Highland Park, Illinois
North Shore SD 112 covers nine schools across Highland Park, Highwood, and Fort Sheridan. Your child's school team says she's making progress on her IEP goals. But mornings at home still involve 20 minutes of sock struggles, a fight over toothbrushing, and tears before you even reach the car. School OT is working on school tasks. The rest of the day is where your family needs more support.
Your therapist
Laura O'Brien, OTR/L has spent more than thirty years helping north suburban families make sense of what's happening between school dismissal and bedtime. She works with Highland Park families who are tired of hearing "she's doing great at school" when home tells a completely different story. Laura teaches parents what to do, not just what's wrong, so you see results in your own kitchen and bathroom.
That's why families stay: every session ends with a clear explanation of why your child responds the way they do and what you can do about it starting tonight.
Last reviewed: April 2026
What parents tell Laura
These aren't behavior problems. They may point to sensory processing, motor planning, or self-regulation skills that school OT does not fully address.
Understanding your options
North Shore SD 112 serves nine schools across Highland Park, Highwood, and Fort Sheridan. Related services like OT come through the TrueNorth cooperative, though D112 has recently considered changes to that arrangement. School therapists focus on handwriting, scissors skills, managing classroom materials, and sitting through instruction. Goals are tied to the IEP and reviewed annually.
Brushing teeth. Wearing jeans. Sitting through dinner at a restaurant. Tolerating the noise at a friend's birthday party. Riding a bike. School OT addresses educational impact only. When IEP goals are met, services end. But your family is still living with two-hour bedtime routines and weekend meltdowns at the park.
Private OT picks up where school services end. Laura works on the life skills that matter at home and in your Highland Park community. Many families use both school and private OT because they serve different purposes.
Zoom and in-person
Laura guides you through hands-on activities using items you already have. Your child practices letter formation on a wobble cushion while Laura explains why deep pressure before homework often improves focus. Zoom works well for Highland Park families managing packed after-school schedules across multiple kids.
About 25 minutes from Highland Park. Your child climbs, swings, and works through obstacle courses that build motor planning and body awareness. Laura uses equipment most homes cannot replicate. You sit in the room, ask questions, and leave with a plan for the week.
Either way, you leave every session knowing exactly what to do between appointments.
Parent strategies
Picky eating at dinner: Put one new food on the plate next to two safe foods. Do not ask your child to eat it, smell it, or touch it. Just let it sit there. Over several meals, your child's nervous system can begin to tolerate the food's presence. This slow exposure often reduces mealtime anxiety more than any amount of encouragement or bargaining.
After-school shutdown: When your child walks in the door, skip the questions about school. Instead, offer 10 minutes of heavy work: carrying grocery bags, pushing a laundry basket across the floor, or doing wall push-ups. This kind of proprioceptive input helps the nervous system shift from "holding it together" mode to "safe at home" mode. Try it for a week and watch the evening pattern change.
Common questions
School OT through TrueNorth cooperative targets classroom skills. If your child struggles with daily routines at home, has difficulty at social events, or needs more sensory support than school provides, private OT can address those gaps. Many Highland Park families use both because they cover different parts of the day.
Yes. Many Highland Park families choose telehealth for weekly sessions and schedule in-person visits at the Des Plaines sensory gym for evaluations or when gym equipment is needed. Laura mails specific materials and coaches you through activities using household items.
If D112 changes its cooperative arrangement, the district would manage special education services directly instead of through TrueNorth. That could mean different therapists, different evaluation processes, or different eligibility decisions. Regardless of how district services change, private OT stays the same. Laura's work with your family is not affected by cooperative membership.
Getting started
Start with a free screening form so Laura can understand your child's needs. Many Highland Park families come to Laura after a D112 IEP meeting or an early childhood screening at the Highland Park Community Early Learning Center, wondering what comes next beyond school services. Call with questions about how private OT works alongside your child's school program.