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

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 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 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.With a focus on sensory processing as the basis for all development, our therapy services address fine motor, gross motor and visual motor skills as they relate to the daily childhood “occupations” of play, self-care and learning.

Coastal Kids Therapy provides a fun, playful, and nurturing atmosphere in which the therapist/child relationship is vital.

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.

Meet the Team

Coastal Kids Therapy has Teamed up with

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.

Download New Patient Packet

Download New Patient Packet (Spanish)