Family Stories

“Every parent dreams of their child’s future. As a parent I too had dreams. I have two beautiful and healthy sons. My oldest son was diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum a month before his 4th birthday. Among some of the things he could not do were climb a ladder to slide down a slide, dress himself, and eat with utensils. He was still in diapers and we wasn’t aware of himself or his surroundings. He also had many sensory issues. Then I found Smart Moves Pediatrics and Debbie. My son’s life changed. Through her hard work and dedication, my son can do all of those things and so much more. He is now ten and he loves to do many of the things that could not do due to motor planning and body strength. He dresses himself, swims, rides a bicycle with training wheels, play independently at the park, and he loves to go to gym class.

My youngest son at five was diagnosed with ADHD, and he too on the Autism Spectrum. He had anger management and impulse control issues and he also had many sensory issues. He was a sensory seeker. We feared that he would do harm to himself or someone else. School became unbearable for him. He started to see Lisette and now people can see what a wonderful kid he is. Lisette has taught his how to manage his impulses and she has given him strategies to help him control his anger. She has helped him to overcome many of his sensory issues.

My family has found a home with Smart Moves. They have changed my children’s life for the better. They have provided us with the tools that were needed for my entire family. This journey that they are with us on has been at times emotional, but in many ways more fulfilling than any other in my life. Although the dreams that I had for my children have changed, I see a bright and fulfilling future for them both. I am grateful to Smart Moves for everything that they have done not only for my children, but for my entire family.”

“My twin daughters, Lindsay and Hannah, who both have special needs, and I had the pleasure of first meeting and working with Debbie Haymon, Founder and Director of Smart Moves Pediatrics 17 years ago when Debbie was a fairly new OT working at another local clinic. Debbie worked with Hannah, age 2, when Hannah needed therapy to address her sensory issues, fine motor tasks, and executive functioning skills. We were very pleased and impressed with the strides that Hannah made during that time. Years later, I sought Debbie out and she began working with Lindsay, who has severe cerebral palsy, is non-verbal, has uncontrolled seizures and overall developmental delays. Debbie’s extensive knowledge of sensory integration and a variety of methods used to treat global developmental delays were unlike any other Occupational Therapist (OT) we had experienced. Not only that, but Debbie has a spirit of fun, great perception, develops wonderful relationships with her clients along with being a great resource for parents. These are all qualities that are prevalent within the clinic that Debbie Haymon developed. Smart Moves Pediatrics is a clinic I recommend frequently because of their location, knowledge and experience of the therapists and staff, affordability, while offering a wide variety of activities that kids and young adults enjoy and benefit from. Big fan of Smart Moves Pediatrics!”

“I wanted to share my experience as a mother of a 6 year old who began to receive occupational therapy back in Oct of 2015. I was having complaints about him being overly tired at school as well as with his behaviors. I didn’t feel like my child fit all the criteria for an ADHD diagnosis so when I heard about OT I immediately wanted him to get an evaluation. I want to share that this was the best thing I have done for my child. He has improved so much since he began OT once a week at Smart Moves Pediatrics. He looks forward to it every week and his teacher reports that his behaviors are so much better. He has also improved his ability to self regulate his emotions.

I would’ve never been able to identify that he needed services, although I did observe some odd behaviors from him. My child never had any developmental problems as an infant or toddler but when the teacher began to share her concerns, I really began to observe his behaviors at home.

Since my child began receiving services he has improved so much. His frustrations with writing have decreased and his handwriting has improved. He is also now able to sit up during circle time at school for longer periods. His behavior at school has improved so much and he really has bonded with his OT therapist.”

“We have had the pleasure of receiving OT services at Smart Moves Pediatrics for over a year now, and I must say it has been more of a blessing. My daughters have both made significant improvements, and they both adore their therapists. Both Marlen and Lizette treat my daughters with care and always take the time to listen to my concerns. We have also worked with Debbie, who is just as amazing as both a therapist and a person. Thank you so much Smart Moves!”

“Smart moves is a clean and fun place for kids. They tailor their program to meet the needs of the child. Miss Lizette is very nice, caring, and welcoming. She has lots of patience and is great at meeting my son’s sensory needs. My son looks forward to coming every week.”

“We are a family who is so fortunate to have had Debbie Haymon in our lives over the past 5 years. She began working with our son just as he was transitioning out of EI. We knew that there was still a great deal of work ahead and she helped to ease that transition for us. The combination of her experience and gentle loving manner was instantly the combination that helped to build rapport not only with our son but with us as parents.

We followed Debbie when she said she was opening her own clinic. We were excited to see her follow her dreams and her clinic reflected how important it was for her to have all the necessary equipment, space and multisensory games to address the varying needs of all the children she would work with. Debbie was a critical member of a larger therapy team for our son. Debbie not only tailored each OT session to address what body issues were going on that day, but she also was able to keep in mind larger goals and worked collaboratively with other disciplines.

We called upon Debbie in a variety of ways. She was a strong voice in IEP meetings if needed, she led sessions at preschool if needed, and she worked with our younger son as it became obvious that he too needed some assistance. She has worked with each of our sons individually as well as together. Most importantly she is not afraid of trying new ideas and she always has time to listen to family concerns. We don’t know where we would be without Debbie. She is a very gifted therapist, a wonderfully kind person and a very hard worker. We would recommend her without hesitation to any family. She is exceptional.”

“These comments are from both of us. We the grandparents babysit our two granddaughters, now ages six and three, each Monday, and so we have brought them often to Smart Moves Pediatrics for Occupational therapy. We have observed their O.T. exercises and activities and have met with the therapists.

We are both former school social workers who worked extensively with elementary school children, Special Education teams, and related specialists. We’ve never seen better services than those provided to our granddaughters at Smart Moves Pediatrics. The girls love to come to O.T. and are eager to engage in even difficult exercises and activities. We have been greatly impressed at the superb skills shown by the therapists in bonding with the girls, using innovative and enjoyable activities and strategies, encouraging and motivating the girls, and providing specific but varied tasks each session. The therapists also describe both broad and specific goals for each child based upon their needs.

Our granddaughters not only greatly enjoy their sessions, they have made real progress and growth that we can see in self confidence, core strength, and related physical and social skills. As grandparents and professionals, we could not be more impressed or pleased by the OT services our granddaughters have received.”