In-School Therapy Services
Classroom Observation and In-School Occupational and Speech Therapy Services
Our School Services
At TheraPlay LA, we understand that true progress is made when children can apply the skills they learn in therapy to their everyday environments, especially in their learning environment. While our state-of-the-art sensory gym offers an exceptional, carefully curated space for children to develop and grow, we recognize that the ultimate goal is for these skills to generalize to real-world settings, allowing them to truly thrive. In an effort to ensure that happens, we’re happy to announce we’ve begun collaborating with parents and schools to not only offer school observations, but to offer in-school therapy sessions during school hours!
Classroom Observation
Every child’s learning environment plays a critical role in their development and success. Seemingly small adjustments to the classroom or the way your child is playing at recess can make a world of difference, completely altering their academic experience and performance. That’s why we offer a specialized service where Doctor Marielly personally shadows your child in the classroom and on the playground to observe their behavior and performance while assessing how their classroom and school environment fits with your child’s unique sensory needs, strengths, and therapeutic goals.
Part of our process includes working closely with teachers and administrative staff to ensure our recommendations and observations are understood and enacted. This includes a detailed report with actionable items, largely using playground equipment and items already available in your child’s classroom in ways that are more targeted and meaningful. In addition to the report, Doctor Marielly makes a point to meet with your child’s teacher to discuss her findings and hear their input on her suggestions, making adjustments as necessary to be sure her recommendations are practical and easy to implement. A check in at the one month mark is highly encouraged to reassess your child’s progress and make adjustments to the plan based on teacher observations and feedback. This process ensures your child’s team is supported throughout the observation and implementation process and helps improve carry-over of recommendations while providing additional chances to fine-tune recommendations to better suit your child’s needs.
Additionally, our established connections with numerous private schools and our concierge services help streamline scheduling and communication between school staff, teachers, and our own team. This means one less item on your to do list while still keeping you informed of progress throughout this process.
How it Works
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Classroom Observation
Doctor Marielly visits your child’s classroom to observe them in their natural learning environment. This hands-on approach allows her to gain a deeper understanding of how the classroom’s sensory elements—such as noise levels, seating arrangements, and classroom materials—impact your child’s ability to focus, engage, and thrive.
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Comprehensive Assessment
Drawing from her expertise in sensory integration and occupational therapy, Dr. Marielly will evaluate how well the current classroom setup supports or hinders your child’s specific needs. She considers everything from your child’s sensory profile and therapeutic goals to their strengths and areas of improvement.
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Tailored Sensory Recommendations
Based on her observations, Doctor Marielly will provide a report with personalized recommendations to help optimize your child's classroom environment to meet their needs and provide them with the structure they need to help them succeed. This may include sensory tools, modifications, and strategies that can be implemented by both teachers and parents to create a more supportive learning space.
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Equipment Recommendations
In addition to sensory strategies, Doctor Marielly may suggest specific equipment—such as adaptive seating, fidget tools, or weighted blankets—that can further enhance your child’s comfort and focus in the classroom. These recommendations are carefully selected to align with your child’s individual needs and therapeutic goals without drawing undue attention to them or disrupting their learning experience.
Benefits of Classroom-Based Assessment
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Holistic Understanding
By observing your child in the context of their everyday school environment, Doctor Marielly can offer insights that go beyond what’s typically gathered in a clinical setting.
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Collaborative Approach
Doctor Marielly works closely with teachers and parents to ensure that the recommended strategies and tools are practical, easy to implement, and effective in the classroom.
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Enhanced Learning Experience
The ultimate goal is to help your child feel more comfortable, engaged, and successful in their learning environment, paving the way for better academic and social outcomes.
In-School Therapy Services
We understand that scheduling and transportation logistics can make it feel nearly impossible to find time in your and your child’s busy schedules for therapy. That’s why we’re committed to helping remove those obstacles to getting your child the care and intervention they need. By partnering directly with your school, we can offer your child services during the school day to bolster their academic success in real time!
Furthermore, we believe that one of the best places to support a child’s growth and development is where they face the largest hurdles— in their school. Our in-school therapy services are designed to seamlessly integrate into the school day, providing children with the support they need to thrive both academically and socially.
Why In-School Therapy?
Convenience: We understand that life gets busy and established routines can be difficult to break. Our in-school therapy services eliminate the need for additional appointments outside of school hours, making life less hectic. With therapy provided directly at school, there’s no need to worry about transportation or scheduling conflicts. Your child receives the care they need without disrupting your family’s routine.
Real-Life Application: Skills like fine motor control, social interaction, and self-regulation are most valuable when children can use them in context. By collaborating closely with schools, we ensure that the progress made in therapy translates directly to the classroom, playground, and beyond, helping children achieve their full academic potential. Whether it’s improving fine motor skills for handwriting or enhancing social communication during circle time and recess, your child’s therapy is both relevant and immediately applicable to their learning experience.
Bridging the Gap: For many children, the transition from the classroom to therapy after a long day at school can be challenging and they often arrive already feeling drained. By offering in-school therapy services, TheraPlay LA bridges the gap between structured therapy sessions and everyday school experiences. We help children apply what they’ve learned in our sensory gym to their academic and social environments, improving their progress in the context where it matters most.
Sensory Regulation for Improved Learning: For children with sensory processing challenges, being in a classroom for extended periods can become overwhelming. School visits allow our therapists to provide regulating sensory input during the school day, helping your child stay calm, focused, and ready to learn. By integrating sensory breaks, adaptive tools, and calming techniques into the school routine, we help children become more available for learning and social interactions.
The TheraPlay LA Difference
While our sensory gym provides a wealth of sensory opportunities and unique equipment specially designed to target specific sensory systems, we understand the need to collaborate directly with schools to ensure these skills translate to the school setting. Our therapists can provide targeted interventions that support academic success, from improving handwriting and fine motor skills to enhancing social communication and sensory regulation.
Experienced Therapists: Our licensed occupational and speech therapists are skilled in delivering school-based services that meet the unique needs of each child. They work closely with school staff to ensure a collaborative, tailored approach to therapy.
Personalized Approach: Every child is unique, and so is our approach. We develop individualized therapy plans based on each child’s strengths, areas for improvement, and specific sensory needs, ensuring that they receive the most effective support.
Integrated Support: Therapy is most effective when it’s consistent. Our in-school services are designed to blend seamlessly into the school day, making therapeutic interventions a natural part of your child’s routine.