Hoping to relocate a pediatric occupational therapy practice in lacey, wa (Seattle: school, universities)

[alrenwald]

Our timeline is within 3-5 years. We're currently in Yuma, AZ. Private practice here has been very good for us. We really love working with our military families here, so we're looking to do the same in Lacey, WA.

Just wondering if there would be a need for OT services up there? My training is in sensory integration treatment, and craniosacral treatment.

Also, we have two kids who will be college-bound in 2-3 years. What good universities are out there?

Thanks in advance for any info.

[M3 Mitch]

Hi, welcome to the forums. I do not know much about Lacy as such, but if your kids want to go to Med School eventually, UW is pretty well respected.

What is pediatric occupational therapy anyway? Seems like a sort of oxymoron - anyone young enough to be "pediatric" would be too young to have an "occupation" beyond "kid", no?

[Dendrite]

Yeah, don't we have any child labor laws here in WA?...

Anyway to the OP, you might want to check with the OT dept at Providence hospital in Olympia to scope out their opinion as to the OT needs in nearby Lacy. I'd bet that most, if not all, of the peds OT in the region is being sent to Childrens Hospital in Seattle though-

I agree with the prior post- UW is a top-notch university but I admit to some bias as it's my alma mater...

[sean98125]

There are a few providers in the area already. Have you thought about contacting them?

[Sandy Nelson]

Lacey has St. Martin's University, Olympia has Evergreen State Univeristy, Tacoma has Pacific Lutheran University and the University of Puget Sound, as well as a UW campus.
Lacey has a large military community, both active duty families (Army and Air Force) as well as retired military. I would check with the Lakewood Veterans Hospital to see where they currently refer their OT patients and if there is need for more practices.

[alrenwald]

Originally Posted by M3 Mitch

Hi, welcome to the forums. I do not know much about Lacy as such, but if your kids want to go to Med School eventually, UW is pretty well respected.

What is pediatric occupational therapy anyway? Seems like a sort of oxymoron - anyone young enough to be "pediatric" would be too young to have an "occupation" beyond "kid", no?

LOL occupational therapy works with adults and kids, too. and you're right, the primary "occupation" of a kid, is to be a "kid"--so OT helps with developmental skills which a child needs in order to perform his/her daily tasks, such as play, self-care, socialization, learning from sensory experiences, etc.

i currently work with youngsters who have been diagnosed with autism, or
other neurodevelopmental disorders.

am looking forward to going up there this summer with the family as part of our road trip for this year--hopefully to get a feel for the "vibe" of the olympia/lacey area.

my husband wants to also check out dupont.

[alrenwald]

and a big thanks to dendrite, sean98125, and sandy for your responses.

both my kids are college-bound, and this was the primary reason why we decided to move out of yuma, az in five years (hopefully less!). so knowing that there are good universities in the area that we are looking into is a major plus+.

when we go up there this summer, i'll look up private therapy places in the area, just hoping that it's not over-saturated with therapists yet. i would love to open a private clinic, similar to the one i already have currently. but it really depends on whether there is a need for it. like i mentioned in my previous post--i work with kids with autism and/or other neurodevelopmental disorders.