Occupational therapists Sarah Flood and Joanna Pasheluk at Chicago Pediatric Therapy & Wellness Center provide sensory awareness information to educate parents on identifying and addressing their child's sensory needs at home. Watch the video.Occupational therapy can be a big help to kids on the autism spectrum, as well as many kids with sensory challenges. But how do you continue OT techniques at home between appointments? In this 20-minute video led by two experienced OTs, you'll learn how to make sensory blankets and bins, build an obstacle course, and many other creative ideas to transform your home into a sensory-rich environment without breaking your budget.

Presenter: Joanna Pasheluk, MS, OTR/L is a licensed and registered occupational therapist at Chicago Pediatric Therapy & Wellness Center. Prior to starting graduate school, Joanna worked as an ABA line therapist for children with autism and developed an interest in working with children with special needs. She received her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from the University of Illinois at Chicago and has worked in a preschool setting. Joanna has her Early Intervention credential and enjoys working closely with children and their families to meet their identified goals. Joanna has completed training in DIR Floortime, reflex integration, Sensory Integration, astronaut training and the SOS Approach to feeding. 

Presenter: Sarah Flood, MS, OTR/L is a pediatric occupational therapist at Chicago Pediatric Therapy & Wellness Center who is also credentialed through the Early Intervention system of Illinois. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2008 and went on to get her Masters degree in Occupational Therapy from Washington University in St. Louis. She began her OT career working at Chicago Public Schools, mainly at cluster school programs for children with complex special needs. There, Sarah worked with children with various diagnoses such as learning disabilities, autism, cerebral palsy and Down Syndrome. She gained experience working with families to build their IEPs and now uses this firsthand knowledge to advocate for children and their families.