Growing, learning, and developing through the use of purposeful and functional play, one little love at a time.
About Me
Hi! My name is Sarah Gallo, and I’m a licensed occupational therapist. I am an east coast Italian-American girl who came to Southern California in 2016 for a two month travel assignment and fell head over heels in love with west coast beach living! I have worked with the entire life span, but the little ones are my favorite. In those first few years of life, there is so much growing and development happening, and this is both exciting and sometimes scary for parents who may have questions and are unsure where to turn. I have had the luxury of working in a clinic fully stocked with toys, and in people’s homes, where I bring whatever I can carry out of my car. Either way, I leave with happy kiddos who have engaged in therapy disguised as play!
In my experience, I have yet to meet a family who received an instruction manual for their child when they left the hospital, and yet, I have met many moms who beat themselves up when their child is having difficulty achieving milestones. Parents will have a feeling in their gut that something may be “off” and are told many times to “wait and see” by their pediatrician, or worse, they get referred for services but there may be a lack of resources in their area or scheduling conflicts. Parents can receive conflicting information from google, other friends who are also parents, and well-intentioned family, so allow me to be your guide to help you navigate some of the tough stuff. I aspire to help facilitate learning for mom and dad and development for your child through functional play with purpose.
Occupational therapists focus on the safe and functional independence to carry you through life; feeding, bathing, dressing, toileting, and functional mobility. Believe it or not, the most important occupation for your child the first few years is play! How could this help your family? We will tackle the tough issues, such as: babies who despise tummy time, and how to overcome the hurdle, the importance of crawling, weighing the pros and cons of traditional feeding and baby led weaning, fine motor deficits, and so much more. There are no right or wrong answers, so let’s give ourselves a little grace and be open to learning. When we know better, we do better!
