Office #: (561) 288-0512

Fax #: (561) 962-1551

referrals@justforkidztherapy.com

admin@justforkidztherapy.com

About Us

Welcome to Just for Kidz Therapy (JFKT), where purposeful play = progress! JFKT is the solo practice of Dr. Jenny Villalobos, PPOTD, OTR/L, ASDCS, ADHD-RSP.  Jenny is a pediatric occupational therapist, a wife & mother of three, a Parkland resident, and an adult with ADHD. Jenny currently serves children 1-12 years old in Parkland, Coconut Creek, Coral Springs & Deerfield (see specifics below). All therapy occurs in the child's natural environment- either home, school, or in the community (i.e. public library).

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

Just for Kidz Therapy's mission is to provide the high quality therapeutic intervention focused on facilitating improved engagement, communication, physical, and social-emotional development so that our clients and their families can participate in meaningful activities together and enjoy their relationships more.

Jenny's developmental, play-based, and relationship-focused approach is what sets Just for Kidz Therapy apart from other local practices. Jenny uses gentle guidance and purposefully selected play-based activities to facilitate improved regulation, social skills, motor skills, communication, and higher level cognitive skills such as problem solving, creativity, imagination & reasoning. She does this by joining the child in their interests in order to lay the groundwork for a safe, respectful & supportive relationship. Simultaneously, she identifies the child's individual differences (i.e. sensory sensitivities, motor skill challenges, increased anxiety) and tailors the experience to support them. Once a therapeutic relationship is established, she harnesses 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.

Jenny is 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

We are closed on all Federal holidays, including: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr Day, President's Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veteran's Day, Thanksgiving Day & Christmas Day.

**Please note that Jenny will also take off the week of Broward County Public Schools Spring Break, two weeks in the summertime, and two weeks at the end of the year around Christmas for vacation. If this is a problem for you, please bring it up before starting the intake process because she may not be the best fit for your family.

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.

As part of our training, occupational therapists complete coursework in Human Anatomy, Physiological Responses, Developmental Psychopathology, Neuroanatomy & Kinesiology. This provides us with a unique understanding of the nervous system, how information is 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.

Family-Centered Care

Family-centered care is widely considered best practice in pediatrics. Jenny highly encourages caregivers to be active participants in their child's therapy sessions. During this time, she will answer questions, provide education and 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, we promise, it will be so worth it!

Building Brains through Play

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 Jenny works with struggle with frequent tantrums and/or meltdowns due to sensory processing differences and emotional dysregulation. OT's training in sensory processing can be very beneficial in addressing this. For younger children, she focuses on developing co-regulation with caregivers, identifying the child's sensory differences & preferences, and beginning to identify a few simple emotions. For older children, she focuses 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 we 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 professionals. 

4) My child was diagnosed with autism and our pediatrician recommended both ABA & OT.  Should we do both?

Sure. We have many clients who do both therapies, as well as speech. We have no problem with this as long as it is understood that they are different types of therapy and will not look the same, nor should they.   

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. Some OT's have adopted a behavioral approach but Jenny uses a developmental, relationship-based approach. Developmental, relationship-focused approaches focus on enhancing relationships between caregivers (i.e. parents, therapists, teachers) and children in ways that support the child’s movement through typical levels of development.

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 vital to understanding an individual's motivation, strengths, and weaknesses 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, Jenny would attempt to figure out the reason WHY the child was hitting. She would observe them, consider the demands of the activity and what individual differences the child 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. Her 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 their permission before touching them. She might teach the child about different emotions and how they make the body feel (i.e. tense, fast heart beat). She might teach the child to label how they feel (either verbally or nonverbally) and she might teach them to advocate for themselves (i.e. saying "no, thank you").

**Disclaimer: It is important to remember that while we are the experts in our respective fields, you as parents, 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.

Media