Occupational Therapy Consultation
An Occupational Therapy consultation with Blackbird Occupational Therapy is a bespoke, personalised one hour deep dive into a topic of your choice. This consultation can be used in a variety of ways:
Maybe you are exploring the possibility that you might be neurodivergent but you don't know whether you want to pursue a formal diagnosis or what that assessment would entail. I have in depth knowledge and experience on the assessment process for autism, ADHD and dyspraxia and can support you in your exploration of your options.
This consultation can also be a great choice if you have just completed the assessment process and are wondering "What next?" or "What do I do now?" I have extensive experience in providing post diagnostic support and can facilitate you in prioritising your next steps in processing and supporting your neurodivergent identity.
Maybe you have known that you are neurodivergent for a while and have learned a lot about your neurotype and what this means for you but you feel that you would like some additional personalised support on one particular issue whether this is your executive functioning, your energy/fatigue management, your sensory experiences, autistic/ADHD masking or workplace accommodations. This one hour consultation is the ideal opportunity to do a deep dive on this topic and come away with practical and actionable strategies.
There will be a follow up email with relevant resources following each consultation; however please note that no report will be provided.
Occupational Therapy Support
Occupational therapy support with Blackbird Occupational Therapy consists of specialist neuro-affirmative therapeutic sessions.
This may be the right option for you if:
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• You can identify some of the changes you would like to make in your life.
• You are open to a collaborative approach which will involve experimenting with doing some things differently.
• You are looking for specialised, practical support aimed at improving your understanding of your neurotype.
• You want to improve your quality of life by exploring and implementing strategies that will support you to take part in the activities that are meaningful to you
Occupational therapy is often described as a practical therapy focused on our day to day activities. It is client centered and so the focus of the sessions will be guided by your priorities and what you would like support with or the changes that you would like to make.
Please note: This type of support is not suitable for those who are currently experiencing a mental health crisis/are in significant emotional distress.
Dyspraxia/Developmental Co-Ordination Disorder/DCD assessment for adults:
With the increasing awareness around neurodivergence, more and more adults are exploring the possibility that they may be dyspraxic.
Dyspraxia/Developmental Co-ordination Disorder/DCD is categorised by challenges with gross and fine motor skills, motor co-ordination and motor planning. Historically dyspraxia was referred to as "clumsy child syndrome" and there was little recognition that adults could experience similar challenges. Dyspraxia is not something that a child grows out of and so dyspraxic children grow up to be dyspraxic adults.
It is increasingly recognised that there are generations of adults who were never identified as being dyspraxic and hence never received the support they needed in order to thrive. Many of the adults that I assess for dyspraxia tell me that they grew up feeling "stupid" "clumsy", "bad at sports" that they feel "I didn't achieve my potential in school" and as a result their self-esteem has been severely impacted.
Common indicators of Dyspraxia/DCD in adults:
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Difficulty with tasks requiring balance, co-ordination and motor skills e.g. playing sports, driving.
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Challenges with personal care tasks, e.g. shaving, brushing teeth, applying make-up, blow-drying hair.
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Struggles with fine motor skills such as handwriting, "fiddly" tasks with small objects such as doing up small buttons.
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Difficulty with sense of direction/distinguishing left from right.
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Challenges with learning new motor skills, e.g. learning dance steps or exercise moves.
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Sensory sensitivities, e.g. increased sensitivity to noise, light, touch.
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Lack of awareness of body position in space, commonly bumping into or tripping over things, spilling things.
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Difficulty with motor planning/Praxis.
I offer best practice, comprehensive and compassionate assessment of dyspraxia in adults from the age of 18.
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For young adults who are completing state exams/attending college a handwriting assessment can also be completed as part of the dyspraxia assessment process. This can be helpful when applying for exam accommodations.
As gross and fine motor skills must be assessed as part of a dyspraxia assessment, assessment can only take place in person, it cannot take place online.
On completion of assessment, a comprehensive report with detailed results and recommendations will be provided.
Sensory Profile Assessment
​If you are experiencing sensory sensitivities, it can be helpful to have a sensory profile completed. ​
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The sensory profile assessment gathers information on your unique sensory processing pattern and insights into how these patterns may influence, enhance or interfere with your daily functioning.
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It enables the identification of strategies that may support you in your day to day life and chosen activities. It measures your sensory processing in relation to low registration, sensation seeking, sensory sensitivity and sensory avoidance.
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The sensory profile assessment comprises 2 x 1 hour sessions - the first session involves completion of the assessment (a series of questions about sensory preferences) and the second session focuses on assessment results/feedback and recommendations.
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A written report with results and recommendations is provided.