Hi, I’m Whitney.

I work with young children and their families in North County San Diego to navigate developmental, social, emotional and motor challenges. 

I have advanced training in:

  • Sensory Processing

  • Reflex Integration and Praxis

  • Nervous System Regulation

  • Toileting Delays

  • Situational Mutism

My Approach

I approach treatment from a foundational understanding of the nervous system and functional development. I prioritize connection-based therapy, rooted in educating children and families about body function. I utilize a neurodiversity-affirming approach and prioritize relationships, play, and education to empower children and their families.

I am deeply committed to collaborating with children, teachers, and parents. My practice model of working with children at their schools and in the community is the best way for me to ensure consistent and meaningful collaboration.

  • Nearly 10 Years as a Pediatric Therapist

    Working in schools, clinics, virtual and outpatient settings.

    STAR Advanced Level 1 Mentorship

    The Learn Play Thrive Approach to Autism

    Kids Bowel & Bladder Advanced Coursework

    The Spiral Foundation Praxis Coursework

    Trauma Informed Coursework

    Selective Mutism Association Member

    Reflex Integration Certified

  • Offerings

    Caregiver consultations (Behaviors, toileting, feeding, supporting regulation)

    Direct services for children

    Small group work

    Class-wide and individual screenings

    Comprehensive evaluations

    Inservices for parents, teachers, and therapists

  • Committed to Neurodiversity Affirming Practices

    While many pediatric therapists utilize behavioral techniques (e.g. reward charts) as a means of shaping behavior, I instead focus on underlying skill development and connection-building that celebrates and respects each child’s unique interests and desires.

Areas of Specialty

Nervous System Support.

Reflex integration and sensory processing techniques are paired with an original curriculum that teaches kids about their nervous systems, providing practical knowledge for interpreting and responding to internal body signals. I’ve successfully used this curriculum with children from 4-17 yrs old and is relevant for Anxiety, ADHD, Emotional Dysregulation, Autism, Sensory Processing Differences and Neurotypical Development.

Toileting Difficulties.

I work with the families of neurotypical and neurodivergent children to manage toileting struggles, including:

  • Anxiety and Avoidance

  • Incontinence and Encopresis

  • Constipation and Withholding

Support can include direct work with a child and/or parent coaching. I do not use a behavioral rewards-based approach, instead focusing on foundational skills and regulation.

Motor Skills.

My background of education in Reflex Integration, Praxis Development, and Visual Efficiency enables me to support functional movement for gross and fine motor skills. This includes handwriting, self-care tasks like dressing and feeding, safe mobility, timing and coordination, and body awareness.

Situational Mutism (SM).

Situational or Selective Mutism is an anxiety disorder wherein a speaking person cannot speak in certain social environments.

Early intervention has huge implications for helping children to speak more comfortable in school and community settings. I work with your child at school to support felt safety and confidence where they are most impacted.

Peer Groups.

Therapeutic groups are ideal for kids whose challenges are more apparent in peer-based interactions. Kids work collaboratively to build social confidence, awareness, and emotional literacy skills.

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What Clients are Saying

  • "Whitney is an amazing resource for families and we truly adored working with her! Our two children were able to work with her on-site at their preschool and her astute observations allowed us to learn more about our children and effective ways to support them. Whitney is extremely patient, insightful, and engaging. In addition to her in-school services, we found our Zoom meetings with her extremely beneficial in helping us learn and implement strategies to support the great work she was doing with our children at school. It was a gift for our children to work with Whitney and receive additional support so they could thrive. The logistics of the in-school model were seamless and our children always looked forward to working with Whitney. We cannot recommend her occupational therapy services enough!"

    -Caroline P.

  • "I cannot say enough good things about the many ways Whitney Baird helped my child and our family over the last 2.5 years. We knew our daughter was quiet around strangers but did not have a diagnosis. After taking her to speech therapy for a year with little to no improvement we were lucky to work with Whitney, who evaluated her and determined she was dealing with situational mutism. Whitney made a significant impact on my child's communication skills and overall confidence, helping her move from complete silence and fear to more frequent talking with children and adults. We are now confident that she can thrive in a conventional school setting. Situational mutism can be a challenging issue, and it’s clear that Whitney's expertise and support not only helped our child but also provided us with valuable strategies and reassurance as a parent. The collaboration between professionals, parents, and educators is so important, and Whitney played a key role in creating that support network."

    - Katy C.

  • “Whitney worked with our child at preschool for two years. From the start, she was able to provide us with support we didn’t even know was possible. We were in the process of getting an Autism diagnosis, but more importantly, in the throes of adjusting to a new school environment. Whitney formed a strong connection with our child, and was able to break down areas of challenge into smaller achievable skills. A huge part of this for us was seeing the potty training journey as one of independence building; Whitney helped our child gain independence in dressing skills and bodily awareness. Whitney was also a great resource for our preschool teachers, who were able to take her advice on classroom and social challenges, and use customized visual aids that she created to help with routines. Above all, throughout our time with Whitney, she brought joy and celebration of our child’s uniqueness and growth, and was someone we could trust to be a partner in our child’s development.”

    - Leah K.

  • “Whitney started working with our son, diagnosed with global apraxia, when he was three years old and saw him twice weekly for seven years until she moved away. I feel strongly that one of the main reasons our son is thriving today is due not only to Whitney's masterful skills as an occupational therapist, but also because of the incredible relationship and trust she built with him. Long before our son could verbally communicate, Whitney got to know him, learned his strengths, and helped increase his confidence and belief in himself. Whitney is thoughtful, professional, patient, flexible, fun, and an incredible communicator. Most of all, Whitney has a gift for connecting with children; she will forever be a part of our family, and one of my son's favorite people. Working with Whitney changed the course of my son's life, and I cannot recommend her highly enough.”

    - Rebecca G.

  • "Whitney is an incredibly insightful, impactful professional who has worked with both our children over the past 8 years on issues ranging from self-regulation to self-awareness and social-emotional literacy skills. She has helped us, as parents, understand the changing challenges our children have faced over time, providing us with concrete strategies for how to approach them. Whitney is an excellent communicator, sending frequent, detailed, and extremely helpful email updates in which she shares the approach she is taking in sessions, along with strategies and resources for us. Our children have always loved going to see Whitney at every age, where they play new fun and interesting games carefully designed to help them learn and grow. They trust her and open up to her in ways they do not with anyone else. By working with Whitney, our children have learned so much about themselves, their peers, and how to be successful in their environment."

    - Alison B.

  • "We had the pleasure of working with Whitney for almost eight years at the Phoebe Hearst Preschool in San Francisco. During that time, Whitney worked with many children with a wide range of developmental needs. What we loved most about her approach was the way that she individualized therapy for each child. So much thought and planning went into her sessions. The children gained the skills they needed in a calm, focused, yet playful way. We also had the opportunity to collaborate with Whitney on professional development for staff. This was a way to educate us about the work Whitney did and a way to keep all of us informed about different ways of looking at and supporting optimal early childhood development. We look forward to continuing our professional development with Whitney as we feel she still has so much to teach us."

    - Irene Byrne, Executive Director at Phoebe Hearst Preschool, SF, CA

  • "Whitney helped me and my 5 year old through a tough potty training. My son has mild autism, and it took him a full year of working on both #1 and #2 for him to be fully potty trained. Whitney met us with such compassion and understanding, helping me to not feel so alone. She gave me solid advice to follow to give [my son] the underlying skills required for potty training success versus a reward system. When I was struggling because the school district and my son’s care program wanted to use a different approach, Whitney was very flexible and still continued to support me and give me advice. She is upbeat, kind, and has a wide array of skills. I recommend her wholeheartedly."

    - Christa H.

  • "Whitney was such an amazing resource for both our daughter and us. [Our daughter] started seeing Whitney when she was 4 for speech and occupational (fine motor skills) therapy. Whitney immediately built trust with her and created a safe environment for [our daughter] to learn. As she mastered speech and occupational milestones, she was diagnosed with ADHD, where she continued to work with Whitney weekly on understanding and navigating how her brain works. Whitney's frameworks have helped [our daughter] with transitions, recognize and manage her ADHD in certain environments, and communicate better with us and her friends. We can't say enough about Whitney's positive impact on our daughter!”

    - Amanda C.

  • "Whitney possesses exceptional clinical reasoning skills, a remarkable ability to collaborate with like-minded professionals, and a unique talent for connecting with children. Her clinical rationale is impressive, and she consistently demonstrates a deep understanding of family systems and how to support each child best. When working with her, I have witnessed her ability to foster strong collaborative relationships with parents. Her dedication to providing the best possible care for children is inspiring. Her continued contributions to pediatrics will positively impact the lives of many children and families."

    -Gabrielle Perelmuter, Occupational Therapist and Clinic Owner

Practices & Policies

Let’s see if we’re a good fit.