Occupational therapy is a process of using analytical skills to problem-solve through challenges and barriers to performance in any activity and at any age. Occupational therapists try to solve the “why” and “how” in order to build a treatment plan and achieve the goal of engagement in occupations. An occupation is any activity a person engages in. For children, their primary occupation is play and school related skills.
Occupational therapy treatment sessions are typically 30 minutes to an hourlong, 1-2 times a week following a plan of care (a treatment plan and goals signed off by the child’s pediatrician). Through play and therapeutic activities, children work on skills that are challenging for them. Many times, this appears as “playing” while the actual focus is on practice and acquisition of skills. Parents are welcome and encouraged to attend their child’s session or to participate in collaboration with the therapist at the end of each session. In the school setting, a note will be sent home detailing the activities completed, skills addressed, and potentially strategies to carry over to the home setting. The therapist will collaborate and work with the school to determine whether environmental modifications, adaptions, or specific strategies are indicated or needed in addition to monitoring their response to them.
Miss Melissa Conti has 10 years of experience as an occupational therapist here in Melbourne Florida. She has experience working with infants all the way up to adults (primarily children 3-15 years of age). She has provided home health, telehealth, school-based, community outings, and clinic-based therapy services. She has experience working with developmental delays, autism spectrum disorder, neurological disorders and conditions, chromosomal abnormalities, sensory integration disorder, mental health disorders, attachment disorders, attention deficit disorders, down syndrome, cerebral palsy, feeding problems and disorders, and more. She is trained in using the talk tools straw program and sensi-stick, administration, and interpretation of the ADOS-2assessment (gold standard for diagnosing autism spectrum disorder), infant massage, sensory integration strategies, and pediatric neurodevelopmental treatment (NDT) techniques. Additionally, Miss Melissa is a dance teacher at Broadway Bound Dance Centre where she teaches children 2-12 years of age ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, and classical styles of dance since 2008.
Miss Melissa likes to use her creativity and analytical skills to identify the client’s interests and how to follow their interest, create challenges to the play, and facilitate their comfort with trying difficult skills and expanding their interests. Miss Melissa considers herself a lifelong learner and enjoys participating in educating others (schools, local colleges, families, the community, and more). She has presented at the international Talk Tools Feeding First Conference 2022, and several state occupational therapy conferences. She likes to keep open communication and to work with not just the child but also the family, school, and other therapists in order to facilitate growth of skills and optimal functional performance.
Insurance may not cover 100% of your therapy care and a copay may be required. Copay's will be billed monthly. There will be a 5% late fee added if payment is not received within 7 days of the first of the month. For your convenience, we accept cash, check, and online payment.
The therapy rate for private pay (non- insurance) is $78.00 an hour.
New Patient Packet (pdf)
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