New pediatric therapy practice fills a critical gap

TidalHealth’s therapy services help kids grow, learn and thrive 

TidalHealth has expanded its commitment to pediatric care with the introduction of TidalHealth Pediatric Development & Therapy, a state-of-the-art interdisciplinary therapy practice located in Millsboro, Del.  

The new location specializes in helping children build essential life skills through therapeutic services designed for those with autism spectrum disorder, sensory processing challenges, ADHD, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, and other developmental and language impairments. 

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy is now available. This evidence-based, one-on-one teaching method focuses on reinforcing desired behaviors while building communication, social, and daily living skills in children ages 2 to 12 with autism spectrum disorder. 

Through ABA therapy, the team focuses on providing individualized therapy for each client. This means targeted goals are selected after an assessment is completed and family priorities are discussed.  

“Being in a clinic setting surrounded by experts from other fields allows us to collaborate and treat the whole child,” said Alexis Laws, M.S., BCBA, LBA. “We are able to work together as a team and bring in different perspectives to make the biggest impact.” 

Additional services coming soon

Occupational and speech therapy services are coming soon, rounding out the clinic’s holistic approach to child development.  

Occupational therapy will help children improve fine motor skills, sensory processing, self-care routines, and play-based learning. 

Speech therapy will support children with speech, language, communication, and feeding challenges, using individualized treatment plans to encourage expressive and receptive language development. 

“We are so passionate about what we do and how we work with each other as professionals in a truly integrated way to strengthen each child’s therapy program,” said Gillian Sharp, M.S., OTR/L. “There is a huge need in this area for a sensory clinic and outpatient services in general. We are so excited to be bringing this to the area and really looking forward to children growing in our amazing space.” 

TidalHealth Pediatric Development & Therapy is designed with purposeful play and an engaging environment to help children feel comfortable and confident as they learn and grow. 

Easy referral process

Families can begin the care journey with a physician referral or by self-referring through an easy online form. The clinic also assists with insurance verification and pre-authorization to simplify access to care. 

"We understand how challenging it is to be a parent, particularly a parent of a child with developmental differences, so we do everything that we can on our end to make the enrollment process easy for our families,” Sharp said. “We will communicate with your primary care provider, specialists, and insurance companies so that you don’t have to. We are committed to care for you well, from the very beginning of your therapy journey, and all the way through to the happy day of your child graduating from services.”