Our program consists of nine visits, with the first visit being an examination and parent interview followed by treatment sessions and concluding with a home program. Visits are designed to improve an important area of functioning in the participant’s life, such as:

• Self-care skills (teeth-brushing, dressing, utensil use for self-feeding)
• Visual-motor and visual-perceptual skills (eye-hand coordination, handwriting)
• Fine motor (using hands to manipulate items)
• Functional gross motor skills for play (using the whole body to move through space)  
• Social skills (turn-taking, play skills)
• Attention and self-regulation skills (learning to control energy level and emotions)*
• Environmental modification for participation in daily life activities

*Due to the student-run nature of our services, our lab does not provide services to address behavior issues, complex sensory processing issues, or swallowing/feeding difficulties. These are considered areas of advanced practice and are best served by practitioners who have advanced-level training. Children should have a need for skill development in one of the areas listed above to be a good fit for our services.

2019 Schedule

• The 2019 lab will take place on Mondays, beginning Sept. 30 and ending Dec. 2
• Children will be scheduled for 50-minute therapy sessions
• Sessions will start at 2:30 or 3:30 p.m. 
• We accept clients on a first-come, first-served basis

Who's Eligible for Occupational Therapy Pediatric Lab Services?

• Families that have a child who has developmental needs in one or more of the areas listed above
• Families who can commit to attending all scheduled sessions
• Families who understand that we accept participants on a first-come, first-served basis, in conjunction with the educational needs of our students
• Families who apply and submit the Pediatric Community Participant Lab Form

Forms must be sent by the parent or legal guardian of the child applying for services. These enrollment forms contain private health care information protected under HIPAA laws. Email is not considered a HIPAA-compliant way to submit protected health care information. We do allow families to submit forms via email for convenience but must inform you that email is not HIPAA compliant. You may email completed forms to OTLab@samuelmerritt.edu. Or submit them via fax to 510.457.4008 (Attn: OT Pediatric CPL), or by mail to:

Pediatric Community Participant Lab
Occupational Therapy Department
Samuel Merritt University
450 30th Street, 4th Floor
Oakland, CA 94609