Pediatric Occupational Therapy and Speech Therapy Services
6120 St. Giles St. Suite 260
Raleigh, NC 27612
Phone
919-238-9473
PEDIATRIC OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY
Little Oaks Therapy Center - Raleigh, NC
Helping children participate in the activities that matter most.
What is Occupational Therapy?
Skills for the job of living
Occupational therapists are experts at supporting participation in meaningful activities. In OT, we get to know the whole child: their strengths, their goals, their passions, their supports, and their challenges. We then look to remove any barriers to that child's participation in the tasks that matter to them and their families. This may involve adapting the task or the environment, coaching parents on new ways to support their child, using supports such as adaptive equipment, or building new skills to help that child participate as independently as possible. Our assessments and interventions can help children participate in tasks involving the whole body (gross motor), the hands (fine motor), coordination of the hands and eyes (e.g., writing, drawing, cutting, building), awareness of the body in space, and coordination for complex or unfamiliar tasks (motor planning). OTs also help children gain increased independence in everyday self-care activities, such as dressing, eating, grooming, hygiene, and bathing. Occupational therapy can also help support sensory processing differences and self-regulation skills for managing and coping with the sensory experiences of everyday life. In short, we help kids do all of the meaningful activities they need to do and want to do!
Areas We Support
Fine Motor Coordination
Developing the small, precise movements of the hands and fingers needed for writing, drawing, cutting, buttoning, and other everyday tasks
Gross Motor Coordination
Helping children develop strength, balance, and body awareness for activities involving the whole body (e.g., running, jumping, climbing, riding bikes, or playing games with friends.)
Handwriting and Typing
Children may struggle with written communication for a variety of reasons, including fine motor weakness, postural control, visual perception, hand-eye coordination, spatial planning, and executive function. OT can help identify the specific challenges, build needed skills, and add supports to help children write more easily
Sensory Processing
For some children, the sensations of daily life (sights, sounds, touch, smell, taste, movement) can feel overwhelming or uncomfortable. Everyday activities like eating, brushing teeth, or getting dressed, or going shopping may lead to meltdowns. Other children are less responsive to sensory input. They may crave and seek out sensory input more than others (e.g., constantly moving, bouncing, crashing, mouthing objects). When sensory seeking is extreme, it may interfere with a child's participation or may impact them socially. Occupational therapists are trained in supporting children and families struggling with sensory differences. We help children develop coping strategies and build a more comfortable relationship with their world.
Self-Regulation
Helping children learn to recognize and manage their emotions, energy levels, and behavior so they can engage successfully at home, at school, and with peers.
Executive Functioning
Children with ADHD and other challenges may struggle with skills such as impulse control, initiating work, planning, time management and organization. OT can help support children in building these skills and developing coping strategies for managing everyday challenges.
Daily Living Skills
Building independence in self-care activities such as dressing, eating, grooming, hygiene, and bathing. We break down these everyday tasks into manageable steps and find the approach that works for your child
Visual-Motor Integration
Supporting the coordination between what children see and how they move. This is essential for skills like handwriting, drawing, catching a ball, copying from the board, and many other school and play tasks
Feeding Therapy
Helping children with sensory-based or oral motor feeding challenges, including picky eating, food refusal, and mealtime difficulties
Who We Work With
We support children of all ages and abilities, including those with:
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Developmental delays
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Autism
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ADHD
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Down syndrome
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Cerebral palsy
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Neurological disorders
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Sensory processing differences
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Dyspraxia / developmental coordination disorder (DCD)
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Anxiety affecting daily participation
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Handwriting difficulties
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Feeding challenges
We do not look at your child as a list of problems to be fixed. We see a unique, strong, and capable person — and we build our therapy around what matters most to them and to your family.
Meet Our Occupational Therapist
Kate Pingel, MA OTR/L
Founder and Occupational Therapist
Kate has been practicing pediatric occupational therapy for 16 years. She knew from a young age that she wanted to spend her life helping children, and it has been her passion ever since to learn new ways of doing this. In 2002, Kate earned a BA in Psychology with a focus on Development from Smith College. In 2006, she earned her MA in Occupational Therapy from the University of Southern California, where she had the privilege of learning from a number of leaders and innovators in the field. In the years since then, she has worked in a range of pediatric therapy settings, including schools, outpatient clinics, and home-based therapy. She has advanced training in a variety of areas, including sensory integration (including administration and interpretation of the SIPT), neurodevelopmental therapy (NDT), fine motor development, handwriting interventions, feeding therapy, and pediatric yoga.
In creating Little Oaks Therapy Center, Kate's goal has been to create a neuroaffirming, family-centered practice that supports the unique needs of each child through highly individualized, creative, and effective therapy solutions. She believes in genuine collaboration with parents that incorporates their unique values, needs, and priorities. She has a passion for connecting with children, seeing their strengths as individuals, and breaking hard challenges into small, manageable chunks. Her approach is playful, empathetic, creative and flexible. When she’s not at the clinic, she loves cooking, exploring the outdoors, and spending time with her kids and husband.
