Our Story
Play with Me OT was built from a simple but powerful realization: children make the most meaningful progress when therapy meets them where they are, quite litereally! In their homes, schools, and everyday routines, alongside the people who matter most to them.
What began as one therapist’s passion for helping a child learn to eat after years of struggle grew into something much bigger. After gaining extensive experience and mentorship in a specialized sensory integration clinic in Raleigh, Mary Wilkison MS, OTR/L, the founder and owner of Play with Me OT, made the transition back home to Moore County to fill a significant gap—families needed high-quality, relationship-based, and functional support in their natural environments, not just in a clinic. Play with Me OT was created to bridge that gap.
At the heart of everything we do is PLAY. As Jean Ayres, the founder of sensory integration theory, emphasized, play is a child’s “job” and the primary way they develop necessary life skills. Play is how children learn, connect, regulate, problem-solve, and build the foundational skills they need for everyday life. It allows us to meet children in a way that feels safe, joyful, and meaningful—turning hard work into something they are intrinsically motivated to engage in.
We provide pediatric occupational and physical therapy services rooted in play, connection, and real-life application. Our approach is grounded in understanding the “why” behind a child’s challenges—using a bottom-up lens to support the nervous system, while also empowering families with practical, everyday strategies. Whether we are on the floor playing, collaborating in classrooms, or supporting movement through hippotherapy, every session is designed to create the “just right challenge” that leads to success, confidence, and joy.
As the needs of our community have grown, so have we. What started as a one-provider practice has evolved into a collaborative, multi-disciplinary team offering in-home services, school-based support, physical therapy, and hippotherapy—all with the same core mission.
We do what we do because we believe in the power of those breakthrough moments—the first bite of a new food, the first successful transition, the first time a child feels proud of themselves. But even more than that, we do it for the moment when a parent sees that change and feels empowered, hopeful, and connected.
At Play with Me OT, we’re not just building skills—we’re fostering growth, joy, and connection for the entire family.
Sincerely,
Mary Wilkison, MS, OTR/L
Founder of PMOT