My mother tongue is English and my German is basic. I typically do not take children who only speak German as I’m working in International Schools for most of my week and the children usually have a basic exposure to both languages. Some children speak to me in German if they are more comfortable with that and I reply in English. This seems to work well for most of the kids I work with. Since the work we are doing is typically game and play based language is not always the most essential piece of the puzzle. Of course it depends on what the referral is for. When I worked in China I worked with lots of younger children who spoke only Chinese or Korean (which I do not speak). This worked out just fine and therapy was effective with them. Of course every child is different. If the language barrier makes therapy ineffective I would tell you as soon as it becomes apparent.

I have a a BSc Occupational Therapy degree with Honours, obtained from Oxford Brookes University, United Kingdom in 2000. I have worked in the National Health Service (UK) and also in Hong Kong, in China and in Germany. You can read more about my professional experience in “About me” and read some of my feedback from parents under “Testimonials” on the Home page. I am registered under the British “Health & Care Professions Council” which regulates and supervises all health care professionals in the UK as well as those qualified and still covered by UK professional bodies. Please feel free to click the HCPC link at the bottom of the home page to see my name on the registration page.

No. The short reason is that I am an Occupational Therapist not an Ergo-therapist. I am not registered with the German Ergo-Therapist professional body and therefore local German state insurance cannot cover my services.

If you have a private German health insurance policy they may pay for Occupational Therapy. Please check with your own policy. My invoices will say “Occupational Therapy”. They cannot say “Ergo therapy’ for the reasons given above. Please be sure they cover Occupational Therapy.

If you have an International private medical insurance package they are typically more familiar with Occupational Therapy but again you need to check with your own insurance company to be sure of what requirements they might have.

I can work with children in school, in your home, in a playground or in a clinic centre depending on circumstances. Typically I work in schools and so sessions will usually be “pull out” style (I will collect your child from the classroom and take them to our session space and return them at the end). This means I might do occasional observations in the classroom or playground if there is a reason to but the majority of our time will be in a private room on a 1:1 basis in within the school or in your home.

Sessions are play based. This means wherever possible the children will be completing their therapy in the context of playing a game or completing some kind of challenge. It should be fun to come to OT! Of course structure and boundaries are important. Within the context of a safe, playful environment we build a therapeutic relationship which facilitates exploring feelings, challenging topics and stretching the children to try tasks they might find difficult. It is vital that children feel safe and respected. Therapy cannot be effective without this foundation.

My dissertation topic, for which I won the Claire Taylor Award (for the best in year) was on: Developmental Coordination Disorder and Handwriting difficulties. I have consistently taken additional training courses to stay abreast of new developments in relevant topics, typically several courses each year. The list of courses I have attended is too long to list here but I aim to give you a flavour of my ongoing interests and academic development. Masgutova Neuro-sensorimotor Reflex Integration (MNRI©) In the last 4 years I have focused on intensive training in Masgutova Neuro-sensorimotor Reflex Integration (MNRI). I am engaged in ongoing studies of Primary Reflex Patterns and their Integration with the Svetlana Masgutova Educational Institute (SMEI). I am a Core Specialist in Training for this organisation and can be searched under: mnriguide. COURSES & TRAINING MSC Module from the University of Sheffield on ADHD (2017-2018) Ayres Sensory Integration (Part 1 of 4). SI Certification Program run by University of Southern California (May 2015). Dr. Susanne Smith Roley, OTD, MS, OTR/L, FAOTA Therapeutic Listening. Listening with the whole body, Accreditation Course. (May 2014) Irlen Syndrome Screening, Accreditation Course (September 2013) Handwriting Without Tears, Accreditation Course (September 2013) Enneagram, Level 1 (Sept 2012) and Level 2 (May 2013). The psychology of motivation. Kidsmix: Helping Kids Become Social Heroes. Developing Children’s Social and Emotional Competence. Helen Davidson, Assoc OT, MSc Counselling. (Sept 2012). Superflex: A Social Thinking Curriculum. (May 2012) OT for children with Developmental Coordination Disorder, (February 2011). Sidney Chu, OT. OT for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, (February 2011). Sidney Chu, OT. Effective Interventions combining Sensory Intervention and Neurodevelopmental Treatment. (October 2010). Ricardo C. Carrasco, Ph.D., OTR/L. OT for Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, (February 2010). Sidney Chu, OT. Assessment and Treatment of Sensory Modulation Disorders in children with different developmental disorders. (Feb 2010). Sidney Chu, OT.