Great Kids Place

Excellent OT practice.

Words can not even begin to express how wonderful Great Kids Place is and how grateful we are to Michele Parkins.nWe had two prior experiences with Occupational Therapists and their centers and they were not even in the same league as Michele and Great Kids Place. The center itself is fully equipped with fun and engaging “therapy” tools. (Room size castle, ball pits, zip lines, swings galore, “therapeutic” toys and games-just to name a few!) From the first day we went to Great Kids Place my son (now 5) was excited and happy to be there. He told me shortly after we started therapy that he loved going to Michele’s and that was one of his favorite places to be. A year and six months later he still feels that way. He’s ready to go before I can even get my shoes on! Michele has been so instrumental in helping us understand our son’s diagnosis and most importantly given us tools to connect with him. She is so much more than a therapist- she’s a teacher, an advocate and coach. There have been so many times that I have thought to myself how blessed we are to have Michele in our lives. I don’t want to even think about where we would be without her.

Great Kids Place is a wonderful facility!nMichele and Liz are very talented Occupational Therapists who really tune in to each child’s individual differences. Their work not only promotes development and growth through meaningful activities and exercises, but also fosters children’s independence as they learn they can tackle any task when they are loved for who they are. Children who attend Great Kids Place truly look forward to coming to their sessions and their self-esteem and confidence flourishes as a result! When therapists like Michele and Liz presume competence and provide an environment where children are invited to participate versus expected, not only will their progress generalize to other settings, but they will be internally motivated to try new things, become more independent, and actively participate in interactions and activities with both adults and peers.nnThank you Great Kids for doing what you do!

Michele is truly an exceptional OT. We have literally traveled the world to find experts for our son, and we feel very fortunate that the best OT we have found is right here in New Jersey. She is smart, warm, curious, creative and probably most importantly fun. Our son runs out of the car and up the stairs to his sessions with Michele, and we go home with him in a better state every time. The only thing she could do to improve would be to clone herself.

I have had experience with 3 programs at Great Kids Place- Handwriting, Superhero Flexible Thinking and Individual OT. We have had wonderful experiences and great success with all the programs. More importantly, the therapists/staff Michele, Liz and Laura are fantastic. As a mom I always feel supported, heard and a member of the team. My children have made such gains and always look forward to their sessions. We are very lucky to have found Great Kids Place.