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What we do....
Step OuTside OT provides private Occupational Therapy intervention to children and teens in the Santa Clarita Valley. Therapy services are held either in the family's home or outdoors in the community. Additionally, clients can schedule sessions with Step Outside OT at a privately owned property located in Castaic, CA. Little Oak Ranch features a 1+ acre permaculture food forest garden, small duck pond, and edible plants for foraging. The outdoor space also offers opportunities to explore a variety of multi-sensory art mediums and loose parts play. The ranch includes interactions with farm animals such as ducks, chickens, goats, cats, and dogs. The ranch is home to beautiful large oak trees that provide plenty of shade and opportunities for kids to move their bodies and get their sensory needs met. StepOuTside OT is now a proud vendor with Regional Center's Self-Determination program. Funds for those who qualify, may be used for inclusive enrichment classes and camps which are held seasonally.
Jamie Cruz OTR/L
Who we are...
Jamie is a sought-after licensed pediatric Occupational Therapist and founder of StepOutSide OT, based in Castaic, CA. Jamie has worked in various settings, including school-based occupational therapy, early intervention, and clinic-based practice, for the last 18 years. She prides herself on using a child-led and strengths-based approach in order to establish a therapeutic relationship with not only the child but the entire family. Jamie feels passionately about empowering caregivers and their children to be the best version of themselves. She has special interest in supporting mental health and wellness by using nature and social connection as therapeutic tools to achieve these goals.
Jamie is an expert in Aryes Sensory Integration and has extensive clinical experience working with a variety of neurodivergent children including those with ADHD, Anxiety, OCD, Autism and sensory processing difficulties. She has teamed up with Little Oak Ranch property owners to provide quality Occupational Therapy services and inclusive nature enrichment groups for the community.
She and her husband have three children and have been active residents in Santa Clarita Valley for 20 years. Jamie is actively involved in her church, local home school community and preschool programs. She is a co-founder SCV OCD Awareness parent support group in Santa Clarita, CA. She enjoys camping, visiting national parks, going to the beach, hiking, obstacle course races, cold plunges, saunas, coffee and traveling.
Little Oak Ranch
We are a family with 2 young kids living on a beautiful 2-acre ranch in Castaic. We’ve always had the goal of living off the grid and having a sustainable life. We started by learning to grow veggies, create a food forest, build an earth house, raise bees, chickens, ducks and goats! Our journey is looking for, or remembering, the way humans are supposed to live harmoniously with nature. We want to find like-minded people to join us, who share the strong belief of building a healthy community and environment for the younger generations.
Little Oak Ranch is a proud vendor for Blue Ridge Academy and iLead charter schools.
Testimonials
"My kids love Ms Jamie. She makes learning so fun and she's very patient with the kids. We are so glad we found her. My son's handwriting has improved some much since we started!"
"Jamie has gone above and beyond for our family. She always has creative ideas and fun ways to use toys and objects in nature. We love coming to the ranch and exploring the garden. My child thrives in the outdoor setting and we see a big shift in his behavior at home"
" Jamie has a way of quickly connecting with kids and getting them excited about trying new things. She is able to challenge my daughter in a way that has really improved her coordination but most importantly, her confidence."