Skokie, Illinois
Skokie families deal with something most suburbs don't: four separate school districts serving one city. SD 68, SD 69, SD 73, and Evanston-Skokie SD 65 each run their own special education programs through NTDSE #807. Your neighbor's child may qualify for services that yours does not, simply because of which side of a street you live on. If the school system feels confusing, it's because it is. Private pediatric occupational therapy gives your family a consistent plan that doesn't change with district lines.
Your therapist
Laura O'Brien, OTR/L, has spent more than thirty years working with families in the north suburbs of Chicago. Many of her Skokie families come to her after getting conflicting information from their school district about what OT services their child qualifies for. She helps sort through that confusion, and she teaches you specific strategies you can use at home tonight.
Laura's approach is simple: she doesn't just work with your child. She works with you. Every session ends with a clear explanation of 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 skills that school OT does not fully address.
Understanding your options
Skokie's school districts provide OT through IEPs managed by NTDSE #807. Services typically focus on fine motor skills for the classroom: coloring, cutting, pre-writing, and self-help tasks like managing a lunchbox or zipping a backpack. Therapists consult with teachers and adjust goals each year based on academic progress.
Tolerating a haircut. Sitting through dinner. Riding a bike. Handling the noise at a birthday party. School OT addresses educational impact only, and when IEP goals are met, services stop. The daily routines that exhaust your family at home fall outside the school's scope entirely.
Private OT picks up where school services end. Laura works on the life skills your family needs outside the classroom. Many Skokie families use both school and private OT because they serve different purposes.
In-person and Zoom
Laura guides you through hands-on activities using items you already have. Your child practices letter formation while sitting on a wobble cushion. You learn how to turn bath time into a sensory regulation activity. Zoom works well for Skokie families juggling multiple after-school schedules.
About 15 minutes from Skokie. Your child climbs, swings, and works through obstacle courses designed to build motor planning and body awareness. You sit in the room, ask questions, and leave with a plan for the week. The gym has equipment most homes can't replicate.
Either way, you leave every session knowing exactly what to do between appointments.
Parent strategies
Before dinner: Have your child carry heavy items to the table. A gallon of milk, a stack of plates, a full water pitcher. This kind of heavy work activates the proprioceptive system and can reduce fidgeting and meltdowns during the meal. Try it for three evenings in a row and notice if sitting through dinner gets easier.
After school meltdowns: Set up a "landing pad" routine. When your child walks in the door, give them five minutes of deep pressure input: a tight hug, wrapping in a heavy blanket, or pressing couch cushions on top of them (with their permission). This helps the nervous system shift from "holding it together" mode to "I'm safe at home" mode. If your child seeks this out on their own, that's a sign 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 Skokie families use both because they cover different parts of the day.
Yes. Telehealth works well for many Skokie families. Laura mails specific materials to your home and coaches you through activities using household items. Some families alternate between Zoom and in-person visits at the Des Plaines sensory gym, about 15 minutes away.
Skokie is split across SD 68, SD 69, SD 73, and parts of Evanston-Skokie SD 65. Your address determines your district, and each district has its own eligibility rules. If you're unsure, check with the Village of Skokie or your school's front office. Regardless of district, private OT stays the same.
Getting started
Start with a free screening form so Laura can understand your child's needs. Many Skokie families come to her after a confusing IEP meeting or a preschool screening that didn't quite match what they see at home. Call with questions about how private OT works alongside school services.