Specialist Occupational Therapy

Occupational Therapy looks at how difficulties with your neurodivergence may affect the things you need, want or are expected to do in everyday life.
I take time to understand your individual strengths, needs, challenges, environment and goals. We then identify practical strategies that can help you manage everyday activities in ways that work for you. My approach is neuro-affirming, individualised and strengths-based.

How Occupational Therapy can help

Personalised support
I work with you to understand your unique needs, strengths and challenges. Whether you are autistic, have ADHD or have another neurodivergent profile, support is tailored to your individual circumstances.

Everyday functioning
We can explore practical difficulties with routines, organisation, time management, planning, task initiation, independence and managing everyday demands.
Executive functioning

I can support you to develop practical strategies around:

• Planning
• Organisation
• Prioritisation
• Concentration and focus
• Task initiation
• Time management
• Managing competing demands
• Following complex or multi-step tasks

Stress, overwhelm and regulation
Neurodivergent people can experience significant overwhelm when the demands of everyday life exceed available resources. We can explore strategies for managing stress, emotional regulation, sensory overload, shutdowns and periods of increased demand. Where appropriate, this may include sensory regulation strategies and approaches to managing energy and preventing burnout.

Transition Planning

Transitions can create significant challenges for neurodivergent people.
I can support you through transitions such as:

• Moving from school to college or university
• Moving from university into employment
• Starting a new job
• Changing job roles
• Moving towards greater independence
• Preparing for adulthood
  

The focus is on understanding the practical demands of the transition and developing strategies that support successful participation.

Work and Occupational Therapy

Work is an important part of many people's lives and is a core area of Occupational Therapy.
As a Specialist Occupational Therapist, I can help you explore how neurodivergence may be affecting your ability to stay in, return to or succeed at work.

This may include difficulties with:

• Executive functioning
• Organisation and planning
• Workload management
• Fatigue and energy management
• Sensory processing
• Workplace routines
• Transitions and change
• Communication
• Overwhelm and burnout
• Maintaining sustainable working
  

I can provide Occupational Therapy-informed strategies and recommendations based on the issues identified through our work together.

Reasonable adjustments

Where appropriate, we can explore practical strategies and potential reasonable adjustments that may help you manage your work more effectively. These might relate to scheduling, task management, communication, sensory environment, workload or working routines.
I do not provide formal workplace Occupational Health or functional capacity assessments. If a formal workplace assessment is required by an employer, HR department or funding body, I can signpost you to an appropriate independent provider.

Workplace Neurodiversity Coaching

Specialist workplace coaching for neurodivergent adults

I provide workplace neurodiversity coaching through the Access to Work scheme where appropriate coaching has been awarded. The purpose of coaching is to help you develop practical strategies for managing the challenges you experience within your working life.

My extensive background as a Specialist Occupational Therapist gives me a strong understanding of neurodivergence, occupational functioning, workplace demands and environmental factors.

Coaching may focus on:

Executive functioning

• Planning and organisation
• Prioritisation
• Time management
• Task initiation
• Maintaining focus
• Managing complex tasks
• Managing competing priorities
  

Workplace communication and self-advocacy

• Understanding and communicating your needs
• Preparing for workplace conversations
• Discussing reasonable adjustments
• Communication in meetings
• Navigating workplace relationships
• Developing confidence in self-advocacy
  

Sensory and environmental strategies
Exploring practical ways of managing sensory demands at work, including noise, lighting, interruptions and workspace arrangements.

Workload and sustainable working
Developing strategies for structuring your working day, managing workload, reducing overwhelm and recognising patterns that may contribute to exhaustion or burnout.
Change and transitions
Support with adapting to changes in role, responsibilities, workplace environment or expectations.
Coaching is collaborative, practical and tailored to your individual working situation.

Support for Older Adolescents Aged 16-18

I also offer neuro-affirming Occupational Therapy for older adolescents who may be navigating significant transitions towards adulthood.
Support may include:

• Transition to sixth form, college, university or employment
• Increasing independence and daily living skills
• Executive functioning difficulties- Anxiety, overwhelm and burnout
• Emotional regulation
• Sensory challenges- Self-advocacy and understanding your neurotype
• Routines, organisation and time management
• Preparing for adulthood
• Education-related stress
• Reasonable adjustments

Support is collaborative, strengths-based and tailored to the individual young person's goals and needs. For clients aged 16-18, parental consent and appropriate involvement will be discussed to ensure safe and effective support.

Sensory Regulation

Neurodivergent people can experience sensory differences that have a significant impact on everyday functioning. I can help you understand your individual sensory preferences and sensitivities and how these may contribute to overwhelm, fatigue, shutdowns or difficulties participating in everyday activities.

This may include:

• Developing an individual sensory profile
• Identifying sensory triggers
• Exploring environmental modifications
• Developing sensory regulation strategies
• Exploring strategies to manage overload and shutdown
• Exploring interoception and awareness of internal bodily signals
  

The aim is to identify practical strategies that fit your individual needs and circumstances.

Building Confidence and Self-Advocacy

Understanding your neurodivergence can help you develop greater confidence in recognising your strengths and communicating your needs.

I can support you to:

• Understand your individual strengths and needs
• Develop self-advocacy skills
• Communicate your needs more confidently
• Develop practical strategies for everyday challenges
• Understand and request appropriate adjustments
• Build greater confidence in managing situations that previously felt overwhelming
  

Social Communication

If social interaction and communication create difficulties in everyday life, we can explore strategies that support communication and relationships in a way that feels authentic to you.
The focus is not on teaching you to hide or mask your neurodivergence.
Instead, we can explore your communication preferences, identify areas of difficulty and consider strategies that support meaningful participation and connection.

Guided Neurotype Screening

As a qualified autism assessor, I can provide guidance if you are questioning whether you may be autistic or otherwise neurodivergent.
This can include discussing your experiences, providing information about the diagnostic process and helping you understand potential routes towards assessment.
I can also provide general guidance around approaching your GP or considering an appropriate diagnostic pathway.
A screening or discussion does not constitute a formal diagnostic assessment unless specifically arranged as such.

Post-Diagnostic Support

Receiving an autism or ADHD diagnosis can be the beginning rather than the end of the process.
I can provide post-diagnostic Occupational Therapy support to help you understand your diagnosis and consider how recommendations may apply to your own life.
This may include exploring:

• Executive functioning
• Sensory needs
• Daily routines
• Education
• Employment
• Independence
• Self-understanding
• Self-advocacy
• Reasonable adjustments
• Strategies identified within your diagnostic report

The focus is on translating information and recommendations into practical support that is meaningful to you.

Reports and Documentation

In some circumstances, clients or employers may request written documentation to support workplace discussions, reasonable adjustments, return-to-work planning or funding-related discussions. Where appropriate, I can provide tailored documentation based on my professional assessment and work with you.

This may include:

AHP Health & Work Reports
To support return-to-work planning or provide information that may help inform discussions with a GP regarding a Fit Note.
Reasonable Adjustment Letters
Outlining identified functional needs and suggesting practical workplace strategies where appropriate.

Session Summaries and Progress Updates
These may be useful for Access to Work reviews or employer discussions, with the client's consent.

Support Recommendation Letters
Where appropriate, documentation may be provided for discussions with Access to Work, HR or Occupational Health.
Return-to-Work Planning
Where therapeutic pacing, sensory needs, energy management or other functional considerations are relevant.

Report Fees

Report writing, preparation of supporting statements and correspondence are charged at my standard session rate in line with the clinical or professional contact time involved. Most reports take approximately 1-3 hours, depending on their length and complexity.
A fixed fee can be agreed in advance where appropriate.
Report writing is not included within standard 1:1 session fees unless otherwise agreed. All reports are produced with the client's knowledge, consent and collaboration.

PIP and Benefits-Related Support

My practice focuses on neurodiversity, sensory regulation and functional participation through online assessment and intervention.
I do not provide functional capacity assessments for welfare benefits such as:

• Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
• Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• Universal Credit (UC)
• Social Care Needs Assessments
  

I therefore do not:

• Determine or comment on PIP eligibility
• Complete PIP application forms
• Advise or coach clients on wording for PIP descriptors
• Provide letters of support specifically for benefits
• Attend tribunals or case reviews
  

This reflects the scope and nature of my online Occupational Therapy practice and helps ensure that my clinical work remains within my professional scope.

Client Suitability

I work with neurodivergent adults and older adolescents aged 16+ experiencing difficulties relating to:

• Executive functioning
• Emotional regulation
• Sensory processing
• Daily living skills
• Education
• Employment
• Transitions
• Independence
• Overwhelm and burnout
• Understanding and managing the practical impact of neurodivergence
  

This service may be suitable if you are experiencing:

• Difficulties with planning, organisation or task initiation
• Time-management difficulties
• Overwhelm or burnout
• Difficulties with routines or independence
• Sensory challenges
• Difficulties related to autism, ADHD or another neurodivergent profile
• Transition-related challenges
• Education or university difficulties
• Workplace difficulties
• A need for structured, practical and reflective support
• A desire to better understand your strengths and needs
  

When My Service Is Not Appropriate

My service is not suitable for:

• Acute mental health crisis requiring urgent intervention
• Active suicidal intent or unmanaged self-harm risk requiring crisis services
• Severe, unmanaged substance dependence requiring specialist addiction services
• Acute psychosis or severe mental health instability
• Forensic, legal or court-related casework
• Mediation or legal disputes
• Situations where risk requires intensive multi-agency crisis intervention
• Individuals who are unable or unwilling to engage voluntarily with the process
  

In these circumstances, I may recommend seeking a more appropriate specialist or statutory service. Where concerns arise regarding safety or wellbeing, appropriate safeguarding procedures will be followed in accordance with professional and legal obligations. All support is voluntary and requires active engagement from the client.

Finding the Right Service

If you are unsure whether Specialist Occupational Therapy or Workplace Neurodiversity Coaching is right for you, please get in touch. A 15-minute suitability call provides an opportunity to briefly discuss what you are looking for and whether my service is appropriate.
Specialist Occupational Therapy is focused on the impact of neurodivergence on everyday functioning.

Workplace Neurodiversity Coaching is focused specifically on workplace support where appropriate coaching has been awarded through Access to Work.