Occupational Therapist in Hialeah, FL | Fine & Gross Motor Skills Development
Multigenerational households raising a sensitive or spirited child often need a different kind of support, one that respects the whole family gathered around the table, not just the child in the room. My practice supports kids who are sensory seeking, easily overwhelmed, or still building the motor and emotional skills daily life demands, working alongside the parents, grandparents, and aunts and uncles already involved in raising them.
Hialeah Park's grandstands rise near Palm Springs Mile, families gather at Milander Park on weekends, and generations often live within blocks of each other along the neighborhood's tight residential grid. Kids here grow up surrounded by family, with abuelas dropping in unannounced and cousins treated like siblings.
Raising a child with sensory or emotional needs inside a large extended family can bring conflicting advice from every direction, well meaning but overwhelming all the same. Parents here want a therapist who respects the family's culture and involves everyone who matters, rather than isolating the work to one parent alone.

How it works

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Step 1

Therapy should include the whole family, not just the child sitting across from me. We build skills using the same living room where abuela watches the kids every afternoon.
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Step 2

We begin with a real conversation about your child and your household, including whoever else helps raise them. That shapes a plan the whole family can actually follow.
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Step 3

Progress compounds when everyone is on the same page, a family dinner that goes smoothly, a grandparent who finally understands why a meltdown happens. Parent coaching keeps that unity strong.
Families often reach out once they notice a child struggling with routines that everyone else in the household seems to manage easily. As an occupational therapist working across Hialeah, I support children who are sensory seeking, easily overwhelmed, or still building the fine and gross motor skills their day requires, in a way the whole family can understand. Parents describe the shift as relief, watching family gatherings stop feeling unpredictable and start feeling like something to look forward to. Sessions often happen in the same living room where multiple generations already gather.
Keeping up with cousins during a backyard gathering or managing a plate at a crowded family table asks more of a child's coordination than people notice. Fine and gross motor skills development is often the first concern families bring to me. The relief shows up in small, visible wins, a child running confidently with cousins or finally using utensils without frustration at the table. We build strength and coordination using games already familiar to the whole family, backyard play, sidewalk games, kitchen helper tasks.
Large family gatherings bring noise, movement, and constant attention, and some children simply cannot process it all at once. This shows up often in the households I support here. What shifts first is usually the meltdown during a family party, a child begins finding their own way to settle instead of needing to be pulled from the room. We build regulation tools the whole family can use, a quiet corner during gatherings, a calming ritual everyone understands.
Conflicting advice from well meaning relatives can leave a child's big feelings even harder to manage consistently. This work is for the child who cannot yet name what they feel before it turns into a scene at the table. Families notice the recovery time shrink first, a meltdown that once derailed an entire gathering starts resolving in minutes. We build a shared feelings vocabulary the whole family can use, not just one parent alone.
Many parents here are navigating well meaning but conflicting advice from grandparents, aunts, and uncles all at once. This is for the caregiver who wants a unified approach the whole family can follow. The shift I see most is confidence, parents trusting their own approach even when relatives suggest something different. We talk through your real household, multigenerational dynamics, family gatherings, sibling comparisons, and build a plan everyone can get behind.
A household already rooted in tradition and ritual often takes naturally to mindfulness with plants as a shared family practice. What shifts is presence, a child who struggles to sit still at a big family dinner finds calm tending something small and green with a grandparent nearby. Sessions might include a planting ritual the whole family takes part in, a shared practice that spans generations.

I serve children, teens and adults

I work with families throughout Hialeah and into neighboring Hialeah Gardens and Miami Springs. Sessions often happen in the family living room, wherever multiple generations already gather. Below is a map of the area I serve.

Testimonials

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“The Cafetera planting workshop was such a meaningful experience. It felt intimate, grounding, and deeply connected to culture and intention. Creating something with my hands while slowing down and being present made the experience feel special and memorable.”

Christina S. | Cafetera Planting Workshop

“I’ve created three vision planters, and I’ll continue coming back. Even though I know the process, it’s the experience of the class that keeps drawing me in. The energy and intention of each workshop meet me exactly where I am.”

Cassandra M. | Vision Planter (Repeat Client)

“Having a manifesting planting bar at my 50th birthday celebration was one of the most special parts of the day. It gave my guests a moment to pause, reflect, and create something meaningful together. The energy it brought into the celebration was beautiful and unforgettable.”

Maria S. | 50th Birthday Manifesting Planting Bar

“Our team-building planting experience was refreshing and genuinely impactful. It created space for connection, collaboration, and creativity in a way that felt natural and meaningful. The experience brought our team together and left a lasting impression.”

Jenny T. | Corporate Team-Building Workshop

Erika Valdés – A pediatric occupational therapist

I'm a pediatric occupational therapist, former elementary school teacher, and plant ritual facilitator who believes therapy works best when the whole family is part of it. I bring support directly into Hialeah's multigenerational households, honoring the culture and closeness already there. I help people bloom where they are planted.

Frequently asked questions

  • Do you accept insurance?

    Play2Learn  currently operates as an out-of-network provider. Superbills can be provided upon request for possible reimbursement from your insurance plan. Payment is due at the time of service.

  • What if I need to cancel or reschedule?

    Cancellations + Rescheduling:

    Appointments must be canceled or rescheduled at least 24 hours in advance to avoid being charged the full session fee. Exceptions may be made for illness or emergencies communicated promptly.

  • How often should my child have sessions?

    Every child is different, but most families see the best results with 1–3 sessions per week for at least 10 weeks.

  • Payment plans

    Flexible payment plans are available for therapy packages. Please inquire during your consultation.

  • Confidentiality + privacy

    All client information is kept confidential in accordance with HIPAA regulations. Your privacy is always protected.