Heart 4 Kids Therapy, LLC is a licensed pediatric therapy clinic with offices in Palm Harbor, Trinity, and Westchase, Florida. We are dedicated to providing innovative and quality speech, occupational and physical therapy services to children and their families. By entering into a dedicated partnership with you, your child, and your child’s health care providers, our therapists are able to provide an effective, individualized therapy program to best meet the needs of your child.
Please note that without member information we cannot guarantee that
your specific plan covers these services. We recommend asking the care
provider before beginning services.
Aetna
Cigna
Humana
Medicaid
UnitedHealthcare
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12729 Race Track Rd,FL,33626
Get in Contact
(813) 444-4290
info@heart4kidstherapy.com
Reviews
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We love Heart 4 Kids. Ms. Sarah has been working with my son for the past six months and its evident she truly cares about his well being and success. My son is slow to warm up to some people but hes been excited to see Ms. Sarah for therapy from day one. She is warm and loving toward him in a way that has made us feel like its more than just a job to her. She goes above and beyond to share suggestions with us to continue his improvement and has even emailed us at times to share additional valuable information and recommendations for my son. Ms. Tiffany at the front office is also wonderful. She has worked with us and our insurance company to try to make therapy as affordable as possible for us. The people who work here sincerely care about the kids and families they are helping. Finally try striking up a conversation with the other parents in the lobby. It has been really nice to have some social time with people who understand similar developmental challenges and are also their kids greatest advocates.
Melissa Graveman
17 March 2024
google review
Heart 4 Kids is a local family-owned business and I am blessed to know the owners who are kind and passionate about helping kids. H4K has helped my daughter Lara with sensory issues for over 2 years now. Cassidy at the Westchase location is truly the picture of empathy when it comes to these kinds of issues and has been invaluable in learning how to be a better parent to a child with these sorts of issues. Theyre super-easy to work with flexible and I think the best review I can give is that my daughter LOVES to go see Miss Cassidy and looks forward to the sessions and sees them as tons of fun.
Ryan B
17 March 2024
google review
The name truly fits. My son has been attending sessions for speech therapy here and he has progressed tremendously Tiffany and Kristen are the sweetest and truly amazing Thank you guys for everything
Laila Ittayem
17 March 2024
google review
My daughter attends OT and ST at this location. Everyone from the office staff to the therapists themselves is absolutely lovely. They are patient knowledgeable and clearly care about children. I highly recommend them.
Victoria Van Every
17 March 2022
google review
My son loves going to his therapies. Everyone is sweet and friendly. Heart 4 kids therapy they care about the kids and Family.
Snow Torres
17 March 2022
google review
My two year old boy goes here and we love it. He attends 3 days a week. We have noticed a HUGE improvement in his speech. Highly recommend
megan griffin
17 March 2022
google review
I highly recommend Heart 4 Kids Therapy The therapists are amazing and so dedicated to helping my children learn and grow.
Evan Mota
17 March 2022
google review
My 4 year old daughter saw Shannon OT at the Westchase facility for some sensory issues and working to reduce tantrums at home. My daughter loved going to therapy and Shannon was great with her. She gave helpful techniques for us to work with her at home.
Brooke Simms
17 March 2021
google review
Our son has worked with 2 of their occupational therapists regularly. We have seen so much improvement especially with hand writing. My daughters occupational therapists and speech therapists have had a huge impact on her apraxia and sensory needs. Everyone at Heart 4 Kids works together to help with their patients. Most importantly I love that they focus on the whole child rather than just handwriting or fine motor skills.
Danielle Marchhart
17 March 2020
google review
Heart 4 Kids has helped my son blossom and make miraculous progress. We are so grateful for them especially Marissa who is not only excellent at her craft but so great with our son. this is a new location in addition to the original same great staff see Palm Harbor location for more reviews
L E
17 March 2020
Frequently Asked Questions
Speech therapy is almost always recommended for autistic children since many people with autism have difficulty with social communication. Even if a child is very verbal and says a lot of words, they might need to work on communication skills like:
responding to questions
starting or ending conversation
changing conversation topics
using gestures like pointing
understanding other people's body language
Speech therapy is a big focus in early intervention for autistic children and is usually the starting place for recently diagnosed kids. There is a critical period in the brain for language development and so, it's really important to teach language and communication skills as early as possible, especially if there are any delays in that area. Your child will learn effective ways to communicate which will help them grow into more independent and confident individuals.
It might be obvious when a child struggles with speaking —they are very quiet, say only a few words, or don't speak at all.
Spot speech and language delays like a doctor here.
The goal of speech therapy is to help your child communicate effectively with other people across all environments. This may take the form of using gestures, simple signs, verbal speech, and Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC).
Some other common things speech therapists can help with:
Nonverbal skills, such as signs or gestures
Forming speech in a clearer way
Communicating thoughts and feelings clearly
Understanding and responding to questions
Discerning facial expressions and their corresponding emotions
Noticing and understanding body language
Feeding and swallowing
Stuttering
The occupational therapy process includes an OT evaluation before care starts. Here are the four steps your family can expect when starting occupational therapy:
Complete OT evaluation. An occupational therapist first identifies your child’s strengths and needs through a thorough OT evaluation, also known as an OT assessment or screening. You’ll answer questions about your child’s skills, and your child will most likely demonstrate their skills via hands-on activities with the therapist. Evaluations can last 30 minutes to a few hours.
Approve OT plan. The therapist develops a care plan with individualized goals and customized interventions based on your child’s needs. You can also share any specific goals or concerns before approving the OT plan.
Start therapy sessions. The therapist works directly with your child and your family, using various strategies and exercises to systematically improve areas of limitations and to build upon a child’s strengths. Some exercises your child might participate in are animal walks, obstacle courses, and therapy swing activities. Your family may learn strategies for supporting your child’s individualized needs at home, such as ways of supporting emotional regulation and sensory processing. The therapist may also recommend tools and techniques to use at home, in the community, or in the classroom to help your child succeed.
Monitor your child’s progress. Parents and caregivers can expect ongoing progress monitoring and communication to ensure the child is achieving their short and long-term goals.
Occupational therapy can also be provided virtually via telemedicine. Virtual therapy is a great option for families in rural areas who may not have access to in-person services, or for families who prefer to have therapy in their child’s home.
Virtual OT allows the opportunity for increased caregiver participation and understanding of a child’s strengths, areas of improvement, and generalization of skills in the child’s home environment. Virtual therapy also provides increased opportunities for caregiver and family education to support the child and the family based on each family’s needs.
Once you find a quality physical therapist you want to work with, here are a few things you need to know:
There will be an evaluation. First, you can expect an assessment to identify your child’s areas of strength and needs. A physical therapy evaluation usually lasts 30 minutes.
You’ll review and approve the care plan. The physical therapist will create a care plan, also known as a plan of care (POC), outlining the goals and strategies. They will review this with you and your care team before moving forward with therapy sessions.
Physical therapy sessions will be fun. PT with children is designed to be enjoyable. The therapist will use strategies and exercises based on your child’s needs. Exercises might involve playing on large stability balls, obstacle courses, movement equipment, stretches, and other hands-on activities.
Expect home exercises. Physical therapists commonly assign exercises to work on at home. Doing these exercises with your child outside therapy sessions can improve your child’s overall progress.
Yes! Most providers offer physical therapy in their offices or a clinical setting, but many are offering at-home options. Virtual options have become more popular in recent years. You might facilitate care with the guidance of the physical therapist.
Pediatric physical therapy is considered safe and should not hurt. Autistic children spend their time in PT moving and exploring their environment. If you are concerned about your child experiencing pain during certain exercises, especially if they may struggle to communicate and advocate for modifications, speak with their physical therapist about your concerns.
Get in touch with Heart 4 Kids Therapy - Westchase