Boston Ability Center

Boston Ability Center The Boston Ability Center The center offers physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy in a setting that is full of fun and adventure.

The Boston Ability Center is a state of the art pediatric wellness center that is dedicated to helping kids reach their highest level of function in every area of development. A variety of wellness classes are also offered: each one designed by specialists to help kids become confident and motivated in their path toward healthy, happy lives.

This month, we're featuring "The Whole-Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child's Developing Mind,...
09/08/2025

This month, we're featuring "The Whole-Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child's Developing Mind, Survive Everyday Parenting Struggles, and Help Your Family Thrive" by Daniel J. Siegel, M.D. and Tina Payne Bryson, Ph.D. This best-selling book is for anyone seeking to transform the difficult moments when you're simply trying to SURVIVE into opportunities for your children (and you!) to THRIVE.

🧠 Siegel writes that the brain performs at its best when its different parts work together in a coordinated and balanced way. An integrated brain results in improved decision-making, better control of body and emotions, fuller self-understanding, stronger relationships, and success in school.

🧠 Each chapter speaks to different components of the integration process, including integrating the left and right brain, integrating the upstairs and downstairs brain, integrating memory, integrating the many parts of self, and integrating self & other.

🧠 Some of our favorite key concepts include connect & redirect, name it to tame it, let the cloud of emotions roll by, and SIFT (Sensations, Images, Feelings, and Thoughts).

Check out this book in our Amazon Storefront: https://amzn.to/3CQnaFL

*As an Amazon Associate, the BAC may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.

🎮✨ Game on! ✨🎮 Video Game Night is BACK this fall! Neurodivergent tweens & teens are invited to join us at BAC Natick fo...
09/05/2025

🎮✨ Game on! ✨🎮

Video Game Night is BACK this fall! Neurodivergent tweens & teens are invited to join us at BAC Natick for an evening to play, connect, and just have fun together.

🕹 Nintendo Switch & Wii provided (bring your own games/devices if you’d like!)
📅 Friday, September 26
⏰ 6:00–7:30pm
💲 $25 per participant

Can't make it this time? Stay tuned for our October and November dates!

Click the link below to register:
https://www.bostonabilitycenter.com/community-game-day

09/03/2025

Heading into a new school year like... ✨💨🚀💫 At the BAC, we're here to help kids build strength, confidence, and all the skills they need to take on all the adventures ahead.

Ready to start the year strong? Call 781-239-0100 or email frontdesk@bostonabilitycenter.com TODAY! We're with you every step of the way.

🔴 Reminder: The Boston Ability Center will be closed today (Monday, September 1st) for Labor Day🟡 Wishing all of our fam...
09/01/2025

🔴 Reminder: The Boston Ability Center will be closed today (Monday, September 1st) for Labor Day
🟡 Wishing all of our families a safe and relaxing holiday!
🔵 We'll be back in action tomorrow (Tuesday, September 2nd)

As pediatric occupational therapists at the BAC, supporting emotional regulation is a key part of our work. We help kids...
08/29/2025

As pediatric occupational therapists at the BAC, supporting emotional regulation is a key part of our work. We help kids notice, name, and take care of their feelings in ways that feel safe and healthy for themselves and others.

We're always on the lookout for creative, accessible ways to make these big concepts click. Enter one of our fave summer treats...ICE CREAM 🍦

Feelings are like ice cream because...
🍦 They come in lots of flavors: Just like ice cream, feelings come in all kinds - some are sweet, some are a little sour, some are surprising (ever taken a bite of something and thought it would taste different?)

🍦 You can try to name them, even if it’s tricky: Some flavors are pretty straightforward; others, not so much (we're looking at you, moose tracks 👀) Feelings can be hard to pin down and describe. We get creative and try - together.

🍦 You can have more than one at a time: Like a chocolate & vanilla twist, you can feel happy AND nervous, or excited AND scared, or grateful AND sad.

🍦 Everyone has their favorites: People respond to situations differently - for example, what makes one person laugh might make someone else feel nervous - and that's okay!

🍦 They tend to melt if you ignore them: If you pretend your feelings aren’t there, they don’t just go away...they get messier 😬 Let's try to notice them before they make a big ole mess!

Alright, followers - we know you're creative! How are feelings like ice cream? Let us know in the comments below 👇 (and then go celebrate the end of August with a whole lotta 🍦🍦🍦🍦🍦🍦🍦🍦🍦 !!!)

08/27/2025

👃 Smell that? It’s time to talk about the olfactory system - aka the one responsible for how we experience smell!

Whether it’s the scent of cookies baking (yum), sunscreen on a summer day, or the dreaded mysterious smell emanating from your child's backpack, our brains are constantly taking in information through our noses.

The olfactory system helps us with everything from safety (what’s that burning smell?) to memory, mood, state of arousal, and even appetite.

Want to learn more about how smell impacts sensory processing and try some fun scent-based activities at home? Check out this week's video! 👇

Many kids put the rock climbing wall at the top of the list of their favorite BAC activities. Why is rock climbing so FU...
08/25/2025

Many kids put the rock climbing wall at the top of the list of their favorite BAC activities. Why is rock climbing so FUNctional?

Rock climbing helps children develop...

🔺 Strength: In the arms, legs, core - even the small muscles of the hands & fingers!
🔺 Coordination: Children coordinate their vision along with both sides of their body as they reach for holds with their hands & feet
🔺 Balance: and body-in-space awareness!
🔺 Motor planning & problem-solving: Kids use their bodies AND brains to analyze routes and find the best way to move up, down, and across
🔺 Physical & emotional regulation: Children practice pausing, breathing, and thinking ahead about their next step as they evaluate risks and make safe decisions while climbing. They work through many different feelings (like worry, frustration, excitement) while keeping their bodies under control.
🔺 Confidence: Successfully reaching new heights boosts self-esteem and encourages a sense of accomplishment.

Getting ready for a new school year often includes a trip to the store to stock up on the staples - freshly sharpened pe...
08/22/2025

Getting ready for a new school year often includes a trip to the store to stock up on the staples - freshly sharpened pencils, unbroken crayons, crisp new folders, a Lisa Frank Trapper Keeper (< those were the days! 😍). For many families, it also means thinking beyond the basics.

Our clinicians are often asked, "Are there any supplies I can get to help with things like regulation, handwriting, or social communication?" The answer: YES!

At the Boston Ability Center, we know that the right tools can make all the difference in helping kids feel confident, comfortable, and ready to learn, so we've created a back-to-school supply guide that goes beyond the standard list.

🔴 Check it out in today's blog post! 🔴
www.bostonabilitycenter.com/post/school-supplies-guide

If you're looking for personalized guidance on which specific tools are best for your child, the team at the Boston Ability Center is here to help. Our pediatric therapists love collaborating with kids, families, and classroom teams to make school feel like a place where kids can feel equipped and empowered. Contact us today!

Can your child unzip his lunchbox? Peel back her yogurt lid? Open a package of fruit snacks? Manage a water bottle or st...
08/18/2025

Can your child unzip his lunchbox? Peel back her yogurt lid? Open a package of fruit snacks? Manage a water bottle or stick a straw in a juice box?

These small motor skills can have a big impact on your child’s confidence, success, and overall independence at school - especially during busy snack and lunch times when adult help may be limited.

At the Boston Ability Center, our occupational therapists can help kids strengthen these self-care skills in fun, practical ways. Consistent practice at home is key, too!

This week, try playing "cafeteria" 🎒🥪🍎. Put a typical school lunch in your kids' lunchboxes, and then take a step back, watch, and wait 👀. You may be surprised by what you see! Brainstorm together about ways to make the whole process easier. This might look like putting some foods in Ziploc baggies, experimenting with different water bottles or food storage containers, adding a larger pull tab to the lunchbox's zipper...and lots of practice, practice, practice! 🔁✨

Who says you need to head outdoors to go camping ⛺ ? Set up a cozy fort right in your living room and turn it into a spe...
08/16/2025

Who says you need to head outdoors to go camping ⛺ ? Set up a cozy fort right in your living room and turn it into a speech & language adventure!

🔦 Tape speech sound cards / target words to the inside walls of the fort or around the house. Hand your child a flashlight and go on a nighttime hunt! Each time they spot a word, have them say it in a fun way (e.g. animal voice, whisper). Shoot for 10 times each to get some reps in, in a fun, low-pressure way.

🎒 Pack a “camp bag” with pretend food, binoculars, a flashlight, stuffed animals, etc. and encourage your child to describe each item as they unpack it. What is it? What do you do with it? Where would you use it?

🔥 Take turns telling a silly campfire story. Prompt your child to use sequencing words (first, then, next, last) and work on narrative skills. You can also take turns adding sentences to build a story together - spontaneous giggles are almost guaranteed!

👀 Play classic games like Peek-a-Boo & Hide-and-Seek using blankets to build joint attention, turn-taking, and early vocabulary (e.g. “Where’s bear?” “There he is!” “More peek-a-boo!”).

🐻 Pretend you’re making s’mores, catching lightning bugs, or looking out for bears! Use core vocabulary like “help,” “go,” “look,” “on,” “in,” or “stop."

Happy camping!

08/13/2025

🎉 Welcome to the BAC’s Sensory Systems Series! 🎉

First, we found out Pluto wasn't a planet. Then, we learned there are actually EIGHT SENSES. Childhood = ruined?!?!? (Just kidding. Science is cool and we love it.)

Join us as we dive into all things sensory, where we'll explore the eight (yes, eight!) sensory systems that help us move, learn, play, and connect: tactile, olfactory, gustatory, auditory, visual, interoceptive, proprioceptive, and vestibular.

Each post will include fun, practical ways for you and your child to engage those senses at home - whether you're jumping, spinning, snacking, or snuggling.

Everyone’s sensory system is unique, and we’re here to celebrate all the amazing ways kids experience and interact with their world. Let’s learn together!

First up, TACTILE ✋

Address

49 Walnut Park
Wellesley, MA
02481

Opening Hours

Monday 7am - 6:30pm
Tuesday 7am - 6:30pm
Wednesday 7am - 6:30pm
Thursday 7am - 6:30pm
Friday 7am - 5:30pm
Saturday 8am - 2:30pm

Telephone

+17812390100

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Boston Ability Center posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Practice

Send a message to Boston Ability Center:

Shortcuts

Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn
Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share via Email
Share on WhatsApp Share on Instagram Share on Telegram

Category

Who We Are

The Boston Ability Center is a state-of-the-art pediatric wellness center that is dedicated to helping kids reach their highest level of function in every area of development. The center offers physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy in a setting that is full of fun and adventure. A variety of wellness classes are also offered: each one designed by specialists to help kids become confident and motivated in their path toward healthy, happy lives.