Palatine, Illinois
Your child just turned three. The Early Intervention therapist who came to your house every week is gone. CCSD 15 offered a preschool placement, but the OT services look different now, if they were offered at all. You can tell your child still needs help with eating, dressing, and tolerating new textures. The gap between what EI provided and what the school covers is real. Private pediatric occupational therapy in Palatine can bridge it.
Your therapist
Laura O'Brien, OTR/L, has spent more than thirty years helping families through exactly this transition. When Early Intervention ends and school services feel like less, parents worry that progress will stall. Laura works with Palatine families to keep skills moving forward so the shift to preschool doesn't mean starting over.
Laura doesn't just treat your child. She teaches you what to do at home so the work continues between sessions. You leave every visit understanding 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 are not behavior problems. They're signs your child may need support with sensory processing, motor planning, or other foundational skills that school-based OT was not designed to address.
Understanding your options
CCSD 15 is the second-largest elementary district in Illinois, with 14 elementary schools and 5 middle schools. OT is available as a related service through your child's IEP, focused on fine motor and sensory needs that directly affect classroom performance. Sessions typically target handwriting, scissors use, and in-seat attention.
Getting dressed in the morning. Sitting through a meal without gagging. Tolerating a haircut. Playing at the park without crashing into other kids. With 14 elementary schools and thousands of students, CCSD 15 therapists carry large caseloads. Once classroom goals are met, services end. But the struggles at home and in the community often continue.
That's where private OT fills in. Laura works on the life skills that matter at home and in your Palatine community. Many families use both school and private OT because they address different parts of a child's day.
In-person and Zoom
Laura guides you through sensory activities using items you already own. Your child does animal walks across the living room while she coaches you on the pressure and timing that make it therapeutic, not just exercise. Telehealth works well for Palatine families who want consistent weekly sessions without the 20-minute drive.
About 20 minutes from Palatine. Your child uses swings, climbing walls, and crash pads that provide the deep sensory input a living room cannot replicate. We work on reflex integration, bilateral coordination, and motor planning using equipment designed for exactly these challenges. You watch, 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
Before getting dressed: Have your child squeeze a ball of Play-Doh ten times with each hand. This wakes up the small muscles in the fingers and the proprioceptive receptors in the palm. Try it for one week every morning before attempting buttons or zippers. If you notice less frustration and faster dressing by day five, your child may benefit from regular hand-strengthening work.
At mealtime: Offer a crunchy food (carrots, pretzels, apple slices) before introducing a new texture. Crunching provides strong oral input that can calm the sensory system and reduce gagging responses. Serve the crunchy item first, then place the new food on the plate without commenting on it. If your child touches or licks the new food within a week, that is real progress.
Common questions
School OT targets classroom performance. If your child meets IEP goals at school but still struggles with daily routines at home, private OT can help with the skills that school was never designed to address. Many Palatine families use both services because they cover different ground.
This is the most common question Laura hears from Palatine parents. When EI ends, some children qualify for CCSD 15 preschool services, but many do not. Even those who qualify often receive less therapy than they had through EI. A private evaluation can identify ongoing needs and prevent a gap in services during this critical window.
About 11 miles, roughly 20 minutes by car. Many families come in person once or twice a month for sensory gym sessions and do weekly Zoom appointments in between. This combination gives your child access to specialized equipment while keeping the schedule manageable for your family.
Getting started
Start with a free screening form so Laura can understand your child's needs. Many Palatine families find Laura right after their child ages out of EI, looking for answers about what comes next. Call with questions about how private OT works alongside CCSD 15 services or on its own.