Hearts and Hands Therapy Services, Inc. of New England

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Worcester, MA
Hearts and Hands Therapy Services, Inc. of New England

Hearts and Hands Therapy Services is a pediatric therapy clinic offering speech, occupational physical, and ABA therapy

04/23/2026

Ever wonder why your child crashes into the couch, jumps nonstop, or seems to use “too much force?”

This may be connected to the proprioceptive system, the body’s internal awareness system that helps us know where we are in space and how much pressure to use.

When this system needs support, children may seek big movement, heavy work, or deep pressure to help their bodies feel organized.

The good news?

�Occupational Therapy can help through fun, play-based activities that build body awareness, regulation, coordination and confidence.

If you’ve noticed these signs, we’d love to help support your child’s growth. 💙

Get started at the link below.

https://www.cognitoforms.com/HeartsAndHandsTherapyServicesInc/NewPatientRegistration

04/21/2026

What do speech therapists treat?

Spoken Language
⬇️
Understanding Language
⬇️
Articulation
⬇️
Social Language
⬇️�
Feeding and Swallowing
⬇️
Executive Functioning
⬇️
Auditory Processing
⬇️
Stuttering
⬇️
Voice

And so much more!

04/20/2026

What is ABA Therapy? 🤔

ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) is a scientific approach to understanding and improving behavior. It focuses on how behavior works, how behaviors are affected by the environment and how learning takes place.

At its core, ABA uses evidence-based strategies to:

Increase appropriate behaviors (like communication, social skills, daily living skills) and decrease behaviors that may interfere with learning or safety.

ABA is most associated with supporting individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder, but its principles are widely used in education, therapy and even workplace settings.��

Key ideas in ABA include: ⤵️

Reinforcement: Encouraging a behavior by following it with something meaningful (e.g., praise, a preferred item).

Prompting and fading: Helping someone learn a skill and gradually reducing assistance.

Data collection: Tracking progress to guide decisions.

Individualization: Tailoring strategies to each persons’ needs.

Example:
If a child learns to ask for a toy instead of crying, and they receive the toy when they ask appropriately, they’re more likely to use that communication again—that’s ABA in action.

Overall, ABA is about teaching meaningful skills and improving quality of life through structured, measurable, and individualized support.

If you’d like more information about ABA, please check out our website!

🔗 Link below.

https://www.heartsandhandstherapy.com

04/16/2026

“You don’t have to be therapist and parent.”

04/14/2026

Many parents wonder what happens during that very first therapy visit.

At Hearts and Hands, evaluations are warm, strengths-based, and play-centered so we can truly get to know your child as a whole person. 💙

Swipe through to see what to expect at your child’s OT, Speech, or PT evaluation.

04/13/2026

AAC Myths and Facts

Myth 1: Low Tech AAC must be introduced first
Fact: High Tech AAC can be introduced from day 1. There are no pre-requisites to learning high tech AAC.

Myth 2: If my child gets an AAC device, they will never speak.
Fact: Actually, research shows that the opposite it true! AAC helps to support communication and language development.

Myth 3: My child is too young for AAC.
Fact: AAC should be introduced as early as possible to enhance communication and language development.

Myth 4: My child speaks, so they don’t need an AAC device.
Fact: Many children who speak can benefit from AAC devices! SLP’s may recommend them to children who have low intelligibility or who only have a limited vocabulary. AAC is there to help your child communicate and take control of their language.

04/10/2026

Occupational therapy is about helping children become more independent in everyday life, and gain confidence in everyday tasks at home, school, and in the community. 
That may look like:
* getting dressed and managing fasteners
* brushing teeth
* packing a backpack
* helping with chores and responsibilities around the house
* following morning routines
* managing homework materials
* regulating their emotions and tolerating frustration
* Self-feeding and using utensils 
These daily tasks build confidence, responsibility, and life skills. 
Our OTs partner with families to create routines and strategies, and equip caregivers with tools and supports that work in real life, because independence doesn’t happen only in the clinic — it grows at home. This is where true carryover happens.

04/09/2026

Now enrolling: Immediate openings in our in-clinic ABA programs.

Here’s what sets our approach apart:

✨ Every plan is tailored to your child’s unique needs�
✨ Therapy is rooted in play, connection, and real-life learning
�✨ Modern, thoughtfully designed clinic spaces�
✨ A fully aligned team working together to support your child’s growth

We partner with families every step of the way—because progress isn’t one-size-fits-all.

We accept private insurance and MassHealth.

Ready to get started?

�📞 Call 844-543-8437 or visit the link below to schedule your child’s personalized assessment.

04/07/2026

Does your child struggle with brushing their hair, avoiding certain textures, or reacting strongly to loud noises?

These could be signs of sensory integration difficulties.

Sensory integration is the process by which our brains take in information from our senses, organize it and respond appropriately.

We see, hear, touch, taste, smell and move through the world without much difficulty. ��

But for children with sensory processing challenges, this process doesn’t work as smoothly.

Their brains may struggle to interpret and respond to sensory input correctly, making everyday activities more difficult.

Children with sensory integration difficulties may be over-responsive (hypersensitive) or under-responsive (hyposensitive) to sensory input.

This could look like…��

Over-Responsive:
�- Avoiding certain textures�
- Overreacting to sounds�
- Avoid movement activities
�- Dislikes being touched or groomed (for example, brushing hair or teeth cause extreme discomfort)��

Under-Responsive:
�- Seeks excessive movement�
- Uses too much force
�- Has difficulty recognizing the position of their body in space�
- Appears unaware of pain or temperature differences ��

Did you know we have a total of 7 sensory systems?

The final 2 are “hidden” senses that play a crucial role in processing sensory information.

�🤏🏽 Tactile (touch)�
🎧 Auditory (hearing)�
👀 Visual (sight)�
👅 Gustatory (taste)�
👃🏽 Olfactory (smell)�
🤸🏽‍♀️Vestibular (balance and movement)�
😰 Proprioceptive (body awareness and pressure)��

These two hidden senses play a major role in how children interact with their environment.

Difficulties in these areas can lead to challenges in motor skills, attention and self-regulation.

If you suspect your child has difficult pressing sensory input our Occupational Therapists are here to help!

Reach out to us today to set up an evaluation so that we can assess your child’s needs and provide strategies and support to help improve their sensory processing skills!

04/06/2026

🎯 There’s a reason therapy looks like play.�

Children don’t learn best through pressure—they learn through connection, movement, and engagement.

�Play allows therapists to
�• Meet children at their developmental level�
• Build trust and safety�
• Target goals in a natural, meaningful way�
• Keep children motivated and participating

�Behind every game, obstacle course, or activity is a clinical purpose.

Through play, we strategically work on strength and coordination, sensory regulation, communication and social skills, problem-solving and independence, executive functioning skills and more.

�👉 Because when therapy feels like play, progress doesn’t feel like work.

04/03/2026

April is Occupational Therapy appreciation month! In pediatrics, if you observe an OT session, it often looks like the child and clinician are “just playing.” However there is so much happening through the use of play! ✨

At HHTS, we believe in play being a major component of our sessions. Sessions are purposeful, evidence-informed, and designed around what motivates each child. Through play, our Occupational Therapists help children build:

⭐️ Fine motor skills
⭐️ Coordination and strength
⭐️ Sensory processing and regulation
⭐️ Independence in daily living skills (dressing, eating, etc).
⭐️ Emotional regulation
⭐️ Attention and focus
⭐️ Problem-solving
⭐️ Social engagement
⭐️ Confidence

Whether it’s climbing, building, pretending, creating, or moving, every activity has intention behind it.

Our OTs meet children where they are and use what excites them most to help them grow.

Because when therapy feels meaningful, progress happens!

04/02/2026

Immediate openings for our in-clinic ABA Programs.

What our ABA Programs offer:

💜 Individualized for each child
💜 Built on a positive, naturalistic and play-based approach
💜 State-of-the-art centers
💜 A dedicated, collaborative team of professionals working together to empower your child.

We accept private insurance as well as MassHealth.

�📞 Call to schedule your individualized assessment today!

844-543-8437 or fill out the form at the link below

https://www.cognitoforms.com/HeartsAndHandsTherapyServicesInc/NewPatientRegistration

Address

135 Gold Star Boulevard Suite 103
Worcester, MA
01606

Website

http://www.heartsandhandstherapy.com/

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