We are a friendly and reliable local children’s and adults occupational therapy service offering a bespoke and personalised approach within and around Leeds.
We are non-judgemental, flexible and transparent.
16/04/2026
"They are 7 years old, why are they still eating with their hands?"
If every mealtime ends with you nagging them to use their knife and fork, stop for a second. It is rarely laziness.
Using cutlery requires complex Motor Planning. Their brain has to tell their hands how to grip, push, and cut simultaneously. If their coordination is struggling, dropping the fork and using their hands is just survival mode, so they can actually eat.
Stop the nagging. Let's build the motor skills instead. 🍴
16/04/2026
This is us using the bolster swing to develop several sensory–motor functions:
1. Vestibular system processing
The swinging movement stimulates the vestibular receptors in the inner ear.
Helps with:
-Balance
-Head position awareness
-Postural responses
-Tolerance to movement
2. Postural control
Prone positioning activates neck, trunk, and extensor muscles.
Improves:
-Antigravity extension
-Postural security
3. Proprioception
Weight-bearing through arms on the swing provides joint and muscle feedback.
Helps body awareness and grading of movement.
4. Upper-limb strength and stability
Shoulders and arms work to hold the body up or reach for objects while swinging 💪
-Supports shoulder girdle stability.
5. Bilateral integration
When the child reaches with both hands or alternates arms, it helps coordination of both sides of the body.
This aids with handwriting, drawing, play, dressing, table top activities.
16/04/2026
Of course l was going to have a go on THE gauntlet!!
Would you be up for it??
14/04/2026
Expansion and Collaboration – In September, we expanded into the adjacent office, enabling us to create a dedicated, smaller sensory gym to support assessments and one-to-one sessions. We also now have a much larger office which is working really well with the mix of therapists we are collaborating with.
This development was carried out collaboratively with (SLT). Joint assessments involving Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) and Occupational Therapy (OT) have proven highly effective. We have refined both our assessment processes and intervention offer to ensure a holistic, evidenced based well-rounded approach. This extends beyond studio-based intervention to include a broader provision, such as school training and parent coaching, ensuring comprehensive and meaningful support.
Here is us on a very dark Saturday afternoon in December setting up the foundations of the space...It didn't take much pursuasion to get the girls involved! If you are looking for a smaller space for ASI this space works really well with pre 5's / late teens and adults whom may be overwhelmed by the larger gym.
Also credit is due to . Thank you for loaning us some equipment whilst we get going!
P.S I'd watch on slow this video is quite sensory overwhelming!
13/04/2026
Could YOU take on THE Gauntlet????
10/04/2026
Weekend looming and dreading the sensory overload of soft play?
📍 Golden Acre Park, Leeds
It's our top OT pick for a "Low Demand" day out. Flat, predictable paths. Feeding the ducks is brilliant for visual tracking, and there’s plenty of open space when things get too much.
Where is your go-to quiet escape in West Yorkshire? 🦆👇
08/04/2026
Stop guessing.
If every morning is a battle over socks, or every meal ends in tears, you don't need more generic parenting advice from the internet. You need data.
A Sensory Profile Assessment tells you exactly what your child's nervous system is craving, and what it's rejecting. We create a sensory passport which puts all this information onto a handy one-page document (along with a more detailed summary report).
We have a few assessments for April and May. Secure yours by dropping us a DM.
05/04/2026
"They're just clumsy. Always tripping over their own feet."
Usually, it’s not clumsiness. It’s Dyspraxia (Developmental Coordination Disorder).
Imagine your brain constantly having a poor WiFi connection to your muscles. You know what you want your body to do, but the signal drops. Tripping, dropping things, and bumping into doorframes aren't a lack of trying; they are exhausting.
If your child comes home covered in unexplained bruises or messy clothes, they need support, not to be told to "watch where you're going."
–ENDS–
03/04/2026
Looking for a free Easter activity in Leeds that actually tires them out?
📍 Temple Newsam Estate (Free Grounds)
We love an Easter Egg Hunt because it is the ultimate OT exercise in disguise: Visual Scanning.
Searching for hidden items in a busy woodland forces the brain to filter out background distractions and focus on a specific target. It’s the same skill they need to find their shoes in a messy bedroom or read a sentence on a whiteboard.
Go tire them out. 🐰👇
📸 Gary Butterfield
26/03/2026
🐣 TIRE THE KIDS OUT THIS EASTER! 💦
Need a solid plan for the Easter holidays? 🐰 Secure your own private swimming pool and let the little ones burn off that chocolate! 🍫
📩 DM us to lock in your splash time! First come, first served. 🏊♂️✨
02/03/2026
25/02/2026
Tooth brushing is one of the hardest daily tasks for autistic children. And it makes complete sense why.
Think about what's involved: someone approaching your face, buzzing sensations, strong mint taste, foamy texture, bright lights. For a sensory-different child, that can be overwhelming.
OT tips that can help
🪥 Let them choose their toothbrush
🦷 Try unflavoured or fruit toothpaste
⏱️ Use a visual timer so they know when it ends
📍 Try different positions (floor, lying down, in front of the TV)
🎵 Same song, same order, every time
📲 Brilliant FREE resource just launched by University of Leeds: autismtoothcare.com - videos and practical advice specifically for autistic children's dental health.
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Contact The Practice
Send a message to Butterflies Holistic Occupational Therapy:
We are about making positive change happen. We do this by being holistic and bespoke.
Butterflies explores and assess’s, plans bespoke solutions, engage’s and implements therapy and evaluates intervention and progress.
We offer services to support children who may be having difficulties with everyday activities which is having a negative impact on their lives. These include, dressing, toileting, feeding, emotional regulation, handwriting, fine motor. We provide assessment, goal setting and therapy.
We can complete specific assessments to support your children with gaining learning access arrangements at school such as use of a laptop and/or extra time in exams if relevant and required. These assessments are linked to handwriting, motor function impairment and any sensory needs.
We provide specific assessment / interventions using;
Movement, analysis, education strategies (MAES) therapy which is a pioneering approach to treating children with movement and sensory disorders such as cerebral palsy and autism. It aims to modify the environment and focus on developing and building the skills a child needs to achieve better functional out comes.
The S.O.S approach to feeding. This approach focuses on increasing a child’s comfort level by exploring and leaning about different properties of food. It allows a child to interact with food in a playful, non-stressful way.
The Paws b. mindfulness course which is taught to primary aged children.
If you have concerns and are unsure if your child needs therapy please feel free to contact us and we can discuss these concerns. If you do not want to wait for NHS assessment / intervention we are able to provide a faster and personalised service to meet your child’s needs.
