Serving Boca Raton, FL
Boca Raton Occupational Therapy
In-home and virtual neuroaffirmative OT for kids, teens, and adults — from East Boca to West Boca and across the surrounding Palm Beach community.
Neuroaffirmative · Identity-first · LGBTQ+ welcoming · Never compliance-based
Boca Raton is a city built around achievement — the schools, the activities, the after-school calendars, the bar that gets set for kids by 4th grade. For many neurodivergent kids and adults here, the cost of keeping up isn't visible until the meltdowns at the dinner table, the school-refusal mornings, or the late-diagnosis at 38 that suddenly explains the last twenty years. We work with that whole picture.
Ocean Tide Therapy is led by Stefanie Irmen, OTR/L, a licensed occupational therapist with a decade of experience across school-based, outpatient, and developmental settings. Boca Raton is one of our home markets — Stefanie and the practice are deeply familiar with the local schools, pediatric specialists, and the specific pace of life that Boca families are managing.
How sessions work: in-home OT covers the entire Boca Raton area — from East Boca and the downtown / Mizner Park corridor, out through Boca West, Royal Palm, Boca Pointe, and the West Boca communities along Glades Road and Palmetto Park Road. We come to you — kitchen tables, bedrooms, backyards. For families who prefer it, secure HIPAA-compliant telehealth is also available throughout Florida.
Many local pediatric practices in Boca still operate on compliance-based models — sticker charts, planned ignoring, "first/then" used as control, exposure-based feeding work. We don't do any of that. Our approach is explicitly affirming: identity-first, strengths-based, child-led for kids and client-led for adults, and grounded in the actual research on what supports — rather than harms — neurodivergent nervous systems.
Boca neighborhoods we serve in-home
If you're nearby and not listed — just ask. We cover all of Boca and most of southern Palm Beach.
Pediatric OT in Boca
For Autistic, ADHD, PDA, AuDHD, and otherwise neurodivergent kids and teens in Boca Raton schools — sensory processing, fine motor, handwriting, executive function, school readiness, emotional regulation. Familiar with Boca Raton High, Spanish River, Don Estridge, Verde, Calusa, Pine Crest, Saint Andrew's, and the local IEP/504 landscape.
Pediatric OT details →Adult OT in Boca
For Boca Raton adults navigating ADHD, autism, AuDHD, late diagnosis, burnout, sensory differences, or executive function challenges that don't respond to generic productivity advice. Practical systems for the actual life you're living.
Adult OT details →What Boca families typically come in for
The school pressure piece. Boca's K-12 schools — Pine Crest, Saint Andrew's, Boca Raton High, Spanish River, Don Estridge IB Middle, Calusa Elementary — are academically intense by design. Many neurodivergent kids hold it together at school and completely fall apart at home. We work with the kid, the parents, and (with consent) the school team to reduce the gap between what's expected and what your kid's nervous system can actually sustain.
The activity-load piece. Travel sports, music lessons, tutoring, religious school, Hebrew school, ballet, robotics — Boca kids' calendars are full. We help families figure out which activities are nourishing and which are draining the nervous system, and how to make that call without guilt.
The late-diagnosed adult piece. A growing number of Boca adults are getting autism, ADHD, or AuDHD diagnoses in midlife — often after their kid was diagnosed. We support the whole arc: identity integration, masking unmasking, sensory profile work, and the practical EF systems for work and family life. Read our late-diagnosis page →
The LGBTQ+ family piece. Boca Raton has a meaningful and growing population of two-mom, two-dad, and queer-led families. We are an explicitly affirming practice and have specific experience with the layered identity work that comes up for LGBTQ+ neurodivergent kids and adults — including the very real climate questions that South Florida families navigate right now.
Common questions from Boca Raton families
Do you actually come to homes in Boca Raton, or is this telehealth-only?
Both. In-home OT is genuinely in-home — we come to your house in East Boca, West Boca, or anywhere between, with sensory tools and equipment as needed. For families who prefer telehealth, or whose schedule works better that way, we also offer secure HIPAA-compliant video sessions throughout Florida. Many families do a mix.
How is this different from the pediatric OT clinics I've seen in Boca?
Two real differences. First, the model: we come to you, in your space, on your child's timeline — not a 45-minute clinic slot wedged between other patients. Second, the philosophy: many local pediatric clinics still use compliance-based approaches. We don't. No sticker charts as control, no planned ignoring, no forced eye contact, no exposure-based feeding work, no suppression of stimming. Our approach page goes into detail.
Do you take Aetna or BCBS?
We are in-network with Aetna in Florida right now. BlueCross BlueShield of Florida is coming soon. We also accept private pay, HSA/FSA, and provide superbills for out-of-network reimbursement (most PPO plans reimburse a meaningful portion). We verify benefits during your free consultation so there are no surprises.
My child is currently in ABA. Can we do OT alongside it?
Yes — many families add affirming OT alongside ABA, and over time some families transition fully to OT-based approaches. We're not here to tell you what to do with other services; we're here to provide what we do, the way we do it. If you have questions about how the two approaches differ in philosophy, we're happy to talk through that on the consultation call.
Will you collaborate with my child's school in Boca?
With your written consent, yes. We coordinate with teachers, school OTs, IEP and 504 teams, and other providers. We're familiar with the Palm Beach County Schools system as well as the major private schools (Pine Crest, Saint Andrew's, Boca Raton Christian, Donna Klein Jewish Academy, etc.).
I'm an adult who suspects I might be Autistic / ADHD / AuDHD. Can I work with you without a formal diagnosis?
Absolutely. Many of our adult clients are in some stage of self-identification — sometimes with one diagnosis already, sometimes with neither. We don't gatekeep on diagnostic status. If you'd like a formal evaluation at some point, we can refer to affirming evaluators in South Florida.
How do I book a free consultation?
Three options: visit the Get Started page, email stefanie@oceantidetherapy.com, or call (954) 418-2244. We respond within 24–48 hours, and the consultation itself is 30 minutes, free, no commitment.