As an Occupational Therapist, Faith looks at the barriers your child faces in engaging in things that they want to do or need to do. This could be handwriting, attending school, focusing in class, cleaning their teeth, going on a family outing, riding their bike.

Faith looks at their physical, cognitive and communication skills, and any sensory, communication and mental health differences or challenges. She assesses how the environment around them might be helping or hindering and looks at the culture and relationships that they are surrounded by.

As a neuro-affirmative practitioner Faith focuses on how the environment can be changed; the tasks and what support the adults around can put in place – not how the child needs to change.

Faith’s role can include the following:

  • Identifying your child’s needs and barriers, and what support they need.
  • Helping your child, you as parents and school to better understand their needs.
  • To advocate for them and you as a family in her report, communication with other professionals and any meetings Faith attends.
  • To problem solve with you and offer practical advice.

Faith covers children and young people from the age of 2 – 25. Most of our clients are aged 4 – 16.

No, your child does not need a diagnosis of any condition for Faith to work with them. During the assessment if she observes characteristics that are common in autistic, ADHD or PDA children she will comment on this in the report. Faith also offers DCD / Dyspraxia assessments to those seeking a DCD diagnosis.

Good question! PDA or Pathological Demand Avoidance is widely considered a profile of autism. Children with PDA need high levels of control and autonomy over their lives. They experience loss of autonomy or a demand as a threat. Demand avoidant children often mask at school and then ‘explode’ at home. Parents are often blamed for their child’s ‘misbehaviour’ and told that their child is ‘fine at school’.

Parenting a child with PDA is very challenging as even the most simple things such as dressing, eating and washing become a huge battle. PDA can affect every area of a child’s and family’s life.

PDA isn’t an official diagnosis. In England the recognition of PDA varies by county. A few NHS Trusts recognise it, many do not. If your child has an autism diagnosis you may see written ‘autism with a demand avoidant profile’.

First of all don’t worry. Faith is very used to this. If your child is too anxious or dysregulated to see Faith on the assessment day this is evidence too and an indication of their need. Faith can get the information she needs in a variety of ways that she will arrange in consultation with you. This could be through a combination of videos, photos, discussions with you and school staff, online scales or activities that you or your child completes or moving some of the assessment online. Faith has clients that can do a whole 2 hour assessment with her; others that manage 5 minutes and some that she never sees in person or online at all.

Yes. Faith works with lots of children with EBSA (Emotionally Based School Avoidance) and we have personal experience of this as well as our two children became unable to attend school.

No, Faith is a remote Occupational Therapist. She doesn’t have a clinic. This means that she comes to you. Faith mainly does assessments and sessions in homes, schools, nurseries and colleges. She also meet clients in the community.

That depends on the type of assessment. See the assessment page for more details.

Please see our prices on this page.

Yes, many of our clients are either on roll at school but unable to attend, home educated, or have an EOTAS package. Faith can do the assessment at home or in the community e.g. bowling alley, playgroup.

No. Attending tribunal as an expert witness is very time consuming and often requires specialist training. We don’t currently offer this service. Although Faith is not an expert witness, you can use the report she writes as evidence in a tribunal. Our reports contain numbered paragraphs and the main section of the report (excluding appendices) is typically 15 pages or less.

No. Sensory Integration requires advanced training and a clinic with specialist sensory equipment. Sensory Integration assessments are often time consuming and demanding for the child. Children receiving sensory integration normally have it on a weekly basis for 6 months with the focus being on helping the child integrate their sensory input and be able to regulate their output.

Instead Faith offers functional sensory assessments which look at the child’s sensory profile and the environment. She considers how their sensory needs impact all areas of their life including self-care tasks like eating and dressing, anxiety and emotional regulation, accessing the community and coping at school.

In therapy sessions Faith helps children and the adults around them (parents, teachers, mentors) understand the child’s sensory profile and needs. She focuses on helping them adapt the environment, alter tasks, adjust daily schedules and create time and space for the right kind of sensory input they need to regulate.

Yes, Faith has very limited capacity to provide in person therapy sessions. She also delivers online parent coaching and support.

We very rarely have cancellations. However, if your need is urgent we can place you on the cancellation list.

Yes. Faith provides training for school staff and university students. Faith also can be booked as a keynote speaker, workshop leader or to speak at a webinar or online training session. Examples of previous engagements can be found on our media page. Please contact us for details.

Yes. Faith provides online supervision for individuals and groups. Prices start at £90 per hour. Please contact us for more details.