Kids at Play Therapy open in Sumner

Published 4:06 pm Monday, October 19, 2009

Occupational therapists Amanda Saliba and Dr. Tanya O’Callaghan said they have rewarding careers.

Working at Kids at Play Therapy, which recently opened in Sumner, they help children with developmental disabilities learn to interact with friends and family and experience more fun in daily activities kids encounter.

“We want to provide pediatric therapy services to children in the community,” O’Callaghan said.

Two occupational therapists and one physical therapist are employed at Kids at Play Therapy and work with children during an hour-long session, addressing the unique needs of each student.

O’Callaghan said she considers a child’s occupation to be play, so this is something she strives to achieve with the kids. In the back of the building is a play room with several activities to encourage play time. Soft blue matting provides cushioning on the floor, a rock wall is on one side of the room and swings and other playground equipment fills the center.

O’Callaghan said while the play room is about having fun, the activities serve a dual purpose of inspiring creativity in the children’s actions.

Parents who enroll their kids in the program receive evaluation reports as the sessions continue and the goal is for parents and kids to engage in more interaction and for children to incorporate what they learn in therapy into their lives. O’Callaghan said parents are encouraged to be active in the therapy and therapists need to constantly evaluate progress so therapy is a dynamic process.

O’Callaghan said the most difficult part of her profession is knowing with so much progress to be made, the time with each child is limited.

A challenge for Saliba is recognizing the limitations of a therapist’s ability.

“There are things beyond your control,” she said.

Saliba and O’Callaghan said the rewards come from watching progress in action and noticing the impact on families. Saliba said to hear a child is interacting more with family members and to hear of an improvement in family interaction is something she loves about her work.

O’Callaghan said she likes to see children have new experiences once they become more comfortable about their surroundings.

“Seeing children have fun and them seeing achievement in accomplishing something they were afraid to try,” she said.

Kids at Play Therapy is at 16501 64th St. E. in Sumner. It is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. For information call 253-447-8216.