Pediatric Occupational Therapy in San Mateo, CA
Expert Pediatric OT Serving San Mateo and the Central Peninsula
San Mateo is the largest city and county seat on the Peninsula, and one of the most genuinely diverse communities in the Bay Area. Families here span long-time residents in neighborhoods like Baywood and San Mateo Park, newer arrivals who moved south from San Francisco, and working-class families near the Westside and Bay Meadows development. What unites San Mateo parents is a desire to find high-quality, specialized support for their children — and the frustration of not knowing where to start. TheraPeeps removes that uncertainty by bringing expert pediatric occupational therapy directly to your home, daycare, or private school. No commute, no waitlist, no clinic.
Brooke Olson, OTR/L, leads our team with some of the most advanced pediatric OT credentials available — SIPT and STAR certification in sensory integration, DIR/Floortime trainer with 10+ years of experience, SOS Approach for Feeding, Safe and Sound Protocol, and Board Certification in Autism. We serve children ages 0–8 using a neuro-affirming, relationship-based philosophy that is never compliance-based or ABA-adjacent. As a Spanish-bilingual practice, we are also one of the very few Peninsula OT providers who can serve San Mateo’s large Latino community in their home language — from the first phone call through every session and progress discussion.
TheraPeeps is centrally located on the Peninsula and also serves families in neighboring communities including Belmont, Burlingame, San Carlos, Redwood City, and Menlo Park.
OT Services We Deliver to San Mateo Homes and Schools
TheraPeeps offers a full spectrum of specialized pediatric OT services — all delivered in the environment where your child is most comfortable. Every service below is available to San Mateo families with no physician referral required.
- Sensory Integration Therapy (SIPT/STAR Certified) — Evidence-based assessment and treatment for children with sensory processing differences. Brooke holds SIPT and STAR certification, credentials held by fewer than 5% of OTs nationwide.
- DIR/Floortime Therapy — A relationship-based developmental model that builds emotional and cognitive foundations through child-led play. Brooke is a certified DIR/Floortime trainer with 10+ years of experience.
- Feeding Therapy — SOS Approach — Structured support for picky eating, food refusals, texture aversions, and mealtime anxiety using the evidence-based SOS Approach to Feeding.
- Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) — An auditory intervention developed by Dr. Stephen Porges that calms the nervous system and supports improved social engagement, attention, and regulation.
- Nature-Based Therapeutic Playgroups — Small-group OT sessions in outdoor settings that build sensory processing, social skills, and emotional regulation through natural, child-directed play.
- In-Home Pediatric Occupational Therapy — Comprehensive OT evaluation and ongoing treatment delivered at your home, daycare, or private school — ideal for San Mateo families navigating busy schedules.
- Emotional Self-Regulation — Practical therapeutic strategies for children who struggle with meltdowns, transitions, anxiety, impulse control, and emotional recovery.
Developmental Challenges We Address in San Mateo Children
San Mateo children come to TheraPeeps through many different pathways — a flag raised at a SMUSD kindergarten screening, feedback from a daycare teacher, a pediatrician referral, or a parent’s instinct that something deserves a closer look. Whatever brought you here, we meet your family where it is.
- Sensory processing disorder — hypersensitivity, hyposensitivity, or sensory-seeking behaviors that disrupt daily routines
- Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) — including newly diagnosed children and those in the evaluation process
- ADHD and attention or impulse-regulation challenges
- Feeding aversions, selective eating, and mealtime anxiety
- Emotional dysregulation — meltdowns, explosive behavior, difficulty recovering after upsets
- Developmental delays in motor, social, or adaptive milestones
- Fine motor difficulties — handwriting, scissor use, fasteners, and self-care tasks
- Low muscle tone and gross motor coordination challenges
- Difficulty with transitions, routines, and daily living skills
- Social skill challenges and difficulty navigating peer play
We do not require a physician referral and can typically schedule an initial evaluation within a few weeks. If you’re seeing any of these patterns in your child and wondering whether OT could help, call us at (650) 204-0677.
What Sets TheraPeeps Apart for San Mateo Families
San Mateo families have access to a range of pediatric services through SMUSD, county programs, and local clinics. But specialized, in-home OT with this depth of credential and this breadth of cultural reach is genuinely rare on the Peninsula.
- Advanced Specialization, Not Generalist Care — Brooke holds SIPT and STAR certification in sensory integration — credentials held by fewer than 5% of occupational therapists in the country. We go deep on sensory, feeding, regulation, and DIR/Floortime rather than offering a broad but shallow menu of services.
- Spanish-Bilingual Services — San Mateo has one of the Peninsula’s most vibrant and established Spanish-speaking communities. Brooke is a fluent Spanish speaker who conducts sessions, parent coaching, and all progress discussions in Spanish. For families who are most comfortable in Spanish, this removes a real and often invisible barrier to accessing expert OT care.
- No Clinic, No Commute — We come to you. For San Mateo families managing Caltrain schedules, afternoon traffic on El Camino, and packed after-school windows, in-home therapy removes one of the most common reasons families delay starting consistent care.
- Neuro-Affirming, Relationship-Based Philosophy — We celebrate neurodiversity. Every session is built on DIR/Floortime and developmental principles — never compliance-based or ABA-adjacent. Your child’s autonomy, dignity, and intrinsic motivation are protected and centered throughout.
- Board Certification in Autism — For families navigating an ASD diagnosis alongside sensory, feeding, or regulation challenges, our Board Certification in Autism means you are working with a clinician who understands the full clinical picture — not just one piece of it.
Private-Pay Pricing, Superbills, and HSA/FSA for San Mateo Families
TheraPeeps is a private-pay practice. We do not bill insurance carriers directly. Instead, we provide a detailed superbill after each session that you submit to your insurance company for out-of-network reimbursement. This model gives families access to the most specialized care available — without being constrained to in-network provider lists that rarely include SIPT/STAR-certified OTs.
- Session fees: Available upon request. Call (650) 204-0677 to discuss current rates for evaluations and ongoing sessions.
- Superbills: We provide itemized superbills with all required CPT codes, ICD-10 diagnosis codes, and our provider credentials after every session. Families with PPO plans typically see 30–70% reimbursement once their deductible is met.
- HSA and FSA accepted: Pediatric occupational therapy is a qualified expense under most health savings and flexible spending accounts.
- No arbitrary session caps: Your child receives the frequency and duration of therapy that their clinical needs warrant — not what an insurance reviewer approves.
Call us at (650) 204-0677 to discuss fees and get a plain-language explanation of how your specific plan handles out-of-network OT reimbursement.
Frequently Asked Questions — Pediatric OT in San Mateo, CA
Do you serve all San Mateo neighborhoods, including the Westside, Shoreview, and Bay Meadows?
Yes. We serve all San Mateo neighborhoods — Baywood, Beresford Park, San Mateo Park, Shoreview, Bay Meadows, the Westside, Hillsdale, and everywhere in between. Because we come to you, your location within San Mateo does not affect your access to our services.
My child already receives OT through SMUSD. Can TheraPeeps provide private services alongside the school's?
Yes, and many San Mateo families do exactly this. School-based OT through SMUSD focuses on IEP goals tied directly to educational performance. TheraPeeps private OT addresses goals that fall outside the school’s scope — sensory processing at home, feeding therapy, emotional regulation in daily life, and parent coaching. The two approaches complement each other well. We are happy to coordinate with your child’s school team when it is helpful.
Do you offer sessions in Spanish?
Yes. Brooke Olson is a fluent Spanish speaker and conducts sessions, parent education, and all progress discussions in Spanish. San Mateo’s large and established Spanish-speaking community is one of the main reasons Spanish-bilingual services are a priority for us. Please let us know your language preference when you reach out.
We are not sure our insurance will cover this. How does the superbill process work exactly?
A superbill is a detailed receipt we provide after each session. It includes your child’s diagnosis codes, the specific CPT service codes for the therapy delivered, and our provider credentials. You submit it directly to your insurance company. If you have out-of-network benefits under a PPO plan, your carrier processes the claim and reimburses you directly — many San Mateo families receive 30–70% back after their deductible is met. Call us at (650) 204-0677 and we will help you understand what to expect from your specific plan.
San Mateo is centrally located on the Peninsula — do you also serve nearby cities?
Yes. In addition to San Mateo, we serve families in Belmont, Burlingame, San Carlos, Redwood City, and Menlo Park. Call us to confirm we can reach your specific address.
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