What a magical place! Every bit of Laughing Giraffe--from its facilities, to its equipment, to its culture, to its staff--is dedicated to helping clients make big changes through incremental progress. Our OT Zane always brings out the best in our son. He empowers him, challenges him, and gives him joy. Expertise, competence, creativity, and loving care combine perfectly at Laughing Giraffe. We're so lucky to be here! read more

Lauloa Grace helped me and my 11-year-old daughter through some of the most difficult times of our lives. Divorce, buying and selling a home, moving three times, legal issues and a job change were all weathered with her support. And I'm a better person for it! Offering a buffet of healing tools, Lauloa utilized a unique set of techniques to support us. Pulling from her experience in higher brain living, brain gym and her extensive knowledge in communication, Lauloa helped pull me up, overcome fatigue and reach goals during the most challenging time of my life. I resolved court issues with my ex, doubled my salary and found peace, releasing the anger, pain and sadness from the unexpected and difficult end to my marriage. Lauloa created a safe place to talk about all of these issues and welcomed me with loving acceptance. My daughter loved the breathing and visualization exercises and we enjoyed attending together. Lauloa is someone you can build trust with quickly to talk openly and honestly about your issues and to provide helpful techniques to continue progress between visits. I highly recommend Lauloa. She is a beautiful, kind and talented soul. I'm grateful to have met her. read more

I am President and CEO at Exceptional Rights Advocacy and mother to three, now young adult, children with special needs.  I have worked both personally and professionally with a myriad of staff across the Bay Area.  My joyful kids are known for their engaging bright smiles and can have some enigmatic behavioral challenges.  Each of them has CMD and Autism comorbid, are non-verbal and use AAC devices to communicate. We have truly been some of those lucky enough to participate in treatment with Aaron Denardo, Owner and OT at Laughing Giraffe Therapy, for several years now.  He and his clinic uniquely combine best practices with an empathetic approach.  The clinic is playfully sensitive to clients ranging in age, abilities and diagnoses.  All are welcomed by his thoughtfully chosen, experienced and qualified team. Aaron is distinct in his ability to relate and listen to his clients through the practice of Compassionate Communication.  Moreover, Laughing Giraffe employs a wide variety of sensory tools in an environment that is purposefully crafted as an oasis for those with Autism.  "The Giraffe" embraces holistic approach in balance with the pragmatic needs of each individual and family.  Aaron connects with children and seeks to bring out their potential and ability to participate through so many creative and novel activities.  These include, but are not limited to, those focused on fine and gross motor as well as interactive play and social skills.  Aaron works on self-help and ADL's..  Aaron seeks to stretch past areas of discomfort through unique activities like swing surfing, musical instruments, "Hulk hands" and "Cheese War"!  "Play for Life"  Laughing Giraffe is also a trusted leader and contractor to several non-public schools, is a magnetic home-away-from-home for many families and is the place to be! In fact, during off hours, The Giraffe hosts many different community groups like meditation, yoga, NVC/Compassionate Communication as well as others that are inclusive - like the drum circle.  I invite you to come check it out.  You won't want to leave! Best, Suzanne read more

I have no doubt that God sent Aaron DeNardo into my family's lives. Aaron has proven to be a pillar in my autistic (Asperger's) child's life as well as my life as a parent to two children with special needs. I first met Aaron at another therapy clinic where my child participated in bi-weekly occupational therapy and speech session. It was there I saw the passion, concern, care, education, and experience that Aaron possesses. So much so, that when Aaron started his practice, Laughing Giraffe, there was no doubt that I would follow him - my child needs him; Aaron has developed a deep connection with my child. My child explicitly trusts Aaron with his feelings, emotions, shortcomings and successes. Aaron helps my child regulate his body, his mind, his feelings, and his self-esteem. Aaron is the easiest, gentlest person I have ever had the pleasure of sharing my child with. My child looks forward to his weekly sessions with Aaron, and he's looked forward to them every week for years. Also, Aaron has helped me be a better parent by helping me understand the best way to help my autistic child is by focusing on me. Aaron has facilitated, hosted, and organized parents' groups that have changed the way I parent, the way I interact with the school and district, and my spouse. Aaron has taught me a life lesson: empathy. Empathy has changed my family's lives in the way we communicate and react to one another. Additionally, when I have issues at my child's school, Aaron shows up to talk to the teacher, the principal, the director of the after-school program and follows-up months after to see if they have questions or need assistance with my child. When I had to fight to get my child out of special education into a mainstream classroom, not only did Aaron listen and offer empathy, but he also referred me to an advocate. Because of Aaron, the advocate gave me a few pro bono hours to help guide and give me the education I needed to help my child at his IEP meetings. With the help of Aaron's advocate referral, my child went to a mainstream class with a 1:1 aide, speech, occupational therapy, resource time, counseling, social skills group, modified homework, and a place for respite at school whenever a break is needed. Most importantly, Aaron has helped me be a better person overall. By attending Aaron's nonviolent communication classes and parenting classes, I now know how to go about listening rather than reacting. I consider Aaron my friend. I consider Aaron to be an angel sent to my child and me. I am proud to know Aaron. I am proud to have him in my corner. I am proud to have him on my team. I am comforted by the fact that my child has him. It will be hard for you to find another occupational therapist with the training, passion, empathy, charisma, gentleness that Aaron has for helping our children with challenges. Aaron is 4-star, diamond certified - there aren't much better than him in the Santa Clara County area. read more

Aaron is an exceptional occupational therapist. His practice focuses on individualized play-based therapy (Floortime/DIR) and he incorporates parents into his plan for their child. We were looking for a therapist that focused on developmental stages rather than behavior modification for our son with Autism. Aaron fit the bill. From the very first session, my 3 year old was engaged and loving every moment of his time at Laughing Giraffe... and so were we! This has NOT been the case with other therapists and/or companies. An outside observer might look at a session with Aaron and see what looks like the most epic play session ever. Aaron was quite simply born for this job--he makes therapy look easy because he is innately great with kids, and he is incredibly creative and quick at designing a game or activity based on something my son is expressing interest in and then building on that. Aaron is very responsive to my son's likes/dislikes, and has encouraged my son's natural curiosity and persistence without coercing him (as has happened with other therapists). Also, and maybe most importantly, he truly cares about my son and us. The most noticeable practical results for my son in the three months since we've been working with Aaron are: joint attention, speech/communication ability, and sensory regulation. For me, what that looks like is a child who suddenly wants me to play with him a good majority of the time, a child who is either saying or using body language to convey needs and/or desires, and a child who is much more in tune with his own body because his sensory needs have been identified and are being met. An additional and unexpected benefit is the training and support I have received as a parent. Rather than dropping my child off, I participate in every session and benefit from Aaron's exceptional communication skills in training me to understand what is going on in my son's body and how to help him stay regulated and engaged with the world around him. I have learned how to play, truly play, which has enabled me to connect with my son in a way that I couldn't before. And for that, I am eternally grateful. Stephanie & Mark read more

MacKenzie DeLoren is simply amazing. She has been working with my son at The Morgan Autism Center and has made so much progress with him. MacKenzie truly believes in the potential of her clients. She exudes warmth and patience. MacKenzie is willing to take the extra time to communicate with parents and caregivers to assure that the work she is doing in the school setting translates to the home or classroom environment even when she is not present. She is so very articulate in a IEP setting and able to clearly state her goals and steps she will take to assure the are achieved. Our son is so fortunate to be her patient--the progress he has made is life changing and we are so very grateful for her commitment to her profession and her clients. We feel so fortunate that our son has benefited from MacKenzie's brilliance and expertise. read more

wonderful place, can't say enough good things about Aaron and Ann. Kind, loving, accepting, and fun. Highly highly recommend read more

Aaron DeNardo is an absolute gem and one of the most amazing people my family has had the privilege of meeting. He connects deeply with all sorts of different people, and has a unique way of making kids feel safe, special, and understood. He is an incredibly talented O.T., and children seem to truly enjoy sessions with him. As a physician, I've gotten to see children in all sorts of clinical and therapeutic settings, but I've never seen a therapist create an atmosphere as amazing as Aaron has, where kids really want to keep coming to see him and don't even realize the work that they're doing while they're with him. Kids make amazing progress with him, while also building a special connection and relationship that is at least as important as the physical skills gained. My family could not possibly recommend him more highly. Laughing Giraffe is a truly special and wonderful place. read more

Our daughter has been receiving occupational therapy services from Ann Brownstone for over two years, and we are so grateful for her. Ann has a calming presence and a lovely personality; our daughter usually takes time to warm up to new people, but she was comfortable with Ann almost immediately. Ann is, by far, the most skilled and competent OT we have met (and we've seen a lot of therapists in seven years!) She has helped our daughter with fine and gross motor development, sensory integration, and feeding skills, all of which have improved significantly. In addition, she is trained in more specialized treatment modalities, such as MNRI (reflex integration,) and is highly knowledgeable about physiology, special needs, and child development in general. Her advice is sound and interventions are both thoughtful and creative. Not only does she do great work in each session, Ann also takes time to demonstrate and teach techniques to us so that we can practice new skills at home. Ann has truly been a blessing to our family and any child with OT needs would be fortunate to have the opportunity to work with her. read more

My daughter and I met Aaron at another clinic where my daughter began treatment with a therapist and was recommended to begin occupational therapy as well. After working with Aaron for about six months, he told us he was leaving to open his own occupational therapy business, Laughing Giraffe. Although we were upset he was leaving, we were happy he was opening his own business and decided we would follow him there. We liked him so much we were willing to leave the convenience of having both therapists in the same clinic in order to keep him as part of our treatment team. Our appointments with Aaron are one of the highlights of my daughter's week. She looks forward to playing with Aaron. What I like the most about him is that he is working on specific issues my daughter has by playing games and making up games she loves. She has no idea that he is working on coordination, balance, fine and gross motor skills, core workouts, sensory issues, perseverance, eye-hand coordination, good sportsmanship and more! He keeps things interesting for her with new activities every week, but also allows her to repeat activities that she really loved until she perfects them. Aaron is friendly, professional, approachable and kind. It is obvious that he loves kids and interacts with them on such a positive level. At times, my daughter needs some motivation, or may have a bad attitude, but Aaron sticks with her and never seems rattled, even when I am concerned about her behavior. He is able to redirect her and get her to refocus on the task at hand. He also involved the parents in his practice. Instead of just sitting in a waiting room for your child, you are in the gym observing, interacting and participating in the activities. This helps provide collaboration and precious time with your child that you may not get much of during a busy week. Aaron shows so much interest in his clients. For example, my daughter started attending Children's Musical Theater camp last summer, which ended in a performance. Aaron asked if he could come and watch her to support this new activity of hers. She was more than thrilled to see him there in the audience watching her. He has come to two of her shows so far. We love Aaron and are so grateful we found him. He has become a friend to our family. His new clinic is beautiful as well. He completely remodeled it according to his needs and it is bright, comfortable, approachable and spacious. If occupational therapy is something you seek for your child, take a close look at Aaron and Laughing Giraffe. You will not be disappointed. read more

As you enter Laughing Giraffe in San Jose, it's all about whimsy. That is, if you are a 4 year old like my grandson "T". He immediately dives into the giraffe themed waiting room filled with toys, books, pillows and stuffed animals. But with Karina Salenger, his OT therapist, the session begins here. She brings whatever toy he has clutched in his hand into her workspace and incorporates that "friend" into the group plan. Friend goes first or friend goes with, but T is never alone. I am amazed at how Karina senses where T's mind and body are each week. Sometimes the agenda gets accomplished and sometimes it doesn't, allowing T to decompress between activities. She takes him from where he is at any given point and works that into "How are you feeling?"as they move in the direction she wants to go. It is teaching at its finest. Karina incorporates best practices with warmth and humor. She may be smiling, singing or laughing but she is deliberate in what she feels should be accomplished; all the while informing you of the anatomical or physiological reasons behind it. This is a result of continuing workshops and seminars in her professional development. Success is measured in such small steps, but I have seen T grow and change throughout his 2 years with Karina. I know this has been accomplished through his absolute trust that she will always make sure he feels safe, smart and loved. Anita M read more

My son has been seeing Aaron for the last year and a half. During this time, Aaron has become a special person in my son's life, much more than an occupational therapist. My son trusts him and shares his feelings and thoughts with him, sometimes even more than he does with us...! In our weekly sessions Aaron manages to somehow balance between a structured session with a defined schedule and goals, and being spontaneous and flexible - this keeps my son motivated and engaged and enables him to work (really!) hard while having fun and feeling he has an hour of free play. Aaron keeps surprising us with new ideas for games and activities and we always leave the sessions feeling full of energy (but sometimes a bit exhausted from all the running and jumping :) ), relaxed and more focused. As a parent I feel Aaron is a true partner and I've learned a lot from him. We are so grateful we met Aaron, we recommend him to anyone who needs an OT. read more

A magical place to come and enrich life for the whole family. The holistic therapy and embracing approach is unique and effective. Aaron is an amazing O.T that had helped us with SPD and advocated for our child's well-being many times. His NVC parents group is a continuous source of knowledge, support, networking, and centering ones life. I highly recommend this clinic. read more

My teen daughter struggles with low muscle tone and emotional regulation. Aaron was always flexible about what they did during her appointments based on how she was feeling at that time. He combined his OT skills with compassion and care for each of his clients. She looked forward each of her appointments with him and improved in several areas of physical abilities. After almost two years, we've moved on but I still highly recommend him! read more

Margarita Gomez was instrumental in our daughters progress and growth as an infant. Before working with Margarita Olivia was unable to even sit up on her own. Now days she is participating in dance, basketball, and soccer programs. My family is truly thankful we crossed paths with Margarita for our Olivia's therapy. I would highly recommend her to anyone and everyone. If I could so it all over again I would start step one with her. read more

Margarita and Aaron are two of the best therapists we have ever had... And we've known many! They both love what they do and it shows. They are loving, gentle, patient and do an impeccable job encouraging independence. Because they have both been in the profession for so long, they are able to care for one's child using many different methods (what works with one kiddo might not work for another). They are easy to connect with, thorough and always on time. A++ for Laughing Giraffe Therapy. read more

I am excited that my daughter's occupational therapist Aaron DeNardo has opened his own clinic - he is an amazing professional and he is great with kids. My daughter started seeing Aaron when she was 4 and he quickly became one of her favorite people. She had a lot of sensory issues and a diagnosis of autism, and our psychologist recommended us to do occupational therapy with Aaron. He immediately "got" my girl and connected with her, which not everyone can do (to say the least). Each time she couldn't wait to see him. There are two very important things which Aaron is very good at: first of all, he is clearly a very experienced therapist who suggested many great things to try. He found the right "sensory diet" for my daughter, figured out what could help her not to be scared of loud places, what will make her progress and develop faster and what could help my little girl to understand her body and the space around it better. Second, but equally important: Aaron doesn't just do occupational therapy great. He also plays with the kids all the time so that they don't even notice they have some sort of therapy. With him my daughter was always smiling, laughing, wanting to play and talk to him - as much as she could. He incorporates Floortime method (a play-based developmental therapy for kids with autism and other communication problems) in his session and he is doing it better than many play therapists I have seen. I am also very grateful to him that he always took time to explain what was going on with my girl and why and how the therapy works. He supported me as a parent as much as he supported my daughter - giving his advice, recommendations and tips about things we could do at home. I am glad that Aaron has opened up his own clinic Laughing Giraffe Therapy and I highly recommend him. read more

My son was a client of Aaron for close to three years. He is one of the best occupational therapists that my child has seen, given his complex needs. He took the time to understand the unique needs of my child, and came up with an OT plan that was very beneficial for him. We incorporated yoga and music therapy in his OT plan based on my son's motivations. Aaron is an experienced OT who is also knowledgeable in various methods like brain gym and rhythmic movement therapy. Aaron takes parent feedback very seriously, and believes in parent/therapist collaboration to achieve optimal results. I am so grateful to him for educating me about my son's OT needs, and showing me ways in which I could manage his needs outside the therapy setting. My son thoroughly enjoyed his sessions with Aaron, as they were very fun, dynamic and full of movement. Aaron'e new clinic is beautiful, spacious, comfortable and inviting. His clinic is specifically designed with the needs of his clients in mind. I would highly recommend Aaron to anyone who is looking for high quality OT services that is geared towards helping the child reach his/her maximum potential. Thank you, Aaron! read more

I had the pleasure of working with Margarita when my son was diagnosed with dup15q at one year old. My son had global delays in speech and fine and gross motor skills. Margarita was assigned to us to provide early intervention for my son. I could not have asked for a better first EI since she was wonderful on many different levels. First of all, she was able to bond with my son and he was very receptive to working with her. He was making progress while working with Margarita and I could see improvement in his skills. She was able to work with him on all his skills - physical, occupational, and speech. In addition, she educated me on using sign language to communicate with my son as well as how to navigate this new world of being a special needs parent. She shared available programs and provided recommendations on my son's needs. I highly recommend Margarita for not only her professional skills, but also her compassion and thoughtfulness for families of special needs children. read more