Child and Family Development

Child and Family Development Pediatric Therapy Services (formerly WildWorks Therapy)

07/22/2026

I Wish Someone Had Taught Me This...

You learned sensory processing.
You learned development.
You learned intervention techniques.

But no one taught you how to put it all together.

How do attachment, motor planning, regulation, executive functioning, sensory processing, and relationships actually fit together?

This 10-month Clinical Fellowship will completely change the way you see children.

✔ DIR/Floortime
✔ Sensory Processing
✔ Motor Planning
✔ Polyvagal Theory
✔ Attachment
✔ Developmental Clinical Reasoning

Founding Cohort opens now.

Only 50 Occupational Therapists will be accepted.

07/09/2026

💙 Big smiles. Big splashes. Big developmental wins.

Our DIR/Floortime Day Program just got even better—swimming is officially part of our weekly routine! 🌊

For children, the pool is so much more than a place to play. Water provides rich sensory experiences that can support regulation, body awareness, motor planning, coordination, strength, confidence, and social engagement. It naturally encourages shared joy, communication, problem-solving, and meaningful interactions with trusted adults and peers.

At Child & Family Development, we believe children learn best when they feel safe, connected, and joyful. That’s why our first swim sessions aren’t about perfect strokes or formal lessons—they’re about building trust, exploring, laughing, and creating positive experiences together.

Because when a child feels joy, their nervous system is ready to connect.
And when they’re connected, learning follows. 💙

Watching our kids light up in the water has been the highlight of our week, and we can’t wait to see their confidence continue to grow.

PediatricOT PlayBasedLearning RegulationBeforeExpectation AutismSupport DevelopmentalTherapy OccupationalTherapy ChildAndFamilyDevelopment

✨ DIR/Floortime Isn't Just Play ✨We hear this all the time - "Isn't Floortime just playing?"What many people don't reali...
06/24/2026

✨ DIR/Floortime Isn't Just Play ✨

We hear this all the time - "Isn't Floortime just playing?"

What many people don't realize is that DIR/Floortime is a comprehensive developmental framework designed to support communication, regulation, social-emotional growth, problem-solving, and relationships.

Yes, play is involved. But the goal isn't play itself.
The goal is development.

What may look like "just playing" is actually carefully designed therapeutic interaction rooted in developmental science.

If you've ever wondered what DIR/Floortime really is (and what it isn't), our newest blog breaks down the most common misconceptions and explains why connection is the foundation of development.

💙 Read the full blog through the link in our bio.

👇 What's one thing you've heard about DIR/Floortime that you're not sure is true?

Many children struggle with challenges that seem unrelated at first glance:✔️ Sensory sensitivities
✔️ Emotional regulat...
06/24/2026

Many children struggle with challenges that seem unrelated at first glance:
✔️ Sensory sensitivities
✔️ Emotional regulation difficulties
✔️ Attention and focus challenges
✔️ Sleep disturbances
✔️ Digestive concerns
✔️ Feeding difficulties
✔️ Frequent illness or immune challenges

Emerging research continues to highlight the powerful connection between the gut, immune system, brain, and nervous system.

That’s why we are excited to offer advanced wellness testing through Vibrant Wellness (Vibrant Wellness) to help families gain a deeper understanding of what may be contributing to their child’s symptoms.

🔬 Gut Zoomer provides a comprehensive look at gut health.

🌱 Toxin Zoomer evaluates exposure to environmental toxins that may impact overall health and development

🥦 Food Zoomer offers insight into how a child’s immune system may be responding to foods.

Understanding what’s happening beneath the surface may help explain why a child is struggling—and create opportunities to support growth, regulation, and development from the inside out.

💙 Because every child deserves support that looks beyond the symptoms.

Discover what Zoomer testing may reveal about your child’s health and development.
ADHDSupport PediatricWellness FunctionalHealth GutHealth VibrantWellness FeedingTherapy EmotionalRegulation ChildAndFamilyDevelopment BuildingSkillsThroughConnection

"Because I said so." "You're fine.""Stop crying."Most of us heard it growing up. And many of us have said it ourselves.N...
06/14/2026

"Because I said so."
"You're fine."
"Stop crying."

Most of us heard it growing up. And many of us have said it ourselves.

Not because we're bad parents—but because it's what was modeled for us.

The problem is that stopping a behavior isn't always the same as understanding it.

When children are overwhelmed, dysregulated, sensory overloaded, anxious, or struggling to communicate, their behavior is often carrying important information.

The child who won't put on their shoes.
The child who covers their ears.
The child who melts down over the "wrong" cup.

What if the question isn't:
❌ "How do I stop this behavior?" or ignoring the behavior all together...

What if it's:
✅ "What is this behavior trying to tell me?"

A regulated child isn't a child who never struggles.
A regulated child is a child who feels safe enough to keep growing. 💛

At Child & Family Development, we believe children don't need to earn safety before they can grow.

They need safety in order to grow.

This article explores the hidden cost of prioritizing compliance over a child’s ability to speak up. Learn how to balance safety, boundaries, and emotional resilience. Link in Bio

👇 What's one phrase you heard growing up that you're intentionally changing with your own children?

Children do not learn friendship from worksheets or scripts. They learn friendship by experiencing friendship.Friendship...
06/02/2026

Children do not learn friendship from worksheets or scripts. They learn friendship by experiencing friendship.

Friendship isn't a skill that can be memorized.

It's built when two children laugh at the same silly idea.
When they disagree and work through it.
When they invite someone into their play.
When they experience the joy of being understood.

Many children can learn social rules. They can memorize greetings, practice eye contact, or rehearse conversations.
But authentic relationships require something deeper.

They require emotional connection, shared experiences, flexible thinking, problem-solving, and the ability to navigate the unpredictable nature of human relationships.

This is why, in DIR/Floortime, we focus on creating meaningful interactions rather than teaching scripts.

Because friendships aren't formed by knowing what to say.
They're formed by sharing moments that matter.

❤️ The goal isn't to create socially compliant children.

✨ The goal is to help children develop genuine relationships, confidence, and a strong sense of self within connection.

06/01/2026

No reward system overrides survival mode 💥
✨THE REGULATION REMINDER✨

Behavior improves when capacity improves.

Most “behavior problems” are nervous system signals.

If you want the full step-by-step framework for reducing meltdowns and power struggles:

From Meltdowns to Regulation
Self-paced course + full workbook
$27 (limited time offer)

Comment RESET

“Child-led” is one of the most misunderstood phrases we hear.Many parents worry:“If I follow my child’s lead… will they ...
05/21/2026

“Child-led” is one of the most misunderstood phrases we hear.

Many parents worry:
“If I follow my child’s lead… will they ever learn boundaries?”

We understand that concern ❤️

But in DIR/Floortime®, child-led doesn’t mean removing expectations or structure.

It means beginning with connection so children feel safe, engaged, and motivated to grow.

From there, we intentionally expand:
✨ Emotional regulation
✨ Functional communication
✨ Play and social development
✨ Flexible thinking
✨ Problem solving and resilience

Children don’t stop learning when we follow their lead—
we create opportunities for deeper, more meaningful learning.

What questions do you have about what “child-led” really means? Drop them below ⬇️

05/03/2026

Too often, autistic children are denied the co-regulation and emotional support they genuinely need because harmful practices have normalized withholding connection in their most vulnerable moments. Children build resilience through safety, support, and trusted relationships—not through being ignored when they are clearly struggling. In nearly any other context, disregarding a child’s cries for help would be recognized as neglect, yet for autistic individuals, this has too often been accepted as standard practice. That reality is deeply frustrating and unacceptable.

Regulation first. PERIOD.

Thank you for sharing your story Laura Laura Clery! We applaud your mother’s decision to step in and console her grandson in a time a of need.

Please contact us if you’ve been curious about alternatives. Other options do exist 💛

04/08/2026

You’ve asked yourself this before…

Is this autism?
Or something else?

Your child is smart… but struggles to connect
Big emotions come out of nowhere
Transitions feel like daily battles

You’ve been told to “wait and see.”

But your gut is saying something more.

👉 You don’t need to keep guessing.

At Child & Family Development, we offer comprehensive autism evaluations using the ADOS-2—with a developmental, relationship-based approach.

✨ Real answers
✨ Clear next steps
✨ No long waitlists

Comment CLARITY and we’ll message you.

Address

350 Ramapo Valley Road, Suite 100
Oakland, NJ
07436

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 7pm
Tuesday 9am - 7pm
Wednesday 9am - 7pm
Thursday 9am - 7pm
Friday 9am - 4pm

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