Power of Play

Local therapist opens OT Park for young patients

Pediatric Occupational Therapist Dr. Hiral Khatri has a passion for helping children of all ages and abilities thrive and become independent in their daily school, social and home lives. This passion, along with her extensive education and experience, led her to open OT Park in Morgan Hill.

The space—which resembles an indoor jungle gym and playground—caters to children with autism and special needs, who are challenged in their sensory processing and sensory modulation abilities, Khatri explained during a recent interview at OT Park.

Khatri and her husband, Munjal Shah, called in specialist carpenters from New Jersey and Oregon to install swing sets, tunnels, trampolines, bouncy balls, monkey bars and other equipment designed to help children practice their muscle development and coordination.

Many of Khatri’s young clients struggle with daily activities such as handwriting, drawing and playing. These struggles can be largely overcome with individualized therapy regimens, Khatri said.

“We use activities that are age appropriate, developmentally correct and help them do what they want to do,” Khatri said. “We help kids thrive in their daily activities such as brushing teeth or writing, playing or art skills. We give them emotional support—all that is needed for regular and next-to-normal development.”

Khatri and her staff work closely with patients’ parents to help determine what their child’s goals are and establish a course of treatment to reach those goals.

Khatri and Shah, who have a 4-year-old daughter, have lived in Morgan Hill for about five years. Having worked in the field of pediatric occupational therapy in India and the Bay Area for 13 years, Khatri has seen a broad and growing need for such services in the region.

Since the pandemic started, Khatri has been conducting telehealth sessions with her clients, and has found that families will travel from San Francisco and southern California for therapy at OT Park. Morgan Hill is particularly well positioned geographically