child about different emotions and how they make his/her body feel (i.e. tense, fast heart beat). I might teach the child to label how they feel (either verbally or nonverbally) and I might teach them to advocate for themselves (i.e. saying "no, thank you").

**Disclaimer: It is important to remember that we are the experts in our respective fields but as parents, you are the expert in your own child. It is imperative that you do your own research so that you can make an informed decision and select the approaches & providers that are going to be the best fit for your loved one.

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