Your child will receive a customized plan tailored specifically to both their individual and family goal

At Optimal Pediatrics, we are proud to provide comprehensive pediatric therapy services—Speech-Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Physical Therapy—all in one convenient, centralized location. Our multidisciplinary approach ensures that your child receives seamless, collaborative care from a team of professionals who are committed to working together to help your child reach their full potential.

What sets us apart is our collaborative team model. Our therapists don’t work in isolation—we work side-by-side, consult regularly with one another, and coordinate care plans to ensure that every aspect of your child’s development is supported. Whether your child is working on communication, mobility, self-regulation, or fine motor development, our integrated therapy model allows for targeted interventions that complement each other. We believe that children benefit most when their therapy providers are aligned in their approach and united in their goals.

We also know that life is dynamic, and your needs as a family may change. That’s why our team offers flexibility in scheduling and care coordination. We take into account school calendars, work schedules, medical appointments, and insurance requirements when planning therapy. Our therapists communicate closely to adapt treatment plans as needed to ensure your child continues to make meaningful, measurable progress.

At Optimal Pediatrics, your child is more than a patient—they are the heart of everything we do. We are excited to welcome you into our therapy family and look forward to walking alongside you in your child’s developmental journey.

Pediatric Therapy

 

Pediatric occupational therapy services at our clinic focus on building the skills children need to participate in everyday activities, from dressing and eating to playing and learning. Our licensed Occupational Therapists provide developmentally appropriate, child-centered therapy to promote fine motor skills, sensory regulation, visual-motor integration, and daily living skills. Sessions are tailored to meet each child’s functional goals, while fostering independence, confidence, and success across all environments. The therapist partners with families to address challenges through engaging, play-based tasks and home-based strategies. Using a combination of standardized assessments and functional observations, therapy progress is consistently monitored and adjusted as needed. Occupational therapy empowers children to overcome barriers and reach their fullest potential in a supportive and nurturing setting.

Areas of Treatment

  • Fine motor skill development (e.g., grasp, manipulation, pre-writing skills)
  • Sensory integration and modulation challenges
  • Activities of daily living (ADLs): dressing, feeding, toileting
  • Self-regulation and attention-building tasks
  • Visual motor and visual perceptual skills
  • Bilateral coordination and motor planning
  • Executive functioning (organization, task initiation, impulse control)
  • Feeding therapy (oral motor skills, sensory-based feeding aversion)
  • Environmental adaptations for functional success (e.g. adaptive equipment)

Specialty Diagnoses Supported

  • Autism spectrum disorder
  • ADHD
  • Sensory processing disorder
  • Down syndrome
  • Developmental coordination disorder
  • Learning disabilities
  • Prematurity
  • Genetic and chromosomal abnormalities
  • Fine motor delays
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Traumatic Brain Injury
  • Feeding disorders (non-swallowing based)
  • Self/emotional regulation

Our pediatric outpatient physical therapy services are designed to help children develop strength, coordination, and mobility needed for daily activities and age-appropriate movement. Our licensed Physical Therapists evaluate and treat children with gross motor delays, orthopedic concerns, neurological conditions, and balance or coordination impairments. Therapy sessions are play-based and functional, targeting goals that promote safety, independence, and participation at home, school, and in the community. Through caregiver collaboration and individualized treatment plans, therapy supports each child’s unique developmental needs. Family education is integrated into all sessions to ensure progress continues beyond the clinic. Our Physical Therapists utilized evidence-based interventions and track progress through standardized testing and clinical observation. Services are delivered in a nurturing environment where movement becomes an opportunity for growth.

Areas of Treatment

  • Gross motor skill delays (e.g., sitting, crawling, walking)
  • Balance and coordination deficits
  • Gait abnormalities (e.g., toe walking, limping, scissoring gait)
  • Muscle weakness or low/high muscle tone
  • Neuromuscular disorders (e.g., cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy)
  • Postural and alignment concerns
  • Orthopedic rehabilitation (post-fracture, post-surgery, hypermobility)
  • Motor planning and motor learning difficulties
  • Developmental delay
  • Use of assistive devices (e.g., walkers, wheelchairs, gait trainers)
  • Serial casting, orthotics (prescription, management, modifications, consultations with specialists)
  • Dry needling for a variety of conditions
  • Other modalities (cupping, kinestiotaping, etc)

Specialty Diagnoses Supported

  • Cerebral Palsy
  • Down Syndrome
  • Spina Bifida
  • Developmental coordination disorder
  • Prematurity
  • Torticollis and Plagiocephaly
  • Genetic syndromes with motor involvement
  • Muscular Dystrophy
  • Autism spectrum disorder (for gross motor integration)
  • Scoliosis
  • Traumatic brain injury
  • 
Orthopedic injuries and conditions

At our pediatric outpatient therapy clinic, our licensed Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) provides individualized, evidence-based therapy services to support children in developing effective communication and safe swallowing skills. Through play-based and goal-driven intervention, the SLP addresses speech sound production, language development, social communication, fluency, voice, and feeding/swallowing concerns. Therapy sessions are tailored to each child’s developmental level and specific needs, while family education and collaboration are prioritized to support progress. Comprehensive evaluations, re-assessments, and ongoing treatment plans are used to track growth and guide therapy. The SLP partners with caregivers and other medical or educational providers as needed to ensure a team-based approach to care. Our goal is to help children gain the skills they need to thrive across daily environments. Services are provided in a warm, child-centered environment by a highly trained and compassionate therapist.

Areas of Treatment

  • Speech Sound Disorders: articulation, phonological delays, motor speech disorders (e.g., childhood apraxia of speech, dysarthria)
  • Language Disorders: expressive and receptive language delays, late talkers, mixed language disorders, phonological awareness, vocabulary building, early narrative development
  • Social/Pragmatic Communication: difficulty with conversational skills, turn-taking, emotional understanding
  • Fluency Disorders: stuttering, cluttering
  • Voice Disorders: vocal nodules, vocal fatigue, muscle tension dysphonia, vocal cord dysfunction (VCD)
  • Feeding & Swallowing Disorders (Pediatric Dysphagia): oral motor delays, texture progression, pharyngeal dysphagia, feeding aversion
  • Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC): use of low-tech and high-tech systems

Specialty Diagnoses Supported

  • Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
  • Down syndrome
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Genetic syndromes (e.g., 22q, Fragile X)
  • Childhood apraxia of speech
  • ADHD
  • Learning disabilities
  • Sensory processing disorders
  • Prematurity-related delays
  • Developmental language disorder
  • Traumatic Brain Injury
  • Vocal cord dysfunction
  • Medically complex cases with feeding tubes, history of aspiration, or structural anomalies (e.g., cleft palate)

Offering licensed Occupational Therapy combined with certified Lactation Counseling with a passion for supporting infants and their families through the early stages of feeding and development.
Whether you’re navigating breastfeeding challenges, bottle feeding concerns, or sensory and motor difficulties that affect feeding, we bring a holistic, family-centered approach rooted in developmental science and nurturing care.

Services Offered

  • Lactation Counseling: Guidance and support for latching issues, low milk supply, nipple pain, pumping, and transitioning back to work.
  • Feeding Support Through OT: Addressing oral motor delays, positioning concerns, sensory processing issues, and overall feeding readiness.
  • Infant Development Support: Helping families understand and support motor development, regulation, and bonding during early life stages.
  • Parent Education & Empowerment: Equipping you with tools, strategies, and confidence to support your baby’s growth and your feeding goals.

Who I Work With

  • New parents seeking help with breastfeeding or bottle feeding
  • Infants with latch or suck-swallow-breathe coordination issues
  • Babies with tongue tie (pre/post revision support)
  • Families navigating feeding with premature infants or those with complex medical needs
  • Babies showing early signs of sensory or motor delays

I believe feeding is more than nutrition — it’s a relational, sensory, and developmental experience. With an OT lens and lactation training, I’m here to help make it a positive one for both you and your baby.

Developmental Delays

Torticollis

Plagiocephaly

Pediatric Physical Therapy

Developmental Delays

Torticollis

Plagiocephaly

Cerebral Palsy

Spina Bifida

Rhett Syndrome

Developmental Coordination Disorder, Frequent Falling

Down Syndrome

Muscular Dystrophy

Idiopathic Toe Walking

Play-Based Motor Skill Development

Strength And Endurance Training

Postural Stability And Balance Training

Functional Mobility Training For Improved Independence

Return To Sport

Developmental Norms Screening For Pediatric Patients–Speech & Language

Pediatric Services For Children Ages 2-18 Years

Pediatric Speech And Language Delays

Deidra is a physical therapist who has specialized in Pediatrics since 2008. Born and raised in Wyoming, Deidra returned to work in the state after earning her Doctorate.

Reagan Scott

OT, MOTR/L, CLC

I knew I wanted to be an occupational therapist from the time I was 13 years old. I graduated from the University of North Dakota with a Masters of Occupational Therapy in 2003.

Lauren Hiipakka

OT, MOTR/L

Lauren was born and raised in Casper with a mother who was an occupational therapist, and therefore was exposed to the wonderful world of OT her entire life.

Kari Ward

M.S. CCC-SLP

Kari brings 11 years of experience to the pediatric team at Optimal Pediatrics as a Speech-Language Pathologist.  

Shelby is a Wyoming native born and raised in Rock Springs. Shelby attended the University of Wyoming where she received her B.S. in Kinesiology and Health Promotion in 2017.