Prospect Heights, Illinois
Prospect Heights is a tight community. SD 23 has two schools serving pre-K through eighth grade, and special education services come through the NSSEO cooperative. That means evaluations and therapy recommendations often involve waiting for cooperative scheduling and limited session time. If your child needs more support than the school can provide, the closest private pediatric OT options have been a long drive away. Laura's sensory gym in Des Plaines is 10 minutes from Prospect Heights, making regular in-person sessions simple to schedule.
Your therapist
Laura O'Brien, OTR/L, has spent more than thirty years working with families across the north suburbs. She knows what it looks like when a small district does its best but the cooperative model leaves gaps in scheduling and continuity. She fills those gaps by working directly with your family, teaching you strategies you can use at home every day, not just during a 30-minute pull-out session twice a month.
Laura's approach is direct. She doesn't take your child into a back room. You are in every session, learning why your child responds the way they do and what you can do about it before the next appointment.
Last reviewed: April 2026
What parents say
These aren't behavior issues. They may point to sensory processing, motor planning, or self-regulation challenges that school OT does not fully address.
Understanding your options
SD 23 provides occupational therapy through IEPs managed by the NSSEO cooperative. Services focus on classroom performance: handwriting, scissors use, managing school supplies, and basic self-help within the school day. Because NSSEO serves multiple districts, therapist availability and scheduling can be limited.
Tolerating a haircut. Getting dressed without a fight. Sitting through dinner. Handling noise at a birthday party. Riding a bike. School OT addresses educational impact only, and when classroom goals are met, services stop. The daily routines that exhaust your family at home fall outside the school's scope.
Private OT picks up where school services end. Laura works on the life skills your family needs outside the classroom. Many families use both school and private OT because they serve completely different purposes.
In-person and Zoom
Laura guides you through activities in real time using items from your kitchen and playroom. Your child practices hand strength with putty and clothespins while you learn why certain textures cause a reaction. Telehealth works well for families who want weekly consistency without leaving the house.
Just 10 minutes from Prospect Heights. Your child climbs, swings, and works through obstacle courses that build body awareness and coordination. You are in the room, watching what works, asking questions, and learning how to recreate it at home. The gym has equipment that most homes and schools cannot replicate. The short drive makes weekly in-person visits easy to maintain.
Either way, you leave every session knowing exactly what to do between appointments.
Parent strategies
Before dinner: Have your child carry something heavy to the table. A gallon of milk, a full water pitcher, a stack of plates. This kind of heavy work sends calming input through the joints and muscles. Try it for three evenings in a row and notice if sitting through the meal gets easier.
Bath time battles: Let your child play with a dry washcloth first, rubbing it firmly on their arms, legs, and feet before getting in the water. This deep-pressure input can reduce the sensory surprise that makes water and soap feel overwhelming. If your child starts asking to do it themselves, the input is helping.
Common questions
School OT targets classroom skills. If your child struggles with daily routines at home, has difficulty at birthday parties or on playgrounds, or needs more sensory support than school provides, private OT can address those gaps. Many families use both because they cover different parts of the day.
About 10 minutes. Laura's office and sensory gym are at 1595 E Oakton St in Des Plaines, making Prospect Heights one of the closest suburbs she serves. Weekly in-person sessions are easy to fit into most family schedules.
Yes. Telehealth works well for many families. Laura mails specific materials to your home and coaches you through activities using household items. Some families do Zoom weekly and visit the sensory gym once a month for equipment-based work.
Getting started
Start with a free screening form so Laura can understand your child's needs. Many Prospect Heights families come to her when NSSEO services feel limited or when school progress does not match what they see at home. Call with questions about how private OT works alongside your child's school program.