Aaron is an occupational therapist with KidsClinic, Kindering’s private therapy program for children ages 3 through 10. Occupational therapy (OT) helps people of all ages participate in the things they want and need to do through the therapeutic use of everyday activities (occupations). Aaron joined Kindering in April 2016, and works with kiddos at our Bellevue and Bothell sites.

Aaron moved to Washington from San Diego to study production animation for video games and movies, but after volunteering in hospice care he made a big career change to OT. He did fieldwork at Kindering and stuck around to volunteer in a Stepping Stones classroom, and the rest is history! In his spare time, he enjoys reading, watching movies, and playing board games with friends. He’s also practiced martial arts for over 15 years and taught for four years prior to becoming an OT.

What’s your favorite part about occupational therapy?

I love the ability to focus on the meaningful activities that are important for each child and their family. The variety and spontaneity of occupational therapy is incredible. In one day I may teach a child to tie their shoes, teach a family to understand and manage their child’s sensory needs, and teach a child how to be appropriately assertive with friends.

It feels great to be able to empower kids and their families. If an activity is meaningful to a child or their family, we can generally work on it in OT.

What’s your favorite part about working at Kindering?

Most of my kiddos are working on social-emotional skills. My favorite part of the job is when kids can participate in an activity they initially thought was impossible. Seeing them change their words or body language from “it’s too hard” to “I did it!” is amazing. It also feels incredibly rewarding when parents and kids learn to efficiently communicate their needs so everyone feels valued.

On a personal note, I love working on self-regulation with kids, as it helps me remember to stay calm during everyday challenges. Just before writing this, I dropped my lunch of curry and rice on the ground and told myself – “it’s a small problem” and laughed it off. Although I love helping families, they honestly help me become a better person as well.