Pediatric Occupational Therapy in Clive, Iowa
Kids Lead provides individualized, neurodiversity-affirming occupational therapy to help children feel safe, connected, confident, and successful in everyday life.
What Is Occupational Therapy?
Pediatric occupational therapy helps children build the skills they need to participate meaningfully in everyday life. At Kids Lead, we look beyond behaviors to understand each child's individual sensory, motor, emotional, and developmental needs.
Therapy is individualized around your child's strengths, interests, relationships, and meaningful goals. Through play and connection, we support children in developing the foundational skills they need to participate more comfortably and confidently at home, at school, and in their community.
How Can Occupational Therapy Help My Child?
Children may benefit from occupational therapy when sensory, motor, emotional, or developmental differences make everyday activities more challenging.
Sensory Processing:
Understanding and responding to sensory experiences such as movement, sound, touch, body awareness, and internal body signals.
Regulation & Emotional Development
Building the foundational skills for regulation, connection, engagement, flexibility, and participation.
Fine Motor & Handwriting
Supporting hand skills, coordination, visual-motor abilities, and participation in school and daily activities.
Motor Planning & Coordination
Developing body awareness, balance, coordination, praxis, and confidence with new movements.
Executive Functioning
Supporting planning, organization, attention, transitions, flexible thinking, and completing everyday routines.
Self-Care & Daily Living
Building independence and participation in dressing, toileting, hygiene, sleep routines, and other meaningful daily activities.
Our Approach To Pediatric Occupational Therapy
At Kids Lead, we believe children grow when they feel safe, understood, and connected. We truly believe that kids always do well when they can. Our neurodiversity-affirming approach recognizes that every child experiences and interacts with the world differently. Rather than focusing on compliance or changing who a child is, we seek to understand the underlying sensory, motor, emotional, and developmental factors influencing participation.
Therapy is individualized around each child's strengths, interests, relationships, and meaningful goals. Through play, movement, connection, and developmentally appropriate challenges, we help children build the foundational skills they need to participate more confidently in everyday life.
Development Through Relationship & Connection:
Our occupational therapists integrate developmental and relationship-based theory, including DIR/Floortime, into care. We follow each child's interests to build engagement and create meaningful opportunities for regulation, communication, problem-solving, and growth.
LEARN MORE ABOUT DIR/FLOORTIME
What To Expect At Kids Lead
1. Connect With Our Team
2. Individualized Evaluation
2. Individualized Evaluation
Reach out through our Get Started page. Our team will learn a little about what you're looking for, answer initial questions, and help determine the next step.
2. Individualized Evaluation
2. Individualized Evaluation
2. Individualized Evaluation
Your child's occupational therapist will learn about their strengths, interests, daily routines, and areas where additional support may be helpful. Evaluation may include caregiver conversation, observation, play, and standardized assessments when appropriate.
3. Build A Plan Together
2. Individualized Evaluation
3. Build A Plan Together
We'll review what we learned with you and develop individualized goals focused on meaningful participation in your child's everyday life. If occupational therapy is recommended, we'll create a plan that supports your child's development while partnering with your family along the way.
Pediatric Occupational Therapy Serving the Des Moines Metro. Kids Lead is located in Clive, Iowa and provides pediatric occupational therapy for children and families throughout the greater Des Moines area, including West Des Moines, Waukee, Urbandale, Johnston, Windsor Heights, and surrounding communities. Our clinic provides a welcoming, play-based environment where children can build skills through meaningful activities, supportive relationships, and individualized care.
Frequently Asked Questions
Please reach us at Admin@mykidslead.com if you cannot find an answer to your question.
Pediatric occupational therapists help children participate more fully in everyday life. OT may support sensory processing, regulation, fine and gross motor skills, motor planning, executive functioning, self-care, play, social participation, handwriting, and daily routines. We like to call ourselves "professional problem solvers!"
Occupational therapy may be helpful when sensory, motor, emotional, or developmental differences are making everyday activities more challenging. Families often reach out when their child is struggling with regulation, transitions, coordination, independence, school participation, play, or daily routines. If you're unsure whether OT is the right fit, our team is happy to help you determine the next step.
Not necessarily. Children may benefit from occupational therapy with or without a formal diagnosis. Our therapists focus on your child's individual strengths, needs, daily experiences, and meaningful goals.
An evaluation helps us understand your child's strengths and the factors affecting their participation in everyday life. Your therapist may use caregiver interviews, clinical observation, play-based activities, and standardized assessments to explore areas such as sensory processing, motor skills, regulation, self-care, and participation.
Frequency is individualized based on your child's needs, goals, family priorities, and insurance coverage when applicable. After the evaluation, your occupational therapist will discuss recommendations with you and develop a plan together.
Kids Lead works with several insurance plans including, Wellmark BCBS and Iowa Medicaid (Wellpoint, Molina and Iowa Total Care). We also offers private-pay options. Coverage varies by plan and service. Contact our team to learn more about current insurance participation and payment options.
Kids Lead provides occupational therapy beginning in infancy and throughout childhood and adolescence. We don't have a strict upper age limit—services are based on each individual's needs, goals, and whether our team is the right fit.
Kids Lead provides individualized, neurodiversity-affirming care grounded in development, relationships, and meaningful participation. Rather than focusing on compliance or changing who a child is, we seek to understand the sensory, motor, emotional, and developmental factors influencing their experiences. Our therapists integrate relationship-based approaches, including DIR/Floortime, and partner closely with caregivers to support meaningful growth.
Kids Lead is located in Clive, Iowa on Hickman and 82nd street. We serve children and families throughout the greater Des Moines metro, including West Des Moines, Waukee, Urbandale, Johnston, Windsor Heights, and surrounding communities.
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