What happens when you take pediatric therapy out of the clinic and into the real world? For occupational therapist Jessica Kenney, the answer is simple: you see things you never would have found otherwise.
Jessica has been an OT for 19 years and is now part of the Coral Care team. On the latest episode of Coral Currents, she talks about why community-based sessions — at playgrounds, grocery stores, parks, and coffee shops — are some of the most clinically rich work she does.
A train passing by a playground revealed a sensory sensitivity that had never come up at home. A stranger approaching at the playground showed social dynamics that siblings never could. These are the moments that only happen when you leave the controlled setting behind.
Jessica shares the story of a child who was so fearful she had to be carried everywhere — and how slow, supported exposure to the community, one small step at a time, led to the family eventually going to the playground on their own.
She also talks about how community sessions create a natural coaching opportunity for parents, the case for OT/SLP co-treats in the field, and how to practically prep for sessions outside the home.
Her advice to providers who feel nervous about taking that first session out? "Go back to connection. Everything comes from that."
Listen to the full episode on Spotify.
