Sensory Tools in New Orleans, LA: A Resource Guide for Practitioners and Parents
A comprehensive guide to sensory therapy resources in New Orleans, LA — local clinics, sensory gyms, practitioner associations, and tools for OTs, PTs, counselors, and parents.
New Orleans's therapy community is as layered as the city itself. Anchored by Ochsner Health's sprawling rehabilitation network, Manning Family Children's Hospital (LCMC Health), and the academic clinics at LSU Health Sciences Center and Tulane, the Greater New Orleans area offers deep clinical resources — but access is unevenly distributed across a city still rebuilding its healthcare infrastructure post-Katrina. Pediatric therapy practices across Metairie, the Westbank, and the Northshore serve a growing population of families seeking sensory integration, developmental support, and ABA services. Whether you're a practitioner looking for referral partners or a parent navigating sensory support, this guide maps the clinics, providers, and organizations serving the NOLA sensory community.
Local Clinics & Sensory Resources in New Orleans
Manning Family Children's Hospital (LCMC Health)
Major pediatric hospital offering outpatient OT, PT, speech therapy, feeding therapy, and a dedicated behavioral health center for children and teens. Formerly Children's Hospital New Orleans.
Ochsner Health — Rehabilitation Services
Comprehensive inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation including PT, OT, and speech therapy. Ochsner West Campus features 56 inpatient rehab beds with seven-days-a-week therapy.
Integrative Touch Pediatric Occupational Therapy
Pediatric OT practice with three Greater New Orleans locations (Marrero, Mandeville, Slidell) specializing in sensory integration, tactile processing, hand therapy, and orthopedic rehabilitation for children.
Therapeutic Learning Center (TLC)
Multidisciplinary pediatric clinic in Metairie and Elmwood providing OT, speech therapy, PT, feeding therapy, social skills groups, and intensive day programs for school readiness.
Hand Center of Louisiana
The largest hand and upper extremity center in the Gulf South, with over 40 years of experience. Occupational hand therapy including scar management, sensory re-education, and splint fabrication.
Moreau Physical Therapy
Established in 1977 with 20+ locations across Southern Louisiana including two New Orleans clinics. Offers PT, OT, speech therapy, certified hand therapy, and aquatic therapy.
City Park Physical Therapy
Family-owned clinic on Canal Boulevard operating since 2013. Specializes in orthopedic PT, certified hand therapy, pelvic floor therapy, and one-on-one lymphedema rehabilitation.
The Art in Me
One of the longest-running ABA clinics in Greater New Orleans (est. 2006). Provides in-clinic and in-home ABA therapy, early intervention, and PDA parent consultation for individuals with autism.
Touchstone ABA
Research-based ABA provider serving South Louisiana from Lake Charles to New Orleans. Uses the CABAS model with daily progress tracking for children and adults with autism.
LSUHSC Outpatient Occupational Therapy Clinic
Academic outpatient clinic at LSU Health Sciences Center offering adult rehabilitation for vestibular, orthopedic, and neurological conditions plus pediatric developmental support.
Practitioner Associations & Community Groups
New Orleans practitioners and families connect through several vital organizations. The Louisiana Occupational Therapy Association (LOTA) provides continuing education, specialty practice groups, and legislative advocacy for OTs statewide. APTA Louisiana serves 1,000+ physical therapy practitioners with professional development and legislative engagement. The Autism Society Louisiana State Chapter offers support groups, resources, and community events for families across the state. Kim4Kids in Metairie provides DIR/Floortime parent coaching and animal-assisted intervention alongside therapy. LSU Health Sciences Center's School of Allied Health Professions operates outpatient OT, PT, speech, and psychology clinics that connect academic research with community care. Tulane University School of Medicine maintains rehabilitation affiliations through Tulane University Hospital & Clinic. Manning Family Children's Hospital's behavioral health center provides specialized mental health care for children and teens. River Oaks Hospital — named 2025 Best Mental Health Care Facility by New Orleans CityBusiness — offers adolescent and adult psychiatric programs. The Greater New Orleans therapy community is uniquely shaped by the city's post-Katrina rebuilding, which concentrated healthcare resources but also created gaps in underserved neighborhoods that community clinics continue to fill.
Beast Putty in New Orleans
Beast Putty fits naturally into New Orleans's therapy ecosystem. For hand therapists at the Hand Center of Louisiana and City Park PT, the firm silicone formula integrates into established rehabilitation protocols for the construction, hospitality, and maritime workers who drive the regional economy. Pediatric OTs at Integrative Touch and TLC use it for sensory integration and fine motor development in a city where pediatric therapy demand outpaces provider capacity. ABA therapists at The Art in Me and Touchstone ABA use it as both a sensory reinforcer and a skill-building tool. School counselors across Orleans Parish and Jefferson Parish need portable regulation tools for students navigating the stressors of urban poverty, family instability, and the legacy of repeated hurricane displacement. Beast Putty's durability in New Orleans's heat and humidity — it won't melt in a therapist's car in July or degrade in a non-air-conditioned school — makes it uniquely practical for Gulf South clinical environments. For parents, it's an accessible sensory tool that therapists recommend for home programs, Mardi Gras parade waits, and the long car rides that define life in a sprawling metro.
New Orleans Practitioners: Stock Beast Putty in Your Clinic
Bulk pricing for Greater New Orleans therapy practices. Individually packaged, client-ready, and built for the Gulf South.
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