About us
#Individualized #Familyfocused #Parentrecommended
Our mission is to empower you to create a lifestyle that is functional, practical, and meaningful for your neurodivergent child.
Gandhi Murugappan,
Founder
From Gandhi, Pediatric OT and the founder of IPT
The Story Behind Integrated Pediatric Therapy
Over the course of my career as an occupational therapist, I’ve had the privilege of working alongside children and families in schools, homes, and private practice settings. These experiences have shaped not only how I practice but why I do this work. Families have shown me what truly helps… and what often doesn’t.
Here’s what I’ve learned to move away from:
✖️Therapy that doesn’t consider the whole family
Intervention should fit naturally into a family’s routines, culture, and values. For example, it doesn’t make sense to teach fork use if a family primarily uses chopstick.
✖️Therapy where parents are passive observers
Sessions should help parents understand and support their child(ren).
✖️Therapy which stays within the clinic walls
Parents are central to a child’s progress. Sessions should empower them with understanding, strategies, and confidence to support their child in everyday life.
✖️Trying that tries to change who a child is
Our goal is not to “fix” children, but to understand them supporting their regulation, participation, and independence in ways that honor their individuality.
Because of this, I founded Integrated Pediatric Therapy (IPT). What began as a solo practice has grown into a collaborative team of occupational therapists, united by a shared mission: to provide compassionate, practical, and family-centered care to children across the East Bay.
At IPT, we believe therapy should feel relevant, respectful, and truly supportive-for both the child and the family.
Putting Deep Thought Into Everything We Do
OUR APPROACH TO PEDIATRIC THERAPY
CONNECT THE DOTS
During our assessment process, we begin by truly listening to parents’ concerns. We then observe the child in a thoughtful and structured way-looking at postural control, visual-motor integration, gross and fine motor skills, and motor planning When appropriate, we use standardized assessments to deepen our understanding. Our goal is to connect the dots between what families are noticing in daily life and the underlying motor, sensory, perceptual, and cognitive factors contributing to those challenges. By identifying these connections, we can design targeted, meaningful strategies that support real-life function-not just performance in a therapy session.
NEURO-AFFIRMING & STRENGTH-BASED
Our approach is neurodiversity-affirming, strength-based, and culturally responsive. We don’t aim to change who a child is. Instead, we build on their strengths, interests, and preferences to support regulation, confidence, and independence in ways that feel authentic and respectful.
PARENT COACHING & COLLABORATION
Parents are at the center of everything we do. We actively collaborate during sessions sharing strategies, problem-solving together, and creating practical plans that fit naturally into daily routines. Our goal is for parents to feel confident, informed, and empowered to support their child beyond the clinic.
FOCUS ON THE BIG PICTURE
Therapy is just one part of a child’s journey. Our focus is on long-term impact-helping children participate meaningfully in their daily lives while empowering families with the skills and confidence to support them over time. We prioritize what truly matters for each child and family, now and into the future.
Your Sneak Peek Inside the Beautiful IPT Clinic, Pleasanton, CA
Our fully equipped clinic includes private rooms and a sensory gym.
Our clinic space is intentionally designed with calming colors to help kids focus on the important work of therapy. It’s the perfect place for your child to move, explore, and develop life skills.
Integrated Pediatric Therapy Team Values
Always learning – We’re always learning and evolving more to better help families. More importantly, we’re always learning in connection with each kid and family.
Connection and trust – Relationship is at the core of all we do and we carve out time to make it happen. We’re dedicated to listening, smiling, and respecting everyone we meet. And when parents and kids feel more connected to each other — that’s our favorite kind of win.
Empower others – We think beyond the time we’re with clients to what they need in the big picture. This means offering resources and developing problem-solving skills so each family can take action according to what’s important to them.
Family-centered – We’re not just working for the child, we’re working for the whole family. We create a collaborative experience that values, involves, and supports the whole family.
Inner purpose – There is value in doing what brings you joy and satisfaction. We love our work and it shines through in all we do. More importantly, we strive to help families find more joy and fulfillment in their daily lives too.
Love the sound of what we’re doing? Join our team or rent professional space for your practice.
Meet our Team of Occupational Therapists
Gandhi Murugappan, OTR/L
CEO & Clinical Director, Integrated Pediatric Therapy
As a pediatric occupational therapist and a fellow mom, I understand that raising a child with additional needs can feel overwhelming at times. I also know deeply that there is so much possibility within every child and every family. My role is to help families see that possibility and feel confident in supporting it.
I am the Founder, CEO, and Clinical Director of Integrated Pediatric Therapy, where I lead a growing team of therapists committed to providing neuro-affirming, strength-based, and family-centered care. While I continue to work directly with children and families, I’m equally passionate about mentoring my team and building a practice that delivers meaningful, real-life impact.
My clinical work has spanned home, school, and clinic settings, giving me a broad perspective on how children function in their everyday environments. I specialize in “connecting the dots” helping families understand how underlying sensory, motor, and regulatory differences show up in daily life, and developing practical strategies that fit naturally into routines without adding overwhelm.
At the heart of my work is a parent coaching approach. I believe that when parents feel supported, informed, and empowered, lasting change happens-not just in therapy sessions, but in everyday life.
Professional Highlights
- Advanced certification in Sensory Integration and treatment of sensory processing differences (University of Southern California)
- Certified in administering the Sensory Integration and Praxis Test (SIPT)
- Trained in the Neuro-Kinesthetic approach for handwriting (Benbow)
Specialized training in feeding and oral-motor therapy - Extensive experience in school-based evaluations, including Individualized Education Program (IEP) and Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE)
A Little More About Me
Outside of work, I enjoy reading fiction, gardening, hiking, cooking, and spending time with my husband and our two daughters
Jamie McGill, OTR/L
I’m dedicated to delivering therapy that above all, honors what is meaningful to the child and their family. My personal journey of living with sensory processing differences ignited my passion for specializing in neurodiversity, early childhood development, mental health, and sensory integration.
My career as an occupational therapist began in 2015 and I’ve had the opportunity to work with families in schools, private practice, and in homes. I enjoy providing neurodiversity-affirming care that’s focused on strengths, relationships, and safety. When I work with families, you’ll see lots of collaboration and me placing emphasis on helping children feel safe and seen in their learning environments and community.
Professional Highlights
- Master’s degree in occupational therapy from West Coast University.
- 10 years working as a Respiratory Therapist in hospitals.
- Additional training in trauma-informed care, autism, sensory processing.
My Fun Side
I enjoy spending time with my family, cultural dancing and singing and all things outdoors in nature.
Gabrielle Aviles, OTD, OTR/L
Ever since I was young, I have had a passion for supporting others, creativity, and adventures. These values inspired me to become an Occupational Therapist, where I get to find creative solutions to support children and their families in pursuing their own meaningful adventures.
I’ve long been drawn to the power of creativity and the joy of helping others two pillars that are at the heart of occupational therapy. I am passionate about learning as much as possible, as I believe there is no end to learning not only about the OT profession, but also about each unique child and family I have the privilege of working with. With this knowledge, I’m driven to collaborate closely with families to support them in the ways that are most meaningful to them, and to find creative, individualized solutions that help children and their families feel successful and empowered in their daily lives.
A large part of my approach focuses on self-regulation, emotional regulation, and sensory regulation, which are essential to helping children feel safe in both the space around them and within their own bodies. I take great care in curating a safe, supportive environment where children and their families can learn, grow, and thrive together.
Professional Highlights
- Doctor of Occupational Therapy degree from University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences, San Marcos campus.
- Occupational Therapy Scholastic Achievement Award.
- National Honors Society Pi Theta Epsilon.
My Fun Side
When I’m not working as an occupational therapist, I love trying new things whether it’s tasting different foods, traveling to new places, or exploring creative hobbies like painting, journaling, singing, and occasionally playing the ukulele. I also love spending time with my loved ones and my dogs!
Ready to connect?
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