Coastal Kids Therapy
Welcome to Coastal Kids Therapy

Welcome to Coastal Kids Therapy

We are a private pediatric occupational and speech therapy practice serving Wilmington, NC and the surrounding areas. We have extensive education and experience in evaluating and treating children with:

  • Developmental Delays
  • Autism
  • Sensory processing dysfunction
  • Handwriting/school-related difficulties
  • Neuromuscular impairment
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Genetic syndromes
  • Learning difficulties
  • Oral motor/feeding difficulties
  • Visual-motor/visual perceptual difficulties
  • Self-care difficulties
  • Social skill difficulties
  • Attention-deficit
Welcome to Coastal Kids Therapy

What is Occupational Therapy?

Occupational therapists evaluate and treat children who have difficulty with the daily “occupations” of a child which include learning, play, and self-care. An occupational therapist will evaluate the following skills:

  • Fine motor skills: using their hands to play with toys, holding crayons and pencils, managing clothing fasteners, etc.
  • Visual-motor skills: prewriting and writing skills, drawing, and coloring
  • Eye-hand coordination: using scissors, catching and throwing a ball, puzzles
  • Self-care skills: dressing, grooming, using utensils, feeding
  • Sensory processing: making adaptive responses to sights, sounds, touch, movement, taste, and smell
  • Strength and range of motion
  • Social skills and self-regulation
  • Executive functioning skills
Speech Therapy

Speech Therapy

Speech Language Pathologists address communication skills for social interactions, educational growth, and overall quality of life. A speech therapy evaluation assesses:

  • Expressive and receptive language
  • Voice
  • Fluency
  • Articulation
  • Swallowing
  • Oral motor skills

Our Mission

At Coastal Kids Therapy we provide state-of-the-art occupational and speech therapy in a warm and positive environment celebrating the individuality of every child while helping each to reach his or her full potential.

We believe in the value of families as integral to each child’s progress. It is our goal to ensure that each of our therapists has the passion, compassion, knowledge, and skills to assist every child we serve in reaching their goals and leading their best life.

About Laurel

About The Owner

Laurel Thornton has extensive experience and education in the treatment of children and adolescents with autism, cerebral palsy, developmental delays, neuromuscular disorders, sensory processing dysfunction, and a variety of genetic syndromes.

Coastal Kids Therapy was founded in January 2012 by sisters Laurel Thornton and Blair Kutrow, who have family ties to and fond memories of visiting their grandparents and great-grandparents in Wilmington and Wrightsville Beach, NC.

Combining Laurel’s many years of experience as an occupational therapist and Blair’s extensive experience in the business world in Washington, DC, these two sisters opened Coastal Kids Therapy to fulfill Laurel’s dream of bringing her passion for helping children achieve their potential to a place they both love.

Coastal Kids Therapy has Teamed up with

Bright Beginnings

Bright Beginnings in order to provide physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy under one roof! We are now offering limited clinic hours at Coastal Kids Therapy.

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