Sensory Integration Therapy in Westlake Village
Help for children who find everyday sounds, textures, and movement too much, or not enough, from a licensed occupational therapist.
During business hours, we return calls within an hour.
- Free 15-minute call
- No referral needed
- No waiting list
- Ages
- Birth to 18
- Where
- Your home, school, a private clinic on request, or telehealth anywhere in California. Our Westlake Village clinic opens December 1, 2026.
- How soon
- No waiting list as of October 2026. Evaluations are scheduled within 3 business days of your free consultation.
You've left a full cart in the grocery aisle and carried your screaming child to the car. You felt the stares and wondered if it was something you were doing wrong. Many parents have stood right there. Sensory integration therapy is a kind of occupational therapy. It helps children whose brains find everyday sensations, like sound, touch, and movement, too much or not enough. Sessions use play to help a child handle them. We provide sensory integration therapy in Westlake Village and nearby towns. No diagnosis or referral is needed.
What is sensory processing?
Sensory processing is how the brain takes in and responds to what a child hears, sees, touches, tastes, smells, and feels through movement. Some children find everyday input overwhelming, and others seem to need more of it.
Some children avoid sensations, some seek them, and many do both, depending on the day.
- Avoiding soundsCovering ears at parties, or melting down when rooms get loud.
- Avoiding touchTags, sock seams, haircuts, and tooth brushing are a battle.
- Avoiding messRefusing messy hands, sand, or food textures, such as lumps.
- Seeking movementSpinning and climbing, even when it is time to sit.
- Seeking pressureCrashing into furniture, people, and the floor.
- Seeking mouth inputChewing sleeves, collars, and pencils, especially when focusing.
Is my child's behavior sensory, or are they just being difficult?
Often, what looks like defiance is a child's nervous system reacting to too much or too little input. So an occupational therapy evaluation helps sort out which is which.
Needing a little more help with sensory input does not mean something is wrong with a child, and it is not a parenting failure.
How does sensory integration therapy help?
Through play that is carefully planned, not random. Swings, crash pads, obstacle courses, and heavy work like pushing and carrying give a child's body the input it needs, in doses matched to that child.
The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) advises against sensory-based treatment for a child without documented assessment results first. That is why sensory work here starts with an evaluation. It may include the Sensory Profile 2, questionnaires where parents, and sometimes teachers, describe how a child reacts to sensations during the day.
Just as important, you get strategies for home, like a calming routine before school or a movement break before homework. Sessions run 45 to 60 minutes.
Do weighted blankets and sensory diets work?
Some children find deep pressure calming, and others notice little difference. So a tool is a better choice when it matches what your child's evaluation shows, not a product picked from a list.
A sensory diet is a personalized set of daily activities, built from your child's needs, that helps them stay regulated through the day.
Is sensory processing difficulty the same as autism?
No, though they can overlap. Sensory differences are common in autistic children, but many children have sensory challenges without autism.
Occupational therapy can help with sensory needs either way. However, we do not diagnose autism or any other condition. If you are wondering about a broader evaluation, we will help you find the right next step.
What happens when you start sensory integration therapy?
It starts with a free 15-minute consultation. If an evaluation is the right next step, it is scheduled within 3 business days. The written report follows within 14 business days, with a treatment plan if therapy is recommended.
Free 15-minute consultation
You talk with a licensed occupational therapist about what you are noticing at home and at school. If we don't think an evaluation is needed yet, we will say so.
Evaluation within 3 business days
If an evaluation is the right next step, it is scheduled within 3 business days of your consultation. It is a play-based look at how your child responds to sensations, moves, and handles daily routines. Standard tests may include the Sensory Profile 2. Children under 3 stay with a parent; older children usually work with the therapist in a separate room. It takes about one to one and a half hours.
Written report and recommendation
Within 14 business days, you get the written evaluation, and a clear treatment plan if therapy is recommended. The plan sets graduation goals: the skills that show a child is ready to finish therapy.
Parent coaching
Your plan includes parent coaching. You learn calming and alerting strategies that fit your family's day.
Sessions
Sessions look like play with a purpose and run 45 to 60 minutes.
Who provides sensory integration therapy?
Rachel Yashouafar, MA, OTR/L, leads occupational therapy at Therapy Clubhouse in Westlake Village, including sensory integration therapy. She is a licensed occupational therapist and co-founder.
- Degree
- Master of Arts in Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California
- Certification
- Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR), National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy
- California license
- No. 23564Verify on the state license search (opens in a new tab)
- Experience
- School-based occupational therapy with a contracted company: three years in the Conejo Valley Unified School District and one year in the Los Angeles Unified School District.
“We never want to keep a child in therapy if they don't need it anymore. The goal is for every child to graduate.”Meet Rachel →
How much does sensory integration therapy cost, and can I use insurance?
Coverage depends on your plan. You can use your insurance through our partner, Village, which handles the billing. Village accepts PPO plans from several major insurers, and TRICARE.
Village also charges its own fee for each visit, in addition to your copay or deductible. Before therapy starts, Village goes over the expected cost with you.
We are waiting to become in network with major insurance companies. Until then, Village is how insurance works with us.
You can also pay privately, and we give you a superbill to send to your plan for possible out-of-network reimbursement. On the free 15-minute call, we check your coverage before you commit to anything.
Can children under 3 get occupational therapy through Early Start?
Children under 3 may qualify for Early Start services through Tri-Counties Regional Center (TCRC). Therapy Clubhouse is a TCRC provider.
There is no charge for the evaluation or for service coordination. You may need to use your insurance for ongoing therapy, according to California's Early Start FAQ.
If you live on the Los Angeles County side of Westlake Village, tell us your address. We will help you find which regional center covers you.
What else do parents ask about sensory integration therapy?
Why does my child cover their ears?
Some children react more strongly to everyday sounds than other children do. If it is happening often, or keeping your child out of places, an evaluation can show what is going on. Read more about covering ears.
Why does my child crash into everything?
Some children seek strong movement and pressure to feel settled. Heavy work and planned movement in therapy can give that input in a safer, more organized way. Read more about crashing into things.
Will my child grow out of sensory sensitivities?
Some sensitivities ease with age, and some don't. What matters now is how much they are affecting daily life, which an evaluation can show. Read more about sensory sensitivities.
What if my child won't cooperate at the evaluation?
We just try again another time. We never want a child to feel they are doing something wrong on a hard day.
Can sensory therapy happen by telehealth?
Yes. Sensory therapy can happen by telehealth, using a few different methods depending on your child's age, and a parent's help is needed for it. It also happens at home, at school, or in a private office on request. Our Westlake Village clinic opens December 1, 2026.
Is the free call the same as an evaluation?
No. The free 15-minute call answers your questions and points you to the right next step. It is not an evaluation. If therapy looks like a fit, the evaluation comes next.
Which school district and regional center serve Westlake Village?
Westlake Village sits on a county line. The Los Angeles County side is served by Las Virgenes Unified School District, and the Ventura County side by Conejo Valley Unified School District. For children under 3, the regional center depends on the county. Families on the Ventura County side fall under Tri-Counties Regional Center, where we are a provider. On the Los Angeles County side, tell us your address and we'll help you confirm which regional center covers you.
What areas do you serve?
We provide sensory integration therapy for families in Westlake Village and nearby towns. These include Thousand Oaks, Agoura Hills, Oak Park, Newbury Park, Calabasas, Moorpark, and Simi Valley. Telehealth is available anywhere in California.Thousand OaksAgoura HillsOak ParkNewbury ParkCalabasasMoorparkSimi ValleyAll locations
“If you're concerned about your child's development, don't wait. You know your child best.”
About 1 in 6 children aged 3 through 17 years have one or more developmental disabilities. (CDC)
We build every child's plan and goals around one aim: graduating from speech or occupational therapy. That is our goal with every child.
If sensory struggles are shrinking your child's world, the foods they'll eat, the places they'll go, the mornings that end in tears, you don't have to wait for it to get worse. Tell us a little more about what you're seeing. Let's talk about it.
Request your free 15-minute consultation
Tell us what you are noticing about your child. A licensed therapist reads every message, not an assistant, and replies within one business day. The consultation is free, lasts about 15 minutes, and carries no obligation. There is no waiting list. If you would rather talk now, call (805) 702-3427.
