Occupational Therapy in Buffalo Grove, Illinois
Buffalo Grove occupational therapy that starts at the clinic and carries into your child's classroom, your home, and the playground. Pediatric OT for ages 18 months to 14 years.
At CST Academy, your child works one-on-one with a licensed occupational therapist on the exact skills holding them back, whether that is handwriting, getting dressed, or staying regulated through a full school day. Most Buffalo Grove families start within one to two weeks of their first call.
Licensed Pediatric Occupational Therapists
BCBS Accepted
No Referral Needed
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New to occupational therapy? We start with a 60-minute evaluation that shows you exactly where your child stands and what to work on first. No referral, no diagnosis, no long waitlist to get started.
What Occupational Therapy in Buffalo Grove Looks Like at CST Academy
Not all occupational therapy is run the same way, and the differences are what change your child's results. At our Buffalo Grove clinic, the approach is focused and coordinated. Here is what to expect.
How We Approach Occupational Therapy:
Each week, your child meets with our licensed occupational therapist, who targets several goals in the same session: pencil grip, pulling on socks, sitting through a chapter book, tolerating new textures at the dinner table. Children of every age use the sensory gym, and sessions also build handwriting, scissor control, dressing independence, and the regulation skills that carry your child through a full school day.
What Makes Our Program Different:
Most pediatric OT clinics offer one-on-one sessions. What they cannot give you is a full care team coordinating in the same building. That is where we are different.
Integrated Care Model
Your child's OT, speech therapist, BCBA, and physical therapist share one clinic and coordinate when their goals overlap.
Real-Environment Practice
Sessions look like parts of your child's life: getting dressed, eating a snack at the table, and organizing a backpack before pickup.
Weekly Adjustments
The OT updates the plan every session based on how your child responded last week and what you told them about home, school, or daycare.
Parent Coaching at Every Visit
Each session ends with one or two specific strategies your family practices that week so that there is still progress between sessions.
Address
150 Half Day Rd, Buffalo Grove, IL 60089
Phone
(773) 620-7800
Hours
Monday to Thursday: 8AM to 6PM
Friday 8AM to 5PM
Occupational Therapy in Buffalo Grove: Five Steps to Your Child's First Session
Starting therapy is not as complicated as some might think. From consultation to your child's real progress at home and school, here are five steps that fit your week as a family.
YOUR CHILD'S PROGRAM
From Hard Mornings to a School Day That Starts Right
After the first month, you start seeing the difference where it counts: a calmer morning, a steadier pencil, a smoother drop-off. Your OT sets the targets, and progress shows up at home, at school, and on the playground.
Schedule a Free Consultation
Steps
1
Consultation
Call (773) 620-7800 or fill out our form. Tell us what your child's teacher, daycare provider, or pediatrician has noticed, or what you have observed at home. You do not need a diagnosis or pediatrician referral to start.
2
Insurance Check and OT Match
Our billing team verifies your benefits, sends you a one-page summary of what your plan covers, and matches your child with a licensed OT whose schedule and clinical focus fit best.
3
OT Evaluation
Your child visits our clinic for a 60-minute play-based evaluation. At the end, you have a clear picture of where your child is, the specific skills the OT will target first, and how often sessions need to happen.
4
Therapy Sessions
Most Buffalo Grove families start sessions within one to two weeks of their first call. Each week, your child's OT focuses on the skill that will make the biggest difference at home or in your child's classroom.
5
Progress and Adjustment
At the end of every session, the OT shares what your child practiced, what is improving, and the one or two things to try this week with them.
The Pediatric Care Buffalo Grove Families Are Looking For
We verify your benefits, match your child to the right occupational therapist, and book your in-person evaluation on a day that works for you.
Signs Your Child May Benefit from Occupational Therapy in Buffalo Grove
You have probably wondered for a while now whether this is just a phase. If a few of the signs below describe your child's everyday life, that is reason enough to call. You do not need a referral or diagnosis to talk to us.
Your child has a harder time holding a crayon, using scissors, or buttoning a coat than other children their age.
Your child reacts to clothing tags, food textures, loud sounds, or crowded spaces, interrupting their day.
Your child fights with everyone over getting dressed, brushing teeth, sitting through a meal, or finishing a morning routine.
Your child trips, bumps into things, or struggles with balance and coordination compared to their siblings or classmates.
Your child has difficulty sitting still, paying attention, or staying calm enough to learn, especially in the classroom.
Your child's handwriting practice ends in tears, or their letters and numbers are hard to read by the time the teacher grades them.
Your child cannot complete multi-step tasks such as packing a backpack, finishing a chore chart, or following a morning routine.
Your child's teacher, daycare provider, or pediatrician has mentioned a delay in their motor skills or self-regulation.
Any of these look familiar? Families across Buffalo Grove contact our clinic every week describing these same patterns, and most walk away from that first call knowing whether their child needs support or is developing right on schedule.
Talk to a Licensed OT
What if I'm not sure my child actually needs occupational therapy?
Most Buffalo Grove parents who reach out start with the same uncertainty. We listen to what is happening at home and in the classroom, and we only recommend an evaluation when what you describe is something OT actually treats. Either way, you leave the first call with a clear answer.
How do I explain occupational therapy to my child without making it feel like a doctor's visit?
You can describe the sessions as play to them. They climb, swing, build, and try new activities in a room set up specifically for them. Most parents tell us their child asks when their next visit is by the second or third week.
What if our family has never tried any kind of therapy before?
Many families in Buffalo Grove are starting with us as their first therapy provider. Your OT begins where your child is today and builds from there. The first month is about getting comfortable, building trust, and learning what motivates your child.
Meet Your Buffalo Grove Occupational Therapy Team
Pediatric specialists who work only with children, and bring that focus to every session.
Maria S., OTD, OTR/L
Lead Occupational Therapist
Maria leads the occupational therapy program across our North Suburbs clinics and coordinates care across the clinic. She specializes in sensory processing, fine motor development, self-regulation, and daily living skills. She works closely with the speech and ABA teams to make sure your child's progress builds across every session, not just her own.
Chantal B., MS, OTR/L
Occupational Therapist
Chantal builds her sessions around the daily tasks Buffalo Grove kids are actually practicing, from dressing routines to sensory regulation. She collaborates closely with the speech therapists, BCBAs, and physical therapists at our Half Day Road clinic so the strategies your child learns in OT carry over into every other room. Her clinical focus is fine motor development, sensory integration, and self-care independence, and she is the OT most Buffalo Grove families meet first.
Alyssa O., M.S., CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist (Coordinating)
Alyssa works alongside Chantal at our Buffalo Grove clinic. When your child's OT and speech goals touch the same skill set, like oral motor work that affects feeding and articulation, the two of them coordinate directly so a gain in one session shows up in the next.
Meeting your OT is the start, but they are rarely the only clinician shaping your child's progress. At our Buffalo Grove clinic, the OT, speech therapist, and BCBA work as one team, which means fewer gaps, less repetition, and a plan that actually holds together.
Meet Your Child's OT. Schedule a Free Consultation.
Find Out If OT Is Right for Your Child
Tell us what is going on with your child and our Buffalo Grove team calls you back to talk through whether occupational therapy makes sense, what your insurance covers, and how soon you could start.
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What Buffalo Grove Families Say About Occupational Therapy at CST Academy
It's hard to put into words what CST Academy has meant to my son and our whole family over the past 5 years. When we found this magical place when my son was 2.5, we never looked back. It's really remarkable to think about the progress he's made in these formative years. Nowhere else will you find a place that has a true multidisciplinary approach in its mission and model. SLPs, OTs, and ABA therapists taught alongside the preschool and pre-k teachers, and his services were intertwined in his schedule seamlessly. His team truly worked together and communicated everything to each other and it took the stress off of me. CST took all of the hard stuff you face on this journey and carried it for us so we could focus on our child. We never felt alone during these years. If I could give this place more than 5 stars I would in a heartbeat.
Dina S.
CST Academy stands out because of how well the therapists work together. Our child receives ABA, speech, and occupational therapy all in one place, and the collaboration is clear in every session. We have seen tremendous growth in communication, behavior, and social interaction. The support we receive as parents makes the entire experience even more meaningful.
CST Academy Family
Our son receives both OT and PT at CST Academy, and the teamwork between his therapists is outstanding. They coordinate goals and activities that build strength, balance, and confidence while keeping everything fun and motivating. He is now climbing, running, and playing with confidence we could only hope for before. CST truly feels like a second home to our family.
CST Academy Family
Insurance and Enrollment for Occupational Therapy in Buffalo Grove
Insurance Accepted
In-Network
Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO
Coming Soon
Aetna
Important Note About Occupational Therapy Coverage:
Illinois law requires insurance carriers to cover medically necessary occupational therapy for children. For most Buffalo Grove families with a BCBS plan, that means little to no out-of-pocket cost once benefits kick in, and our client success team verifies what your plan covers before the first session.
An OT Evaluation Is the First Step:
Before sessions begin, your child completes a 60-minute play-based OT evaluation at our Buffalo Grove clinic. At the end of the assessment, you have a clear picture of which skills the OT will target first, how often sessions need to happen, and what your plan covers.
The Best Time to Start OT at Our Buffalo Grove Clinic Was Last Month. The Next Best Is Now.
One certified OT. One focused therapy plan for your child.
Occupational Therapy FAQs for CST Academy in Buffalo Grove
If you have been watching your child struggle with fine motor tasks, sensory reactions, daily routines, or self-regulation, occupational therapy can help. The first step is a short call with our Buffalo Grove team. We talk through what you have been seeing and recommend an evaluation only if the pattern lines up with what OT treats.
Pediatric Occupational Therapy for Families Across the Northwest Suburbs
Our clinic on Half Day Road sits on Route 22, about three miles west of I-94. That puts us inside a short drive of most northwest suburban families and easy to reach from the North Shore.
By Car
From IL-21 (Milwaukee Avenue) heading north, turn east on Half Day Road (Route 22). CST Academy is on the south side of Half Day Road at 150. From I-94, exit at Half Day Road and head west. The clinic is roughly three miles west of the expressway.
Parking
Free on-site lot with dedicated family parking right by the main entrance.
By Metra
Prairie View Station on the North Central Service line is the closest stop, less than two miles from our clinic. The Buffalo Grove Station on the same NCS line is also nearby for families coming from the north.
Why Families Choose Integrated Occupational Therapy
Plenty of families come to us worn out from juggling separate clinics, a different building and a different plan for every therapy, with no one connecting the dots. What they want now is simpler: one place where their child's OT already fits into the bigger picture.
We build the connection into the week. When your child's OT notices a sensory trigger that is also derailing speech sessions, they flag it to the SLP before the next visit, not three weeks later through you. When the BCBA finds a reward that finally motivates your child, the OT uses the same one the next morning.
For you, that means one drive, one schedule, and one team that already knows your child, no more relaying messages between providers who never met. For your child, it means faster progress, because nothing gets lost in the handoff.
Integrated occupational therapy: one clinic, one focused OT plan, one team behind your child
Your Child's Full Care Team in Buffalo Grove:
The Free Consultation That Tells You Exactly Where Your Child Stands
Find out in one call what is holding your child back and how fast it can change. The consultation is free, and there is nothing to lose by asking.
Other CST Academy Locations Near Buffalo Grove
Northbrook
85 Revere Dr, Northbrook, IL 60062
5 miles from Buffalo Grove
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Wilmette
3201 Old Glenview Rd, Wilmette, IL 60091
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Gurnee
1 S Greenleaf St, Gurnee, IL 60031
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