Occupational Therapy in Lake Bluff, IL: What It Is, Who It Helps, and What to Expect at NSPT

If your child's teacher, pediatrician, or your own parenting instincts have prompted you to search for occupational therapy in Lake Bluff, IL, you're already doing exactly the right thing. That nudge — the sense that your child might benefit from a little extra support — is worth listening to.

Occupational therapy is one of the most commonly recommended and most widely misunderstood pediatric services. It isn't about preparing children for careers. For kids, OT is about the everyday moments that make up their lives: getting dressed in the morning, holding a crayon, tolerating a noisy school cafeteria, or simply playing alongside a friend. When those moments feel harder than they should, a skilled occupational therapist can help.

At North Shore Pediatric Therapy's Lake Bluff center, our occupational therapists work with children of all ages and abilities — helping them build confidence, independence, and the skills to fully participate in the life they deserve.

What Is Pediatric Occupational Therapy?

Pediatric occupational therapy focuses on equipping children with the skills they need to engage in their daily routines — at home, at school, and in the community. A child's primary "occupation" is to play, explore, and connect with the world around them. When developmental challenges, sensory differences, or motor difficulties get in the way of that, OT can help close the gap.

At NSPT, occupational therapy addresses a wide range of skill areas, including sensory processing, fine motor development, handwriting, self-care tasks like dressing and eating, hand-eye coordination, motor coordination and dexterity, cognitive skills, and social and academic participation.

If your child struggles with any of these areas — or if you've noticed they're working significantly harder than their peers at things that seem to come naturally to others — an OT evaluation is a valuable next step.

Signs Your Child Might Benefit from OT

Parents often sense something is off long before anyone names it. Here are some common signs across age groups that frequently lead families to seek out occupational therapy:

In infants and toddlers, signs can include hands that remain fisted much of the time, difficulty reaching for or grasping objects, excessive distress during dressing, bathing, or diaper changes, sensitivity to touch or textures, and not engaging in simple pretend play around 15 to 18 months.

In preschool and school-age children, you might notice difficulty holding a pencil or using scissors, struggles with getting dressed or managing buttons and zippers independently, strong sensitivity to sounds, clothing tags, or food textures, trouble sitting still or managing emotions and behavior, challenges with handwriting or classroom participation, or poor coordination during play and physical activities.

You don't need a diagnosis to reach out. Many families come to us simply saying they've noticed something feels different — and that's more than enough reason to have a conversation with our team. If you're also wondering whether your child might benefit from an autism evaluation, we can help you think through that too.

What OT at Our Lake Bluff Center Looks Like

Our Lake Bluff center is located at 917 Sherwood Dr., Suite 201, within the Lake Forest Pediatrics building — a familiar, welcoming environment for North Shore families. The center features 12 rooms for individualized 1:1 therapy, two full gyms equipped with climbing structures, swings, a rock wall, and monkey bars designed to build strength, balance, coordination, and sensory processing through play, dedicated sensory spaces, a feeding room, and classroom-style learning rooms that prepare children for school routines and group settings.

Every session is one-on-one between your child and their therapist, and every treatment plan is built specifically around your child's unique profile — their strengths, their challenges, and what matters most to your family. OT at NSPT is play-based and child-led, designed to feel engaging and purposeful rather than clinical.

Our Lake Bluff OT team includes two experienced therapists who bring deep expertise and genuine passion to every session. Guadalupe Mercado, OTR/L, is a board-certified Senior Occupational Therapist with a master's degree from Carroll University and experience supporting children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Down Syndrome, ADHD, coordination disorders, developmental delay, and sensory processing disorders across outpatient, school, daycare, and hippotherapy settings. She has also completed continuing education in the SOS Approach to Feeding and interoception-based intervention. Francesca Orlando, MOT, OTR/L, is a Pediatric Occupational Therapist who earned her Master of Occupational Therapy from Elmhurst University. Francesca brings a compassionate, fun, and engaging approach to every session, and her passion for OT grew from volunteering at a summer camp for children with disabilities during her undergraduate studies.

Overseeing OT quality across NSPT's centers is Sierra Jones, O.T.D., OTR/L, Clinical Director of OT & PT, who earned her Doctoral degree in Occupational Therapy from Rush University and is accredited by the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) and certified by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT).

OT as Part of a Connected Care Team

What sets NSPT apart from a standalone OT clinic is that your child's occupational therapist is part of a fully integrated, multidisciplinary team. At our Lake Bluff center, OT, speech and feeding therapy, ABA therapy, physical therapy, and mental health services are all offered under one roof, with therapists who share goals and adjust plans together.

That means if your child is working on sensory regulation in OT, their ABA therapist and speech-language pathologist are aligned around the same outcomes. Progress in one area accelerates progress in every other — and you only have one team to communicate with, not a fragmented network of separate providers.

For children approaching school age, our Blossom Prep School program is also available at the Lake Bluff center. It's a therapeutic half-day school readiness program for children ages 2 to 6 that weaves OT, ABA, and speech goals into a structured, classroom-style environment — helping children build the confidence, communication skills, and routines they'll need before their first day of kindergarten.

Insurance and Getting Started

We accept most major insurance plans at our Lake Bluff center, including Blue Cross Blue Shield, UnitedHealthcare, Optum, Tricare, Multiplan, NorthShore, and Amita Health. Our team will complete a complimentary benefits check before your child's first appointment so there are no surprises. You can also learn more about insurance and therapy costs on our website.

Our Lake Bluff center is open Monday through Thursday 8 am to 7 pm, Friday 8 am to 6 pm, and Saturday 8 am to 3 pm. We proudly serve families from Lake Bluff, Lake Forest, Libertyville, North Chicago, Gurnee, Green Oaks, Highland Park, and surrounding communities on the North Shore.

If you're closer to another part of Chicagoland, NSPT also offers occupational therapy at our other locations, including Glenview, Evanston, Vernon Hills, and Lincolnwood.

Ready to Take the Next Step?

If you're looking for occupational therapy in Lake Bluff, IL for your child, we'd love to connect. Our team will listen carefully, answer your questions honestly, and help you understand whether OT — or another service at NSPT — is the right fit for your family. There's no pressure, no checklist your child needs to meet, and no endless waitlist to navigate.

Contact our Lake Bluff team to get started.