Nicole Fluth, OTD, Empowers Children Through Functional Kids Pediatric Therapy

Nicole Fluth, OTD

Occupational therapist Nicole Fluth has a unique perspective on the sensitive children she works with. She used to be one. 

"I had sensory challenges as a child and struggled with paying attention and doing things like getting my socks on and getting my hair brushed," says Fluth. "Having an overly sensitive child was a challenge for my mom.

After earning a degree in exercise science, Fluth says she chose USD for her Doctorate in Occupational Therapy because of its excellent reputation, its location in her home state, and its affordability.

"One thing that I loved was that we had anatomy and physiology with the physician assistant and medical students," says Fluth. "I think that interdisciplinary approach prepared us really well to practice in the real world."

Fluth provided OT in a school district in Arizona and at LifeScape in Sioux Falls before starting her own business, Functional Kids Pediatric Therapy in Sioux Falls, three-and-a-half years ago.

"Before I started the business, I noticed that some kids might do well one-on-one in a clinic setting, but still struggle at home or in the classroom," she says.

She started offering OT services in patients' homes, daycares, and classrooms. Eventually, she also added a clinic. Today, Fluth's business employs six other full-time therapists and several part-therapy therapists and has a waiting list of families.

She credits her USD experience with not only preparing her to be a good therapist but also to handle the rigors of entrepreneurship.

"Sometimes I joke that grad school was just as hard or harder than running a business," she says. "But it set me up well to be able to practice with the base of knowledge I needed to be successful."