Occupational Therapy

Occupational Therapy (OT) services are now available at the shared space of McLean Psychotherapy & Psychiatry! We are excited to expand our interdisciplinary team to include comprehensive OT services with life-skill development strategies for children, adolescents, and adults. Occupational therapy supports clients who are navigating difficulties with executive functioning, sensory processing, or fine motor delays that can affect emotion regulation, learning, attention, and the ability to maintain a healthy routine.

Occupational therapists use the latest research and evidence-based techniques to provide client-centered support and home treatment plans. Our ultimate goal is to help clients increase their participation in daily life activities with increased independence, joy, and success. Occupational therapists evaluate a client’s unique sensory, fine motor, and executive functioning profile to identify strengths and barriers at home, work, school, or out in the community.

In-Home Service: Upon request, our occupational therapists can provide in-home visits to personally evaluate and optimize your work or study space, ensuring your home environment is conducive to achieving your educational or professional goals. We help identify and address common factors that can be sensory triggers or taxing to executive functioning. By turning sources of decreased efficiency and sensory overload into workable solutions, we promote improved efficiency, focus, and task completion.

Why Seek Occupational Therapy?

Occupational therapy aims to use professional knowledge and skills to help people achieve greater independence, realize increased success in educational and professional environments, and to find harmony within their homes and communities. 

Occupational therapy helps clients develop realistic goals and provides interventions with personalized strategies. People may seek out an occupational therapy evaluation for themselves or their child to learn more about:

Developmental concerns:

  • Autism Spectrum Disorder

  • Sensory Processing Disorder

  • Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Executive Functioning and Regulation Difficulties:

  • Emotional regulation challenges

  • Difficulties with organization and planning daily tasks

  • Difficulties with task initiation or completion

  • Motor planning difficulties (Praxis)

  • Difficulties with transitions (especially away from preferred activities)

  • Self-regulation when navigating loud, bright, or crowded environments

Medical and Physical Challenges:

  • Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

  • Fine motor delay

  • Poor legibility, speed, or pain with handwriting

  • Physical disabilities affecting daily functioning (e.g., low muscle tone, processing delay, visual motor integration, gravitational insecurity)

  • Anxiety and/or sensory discomforts impacting sleep or ability to tolerate grooming, showering, haircuts, nail trimming

Goals

The overall purpose of our occupational therapy services is to provide:

  • A comprehensive assessment of the client’s profile of strengths and areas of difficulty related to daily function

  • Diagnostic clarification regarding functional impairments (e.g., Sensory Processing Disorder, types of Attention Deficit Disorder, Levels of Autism Spectrum Disorder, Symptoms associated with TBI or mTBI)

  • A personalized, actionable plan with strategies to promote client independence and progress

  • Follow-up care as needed, e.g., providing therapeutic intervention, collaborating with school teams, and consulting with other care providers

Evaluation

During an occupational therapy evaluation, we conduct an intake interview with our client or the client’s family, and conduct standardized assessments according to our clinical observations and the client’s concerns. We review relevant medical documents and screening from other professionals (e.g., developmental pediatricians, teachers, neuropsychologists, clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, speech pathologists, physical therapists, et cetera). With this information, we process standardized assessment questionnaire data, interpret the data, give feedback, generate a report, and follow up as needed. We then develop specific, measurable, and time-bound goals that can be broken down into clear steps to promote progress. 

The standardized assessments and subsequent interventions may examine:

  • Sensory processing skills (e.g., responsiveness to sound, touch, movement)

  • Fine motor skills (e.g., handwriting, buttoning, using utensils)

  • Visual-perceptual and visual-motor skills

  • Behavior regulation (e.g., task initiation, impulse control)

  • Emotional regulation (e.g., shifting from one task to another, controlling big emotions)

  • Cognitive regulation (e.g., working memory, praxis)

  • Adaptive daily living skills (e.g., dressing, hygiene, routine schedules and organization)

Sandra (Sandy) Clough, MOTR/L

Certified Occupational Therapist

Sandra (Sandy) Clough, MOTR/L, of Hendel Occupational Therapy, LLC, is currently seeing clients in McLean, VA. Location: 6731 Curran Street, McLean, VA 22101.


To learn more about Sandy, who works with children, adolescents, and adults, please see here.

Next Steps