OT that meets your child where life actually happens.
In-home, private pay pediatric occupational therapy for children ages 2 to 18 in Central New York. One expert, your home, your child, your real life.
If any of this sounds like your child, I can help.
Every child I work with is different. But the families who find me tend to share a version of the same story: something is going on at home, at school, or out in the world, and the traditional system has run out of answers. The list below isn't exhaustive. It's a starting point. If you see your child anywhere in it, let's talk.
Regulation and big feelings
- Meltdowns that seem out of proportion, or that seemingly happen out of nowhere
- Difficulty recovering from hard moments
- Trouble with transitions between activities, places, or people
- Sleep, morning, or bedtime routines that feel impossible
Sensory and daily life
- Sensory overwhelm in public spaces, grocery stores, or family gatherings
- Strong reactions to food textures, clothing, sounds, or lights
- Difficulty with dressing, toileting, or eating independently
- Seeking intense input (crashing, spinning) or avoiding movement (fear of unsteady ground)
- Stimming or venting frustration in harmful ways or ways that interfere with function
Participation and skills
- Trouble sharing or joining in with peers, siblings, or group activities
- Difficulty using forks, knives, spoons, cups, or straws
- Fine motor, handwriting, clothing fasteners, or coordination concerns
- Trouble with focus, following verbal directions, or completing everyday tasks
- Trouble with potty training between the ages of 3-6
I work with children ages 2 to 18 and their families. I especially love the early years, when small shifts create big change, but I also work with older children and teens who need support.
What actually happens when I come over.
I arrive at your home with a plan, a bag of the materials I think we'll need, and a willingness to throw that plan out if the day calls for something different. Every session is 60 minutes, and every session follows the same general shape.
Part 1. One on one with your child
I spend focused time working directly with your child. This is where I get to know how they learn, what lights them up, what shuts them down, and which techniques are landing. Play looks like play to your kid. To me it's assessment, connection, and skill building all at once.
Part 2. Hands on with you
I bring you in and coach you through exactly what I was doing, and why. You get to practice it with your child while I'm still there to answer questions, tweak the approach, and troubleshoot in real time. This is the part most clinics skip. It's also the part that makes the rest of the week work.
Part 3. Time that's just for you
I dedicate part of every session to you, the parent. Sometimes that looks like education on what's actually happening in your child's nervous system. Sometimes it looks like a self-regulation strategy you can use when things get hard. Sometimes it looks like a conversation about how to emotionally connect with your child in a moment of distress. We use this time for whatever you need most.
You leave every session with specific, practical strategies that fit your actual routines, and the 'why' behind each one so you can adjust as your child grows.
My approach, in plain language.
The way I work is built around three commitments.
Co-regulation, not compliance
I highly value co-regulation as the foundation of my practice. Children learn to regulate their feelings and their bodies by borrowing a calm, stable nervous system from an adult they trust. That's the adult I try to be in every session. I've been told my whole life that I have a soft spoken, calming, deliberate presence. I show up as that steady, regulated presence so your child can learn what regulation actually feels like from the inside out.
Parent coaching, built in
You spend far more time with your child than I ever will. That's not a limitation, it's the point. Every session ends with you knowing what I did, why I did it, and how to keep doing it between visits. My job is to make sure what happens in our 60 minutes together keeps working the other 10,020 minutes of the week.
Neurodiversity-affirming
I love working with neurodiverse children. My goal is never to make your child less of who they are. It's to help them build the skills they need to move through the world with more ease, more capability, and more self-understanding, while still fully being themselves.
How this is different from what you've tried before.
If you've already worked with an OT in a clinic, in a school, or through early intervention, you know the model. Here's what's different about mine, and why it matters.
| Traditional clinic or school OT | Empower Kids OT | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | A clinic room or a corner of the school | Your home, where real life happens |
| Session length | Often 30 minutes, back to back | A full 60 minutes, with time to meet your child where they are |
| Parent involvement | Parent usually waits outside, gets a quick handout at the end | Parent is part of the session and leaves with hands on practice |
| Who decides the goals | Insurance, school district, or clinic protocol | You, your child, and me |
| Waitlist | Often months long | None, we start when you're ready |
| Evaluation | Time-crunched, checklist driven | Thorough, unhurried, built around your actual concerns |
