Occupational therapy helps autistic children navigate sensory experiences, build motor and daily-living skills, and participate more comfortably in everyday life. This guide covers how to access it in the Des Moines metro.
Serves infants through age 21 out of Des Moines (644 24th St) and Johnston, with sensory gyms and specialty tracks including DIRFloortime, Therapeutic Listening, SOS feeding therapy, and reflex integration intensives. Referrals go through a medical social worker who helps sort funding first — ask which location has the shorter wait.
Visit siteClinic at 1200 Pleasant Street with OT staff trained in sensory integration, sensory-based behavior management, feeding therapy, and Therapeutic Listening. Be aware they use an episodic model — roughly 12-week blocks with planned breaks — and after evaluation your child goes on a waitlist until a slot matching your availability opens.
Visit siteOffers occupational therapy alongside ABA and speech at its Office Plaza Drive location, with a dedicated OT supervisor and separate authorization coordinator for OT and speech. Useful if you want OT and ABA under one roof, but the intake form feeds a waitlist and Axis says it cannot always estimate wait times.
Visit siteSmall clinic on Westown Pkwy in West Des Moines, offering pediatric OT covering sensory processing, coordination, social skills, and feeding. Being a small practice cuts both ways — ask about caseload size and how many OTs are actually on staff.
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