Pediatric occupational therapy

Helping children in their occupation of play and learning.

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WELCOME TO CAPITAL OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY/
THE BARNYARD

This practice offers traditional pediatric occupational therapy as well as animal-assisted therapy at The Barnyard.

Our mission at Capital Occupational Therapy/The Barnyard is to provide children and their families of NW DC and Montgomery County, Maryland with comprehensive and quality therapy services to live productive and meaningful lives.

Get to know more about Capital Occupational Therapy/The Barnyard

Get to know more about Capital Occupational Therapy/The Barnyard

Welcome to Capital Occupational Therapy/The Barnyard

This practice is a private pediatric occupational therapy practice serving the areas of NW DC, Chevy Chase, Bethesda, Potomac, Darnestown and Gaithersburg, Maryland. This practice serves children ages 2-15.

Capital OT/The Barnyard works with diagnoses including Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs), ADHD, learning differences, Cerebral Palsy, Developmental Coordination Disorder, fine motor delays, genetic disorders, and limb differences.

The goal and mission of this practice is to help children develop skills and confidence in their roles with play, school and family routines/self -care. The practice uses a child centered, play based approach with the just right challenge to meet your child where they are to gain skills and confidence. Evidence- based practice techniques are utilized. Parents, teachers and caregivers are incorporated into your child’s therapy plan of care and sessions as appropriate so that you understand our role as well as how to support your child.

  • Therapy appointments are offered in the convenience of your home or your child’s school/daycare center

  • Appointments are also offered at The Barnyard. The Barnyard is located in Darnestown, MD (15 minutes from I-270 and River Road) in an outdoor/barn setting where mini therapy goats are part of the treatment plan.

  • Therapy is child-directed, meaning that it should be natural, fun, and motivating for the child. The therapist relies on training, experience, and expertise to embed the “just-right” challenge into the activity so that the child views sessions as fun and not “work.”

A small barn with a fenced area on a sunny day.
Professional headshot of a woman with dark hair and a warm smile.

Owner of Capital OT/The Barnyard Jennifer Blair, OTR/L, BCP (AOTA Board Certification in Pediatrics)

Jenn received a Bachelor of Science degree in Occupational therapy from Quinnipiac University in May 2002. She began her career working in both school systems and early intervention. In 2006 she was hired directly by North Haven Public Schools, CT, to provide occupational therapy services during the school year and for extended school year services during the summer. During this time, she created district wide protocols on the role of occupational therapy, provided many presentations on the role of occupational therapy and was also involved in developing a state of the art program for students with autism spectrum disorders at the Middle School. After school hours, she also worked at Cheshire Fitness Zone, a private, outpatient clinic providing occupational therapy to children ages 2- 21. She was also a mentor to new graduate occupational therapists within the clinic. She has also been a guest lecturer to the School of Education at Quinnipiac University, where she educated future teachers on the role of occupational therapy in the schools.

In 2012, she received her BCP, Board Certification in Pediatrics, by the American Occupational Therapy Association. She moved down to DC in June 2012 and was with the Sensational Kids Therapy practice until 2020. She opened the Barnyard in 2020 as a way to incorporate animals into practice with a focus on improving outdoor activity in children, incorporating functional goals and addressing a need as a result of the pandemic. She currently runs the goat herd at The Barnyard with Teddy, Otis and Spike. She is an active member with AOTA including a pediatric subject matter expert (SME), data collector for recent occupational therapy assessments and mentor for students looking to get their start in occupational therapy.

She is licensed to practice occupational therapy in DC, Virginia and Maryland. She is SIPT certified as well as certified in animal-assisted therapy.

Find Out More About Occupational Therapy

What is OT for kids?

In the simplest of terms, occupational therapists help children across their lifespan participate in the activities that they want and need to do through the use of therapeutic use of activities or occupations.

Occupational therapy interventions help children with delays and disabilities participate fully in school, community, and social situations. OTs ask “what matters to you?” not, “What’s the matter with you?”

Services typically include an individualized evaluation including therapy goals determined by the family and the OT, a customized treatment plan to improve the child’s ability to perform daily activities and reach their goals, and an outcome evaluation to ensure that their goals are being met.

A young goat curiously looks at toys in a blue basin outdoors.

What is sensory integration?

Sensory integration is the process by which we receive information through our senses, organize this information, and use it to participate in everyday activities. There are more than 5 senses: Most people are familiar with five senses – sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. However, we also receive input through three additional senses:

The vestibular sense, or movement and balance sense, gives us information about where our head and body are in space. It allows us to stay upright while we sit, stand, and walk.
Proprioception, or body awareness sense, tells us where our body parts are relative to each other. It also gives us information about how much force to use in certain activities, allowing us to crack open an egg without crushing it in our hands.
Interoception tells us when we are hungry, overheated, tired, need to use the bathroom or feeling nauseous. Most activities require us to combine information from many different senses at the same time.

For example, a toddler uses touch to explore the texture of his food, proprioception to bring the food to his mouth, smell and taste to identify different types of food, and the vestibular sense to sit upright during the meal.

As they grow, children learn how to take in and process all this sensory information at the same time, and focus their attention on particular sensations while ignoring others. Some children have difficulties receiving and processing incoming sensations, making everyday tasks at home and at school frustrating.

Signs my child may have a sensory processing Issue:

  • Overly sensitive or under reactive to touch, movement, sights, or sounds

  • Difficulty during hygiene routines (may not like bath time, having hair cut, having nails cut)

  • Unusually high or low activity level

  • Easily distracted; poor attention to tasks that are appropriate for their age

  • Delays in speech, motor skills, or academic achievement

  • Coordination problems; appears clumsy or uses awkward movements.

  • Poor body awareness: may bump into others, use too much force with tools or body, or not enough force

  • Difficulty learning new tasks or figuring out how to play with unfamiliar toys

  • Difficulty with multi-step tasks

  • Difficulty with tasks that require using both hands at the same time

  • Appears to be disorganized most of the time

  • Difficulty with transitions between activities or environments

  • Immature social skills

  • Impulsivity or lack of self-control

  • Difficulty calming self once “wound up”

Can’t my child just practice the skill that they need to improve on?

When a child struggles with certain motor skills, typically repeated practice alone is not enough. It is important to remember that not all types of learning, especially motor learning, can be mastered by practicing.

Efficient sensory processing is necessary for higher-level skill-building. Until a child has efficient processing, he or she will not acquire the skill efficiently.

My Pediatrician Says My Child Is Fine And We Should Use The “Wait And See” Method But I Feel Otherwise. What Should I Do?

It is important to trust your intuition as you know your child best. Your pediatrician only sees your child for a short time period and does not see the day-to-day difficulties. Please call if you have questions.

A goat standing on a small trampoline outdoors.

What is animal-assisted therapy?

Animal-assisted intervention is directed and/or delivered by a practicing degreed professional with expertise in providing goal-directed, documented intervention to promote cognitive, motor, psychosocial, and sensory skills. The child works towards his or her therapeutic goals while getting all the benefits of being with an animal.

Some examples of how we incorporate the animals into a therapeutic activity include:

  • Practicing following directions by working in the tack room to gather animal snacks, grass, and tools

  • Practicing sequencing and executive functioning skills by completing barn and animal maintenance activities

  • Working on using 2 hands together and using appropriate force modulation to brush the goats.

  • Engaging in an outdoor obstacle course to work on gross motor skills

  • Improving self-concept, leisure skills and overall participation by walking goats out to the pasture.

Capital Occupational Therapy/ The Barnyard provides the “just right” individualized approach, meeting your child where they are

We are an out-of-network practice and can submit to insurance on your behalf!
We offer this as a complimentary service.

An evaluation is important to assess what participation challenges your child is experiencing. It will also identify strengths that support their engagement and barriers that inhibit their engagement. Please contact the practice to determine what evaluation may be suggested. Costs vary.

Hands placing hexagonal pieces on a honeycomb puzzle board.
A goat navigating colorful cones and hoops on grass.

Individual treatment: Sessions are provided in the client’s home, at their school or daycare or at The Barnyard. Appointments are scheduled on the hour with about 50 minutes of working directly with the child and a few minutes for clean-up and wrap-up. The occupational therapist will help decide what frequency and location is best for the child and family.

Let’s get Started

Schedule an appointment

Please contact the practice for evaluation and/ or treatment.

Capital Occupational Therapy/The Barnyard is growing and looking for individuals who have a passion for both working with children and animals! For employment opportunities or fieldwork/internships, please email jblair@capitalOT.com or fax your resume to (240) 261-6833.

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