Lee O’Brien

Senior Specialist Occupational Therapist

I am an Occupational Therapist (BSc OT), registered with the Health Professionals Council, the Royal College of Occupational Therapists, the Sensory Integration Network and the National Autistic Society. I have a special interest in the education of children with neurological conditions, social and communication challenges and developmental challenges. I have gained experience in Australia and the United Kingdom.

Once I qualified as an Occupational Therapist in 2006, I worked in South Australia for the Department of Country Health with a varied caseload in paediatrics, adults and aged care, although the majority of my caseload was paediatrics. I worked as part of an interdisciplinary team in a rural and remote setting where I provided treatment from a neurodevelopmental and sensory integration perspective.

Since moving to London in 2011, I have worked in Social Services and in the NHS across five London boroughs across homes, mainstream schools, additional needs schools and community clinics. I am currently working as an occupational therapist (OT) in an additional needs school and college, and as a consultant providing independent school and home based interventions for children with challenges impacting on their ability to function, learn, play and access the curriculum. As an OT, I can help develop a child’s sensory integration and processing, attention/regulation, fine and gross motor skills, handwriting, and self-care abilities.

I work collaboratively with the parents and education staff to help them understand and feel empowered to support their children in order to maximise functional autonomy, participation and learning. I provide training to parents and staff to promote an understanding of sensory processing and integration and to ensure the children have optimal access to their education.

I am a relationship-focused, neurodiversity-affirming and strengths-based therapist who values partnering with families and key stakeholders throughout the therapeutic process. I feel that the most important part of learning is learning together as a team, and emphasising relationships as our primary focus to build the child’s sense of who they are.

I am strongly committed to ongoing professional development and hold post-graduate qualifications in Sensory Integration (recently enrolled to complete Advanced Practice, Module 4) and am trained in the Assessment of Motor and Process Skills (AMPS), the Sequential, Oral, Sensory feeding (SOS), and Social Communication, Emotional Regulation and Transactional Support (SCERTS) model.