Collaborative Care for Children and Families
Nurtured Pediatrics is a specialized pediatric occupational therapy and feeding therapy practice serving families across the Denver Metro area, Fort Collins, and Northern Colorado. We are not a generalist practice. Our therapists hold advanced degrees and specialty certifications, and our clinical work is grounded in evidence-based frameworks with a family-centered approach at the core. We provide Empowered Care, Everywhere - with services available in-home, in-clinic, or virtually.
We welcome referrals from pediatricians, neonatologists, gastroenterologists, surgeons, IBCLCs, speech language pathologists, early intervention coordinators, and any provider working with children and families who need skilled occupational or feeding therapy support.
Clinic Specialties
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Feeding & Swallowing
We provide comprehensive evaluation and treatment of pediatric feeding and swallowing disorders across the full developmental spectrum — from breastfeeding difficulties in the newborn period through complex oral aversion, texture-based feeding dysfunction, and tube weaning in older children. Our therapists draw on the SOS Approach to Feeding as a clinical framework alongside broader oral motor assessment and intervention including Beckman Oral Motor techniques. We are not a rigid SOS clinic — our goal is always functional progress.
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Infant & Early Childhood Development
We specialize in evaluation and treatment of developmental concerns from the newborn period through early childhood, including NICU follow-up, early motor development, and caregiver coaching to support developmental progression within natural environments and daily routines.
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Reflex Integration
Retained primitive reflexes can significantly impact postural control, attention, fine motor development, and overall developmental function. Our therapists are trained in reflex integration techniques and incorporate this work into individualized treatment planning where clinically indicated.
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Occupational Therapy
We provide skilled occupational therapy targeting fine and gross motor development, self-care and daily living skills, handwriting and visual motor integration, emotional regulation, and functional participation in home and community routines.
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Complex Medical Populations
Our team has clinical backgrounds in acute care, NICU, inpatient pediatric hospital settings, and home health. We are equipped to support children with medically complex presentations and collaborate closely with multidisciplinary teams to ensure coordinated, safe care.
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Manual Therapy
Our team includes therapists trained in Craniosacral Fascial Therapy, a gentle manual approach that addresses restrictions in the craniosacral fascial system and supports regulation, feeding, and motor development.
CONDITIONS WE SUPPORT
Our team has clinical experience across a broad range of pediatric diagnoses and presentations. We accept referrals for children with and without a formal diagnosis.
Breastfeeding difficulties and oral motor dysfunction in the neonatal period
Pediatric dysphagia and oropharyngeal feeding disorders
Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID)
Texture and oral sensory-based feeding dysfunction
G-tube dependence, enteral feeding transition, and oral aversion
Failure to thrive secondary to feeding dysfunction
Cerebral palsy and upper motor neuron dysfunction
Acquired brain injury and neurological rehabilitation
Retained primitive reflexes impacting motor and developmental function
Hypotonia and hypertonia
Developmental coordination disorder
Prematurity and NICU graduate follow-up
Neonatal abstinence syndrome
Positional plagiocephaly
Early feeding and oral motor dysfunction
Infant regulation and state organization
Genetic and chromosomal conditions
Congenital heart disease and cardiorespiratory conditions affecting feeding and endurance
Esophageal atresia and tracheoesophageal fistula repair
Short bowel syndrome and GI dysmotility
Post-surgical rehabilitation
Medically complex and technology-dependent children
Fine and gross motor delays
Handwriting and visual motor integration deficits
Activities of daily living and self-care dysfunction
Emotional regulation and executive function
CERTIFICATIONS & TRAININGS
Our clinical team holds advanced degrees and specialty training including:
SOS Approach to Feeding
Beckman Oral Motor Protocol
Craniosacral Fascial Therapy
Reflex Integration
Trauma-Informed Care
Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC)
NICU and acute care clinical experience
Kind words from our clients
Let’s Get Started
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01. Submit a Referral
You can send a referral directly to our office or direct your patient's family to request an appointment through our website. A physician referral is not required in most cases, though it is appreciated and supports insurance authorization when applicable.
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02. We Contact the Family
Our office manager will reach out to the family within 2 to 3 business days, verify insurance benefits, and gather clinical background information to support therapist matching.
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03. Therapist Matching
We match each child with the therapist who has the right clinical skill set to meet their needs, who is first available in the family's preferred treatment location. We do not assign by availability alone — the right fit matters.
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04. Evaluation & Care Plan
The initial evaluation is 75 minutes. Following the evaluation, the treating therapist develops an individualized care plan and communicates findings with your office with appropriate consent. Families leave the first session with strategies in hand — we do not believe in making them wait for the help.
FAQs
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Q: What types of providers do you accept referrals from?
A: We welcome referrals from any provider working with children and families — pediatricians, neonatologists, gastroenterologists, surgeons, IBCLCs, speech language pathologists, early intervention coordinators, and others. If you are unsure whether a referral is appropriate, reach out and we will talk it through with you.
Q: Do families need a physician referral to begin services?
A: In most cases, no. Families can self-refer through our website. A physician referral is appreciated and can support insurance authorization, particularly for families with Medicaid or Kaiser coverage.
Q: How quickly can you see a new patient?
A: Our office manager contacts families within 2 to 3 business days of a referral or request. Wait time from that point depends on therapist availability and the family's scheduling flexibility. We currently have a waitlist of approximately 50 families. We do not maintain a chronological waitlist — priority is given based on clinical need, therapist skill match, and location availability.
Q: Will you communicate with our office about the patient's progress?
A: Yes. We welcome ongoing communication with referring providers and are happy to share progress updates, evaluation findings, and plan of care information with appropriate consent and family authorization. Our goal is to function as a seamless extension of your care team.
Q: What settings do you provide therapy in?
A: We provide therapy in the home, community, and via telehealth. We believe therapy is most effective when it happens in the environment where the child actually lives and functions. Treatment location is matched to the clinical and practical needs of each family.
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Q: What feeding framework do you use?
A: Our therapists draw on the SOS Approach to Feeding as a clinical framework, alongside Beckman Oral Motor techniques and broader evidence-based feeding intervention. We are not a rigid SOS clinic — we use it as guidance rather than a scripted protocol. Our goal is always functional progress, meaning the child actually eats the foods, not just tolerates proximity to them.
Q: Do you work with tube-fed children and families pursuing oral feeding transition?
A: Yes. We have significant clinical experience supporting children and families through tube feeding, oral aversion, and the gradual transition toward oral eating. This includes oral motor development, building tolerance for oral stimulation, sensory-based food introduction, and coordinating reduction of tube feeds alongside the medical team. We take tube weaning seriously and do not rush it. Close collaboration with gastroenterology, nutrition, and the child's broader medical team is standard in our approach.
Q: Do you work with breastfeeding families?
A: Yes. We have Certified Lactation Counselors on staff and work with infants and caregivers on breastfeeding difficulties including latch challenges, oral motor dysfunction, and feeding efficiency in the neonatal and infant period.
Q: Do you see children with ARFID?
A: Yes. We have clinical experience with Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder and approach it through an individualized, sensory-informed, and trauma-aware lens. We do not use exposure-based approaches that are punitive or distressing to the child.
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Q: What insurance do you accept?
A: We are currently in-network with Medicaid and Kaiser. We are out of network with United, BCBS, Cigna, and Anthem, and are not pursuing new credentialing at this time. Families with out-of-network plans may have out-of-network benefits that offset costs, and we offer self-pay options as well.
Q: How much do services cost?
A: Because we accept insurance, we are legally required to charge the same rate to self-pay families as we do to insurance companies. Families can contact us directly for a Good Faith Estimate based on their specific funding source. Co-pays, co-insurance, or estimated self-pay amounts are collected at the time of service.
Q: Do you offer payment plans for families?
A: We understand therapy is a significant investment for families. Please encourage families to contact our office directly to discuss what options may be available.
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Q: Are you contracted Early Intervention providers?
A: Yes. Our therapists are contracted providers with several Colorado Early Intervention programs including Bluesky Enterprises, Rocky Mountain Human Services, The Resource Exchange, Developmental Disability Resource Center, Developmental Pathways, and North Metro — with a specific focus on families in Fort Collins and Northern Colorado through our Fort Collins-based therapist.
Q: Can you see my patient through their IFSP?
A: At this time we are only accepting consult cases through EI-supported IFSP services, meaning up to five sessions. If your patient needs more comprehensive or ongoing support, we encourage you to refer them directly to our practice outside of the EI structure. We can often provide more thorough, skilled, and timely care than the EI program timeline allows, and we are happy to work collaboratively alongside any EI providers already on the child's plan.