Deerfield, Illinois
The IEP review at Walden or South Park went well. Your child met her goals for handwriting and classroom behavior. But at home, brushing teeth is still a battle, getting socks on takes 15 minutes because the seams feel wrong, and loud noises at the grocery store end the trip early. D109 measures classroom access. The rest of the day needs a different kind of support.
Your therapist
Laura O'Brien, OTR/L has more than thirty years of experience helping families bridge the gap between school progress and daily life. She works with Deerfield families to build the skills that matter outside the classroom: dressing, grooming, eating, playing with peers, and managing sensory challenges in the places your family actually goes.
Parents keep coming back because Laura teaches them what to do between sessions. You leave every visit understanding why your child reacts the way they do and what you can do about it starting tonight.
Last reviewed: April 2026
What parents tell Laura
These are not behavior problems. They are signs your child may be working through sensory processing, motor planning, or other foundational skills that affect life beyond the classroom.
Understanding your options
Deerfield Public Schools D109 runs a full continuum of services from PK through 8th grade across four elementary schools and one middle school. Through IEPs and the TrueNorth cooperative, students receive school-based OT focused on handwriting, fine motor tasks, sensory regulation during class, and transitions between activities. Student Services also supports 504 plans, nursing, social-emotional learning, and McKinney-Vento services.
Getting dressed without a meltdown. Tolerating a shower. Eating foods with new textures. Sitting through a family dinner at a restaurant. Playing sports without shutting down. School OT addresses educational impact only. When IEP goals are met, services can be reduced or ended, even if your child is still struggling at home every single day.
That is where private OT fills in. Laura works on the life skills that matter at home and in your Deerfield community. Many families use both school and private OT because they cover different parts of a child's day.
In-person and Zoom
Laura watches your child work through real-life tasks in your actual kitchen, bedroom, or living room. She sees the environment where the struggles happen and coaches you through changes on the spot. You learn why deep pressure before getting dressed helps, or why the bathroom lighting might be part of the teeth-brushing problem.
About 18 minutes from Deerfield. Your child climbs, swings, and works through activities that build motor planning and sensory regulation in ways a home environment cannot replicate. Laura explains what she is doing and why, so you leave with strategies you can use during the week.
Either way, you leave every session knowing exactly what to do between appointments.
Parent strategies
Before getting dressed: Roll a tennis ball firmly up and down your child's arms and legs for about 30 seconds on each limb. This deep-pressure input can reduce the sensitivity that makes clothing seams and waistbands feel unbearable.
At dinner: Place a new food on the table without asking your child to eat it, touch it, or even acknowledge it. Let the food show up three or four times before any interaction. Repeated visual exposure without pressure often reduces the anxiety that drives food refusal.
Common questions
D109 school OT focuses on classroom success: handwriting, scissors, sitting at a desk, and managing transitions. Private OT addresses the rest of the day. If your child struggles with morning routines, sensory issues at home, self-care tasks, or community activities, private OT can help with the skills school does not target.
Yes. Many Deerfield families use Zoom for regular sessions because the coaching happens right in your home, where the challenges are. Laura mails materials and guides you through activities using household items. Some families add periodic in-person visits to the Des Plaines gym, about 18 minutes away.
Trust your instincts. If daily tasks feel harder than they should, if your child avoids certain textures or activities, or if sensory reactions are disrupting family life, an evaluation can help clarify what is going on. Red flags include extreme reactions to clothing, difficulty with self-care compared to peers, poor coordination, and avoiding playground equipment.
Getting started
Start with a free screening form so Laura can understand your child's needs. Many Deerfield families come to Laura after a D109 IEP review, wondering why school progress has not carried over to daily life at home. Call with questions about how private OT can work alongside your child's school services.