OT Living with Kids is about me, Kate Turner. I’m a full-time mom, a full-time Occupational Therapist (OT, registered in Ontario, Canada) and part-time blogger sharing knowledge. Here we’ll talk about what parenting neurodivergent children from an OT parent’s perspective.
What is an OT? Great question! Check out my “Welcome to OT Living with Kids?” page here.
I became an OT 14 years ago and since have developed expertise in pediatrics. I’m a registered OT in Ontario, Canada. My pediatric OT experience is mostly in a large acute care hospital in Ontario, Canada where I work with medically complex babies and children. Over the years, I’ve worked in many different inpatient and outpatient programs including cardiology, cleft lip and palate/craniofacial, neurosciences, critical care and intensive care units among others. In addition to being a hospital-based OT, I have also worked in the community providing care in home and in schools.
Before becoming an OT, I started in life sciences and pursued a career in research. After completing a Bachelors in Science, then did research for a Masters in Science in Neurosciences studying Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. This science and research background is a bit unique for an OT and has served me well. I became an OT with a strong understanding of human anatomy and physiology plus extra education about the brain and how it works. I have a deep understanding the medical complexity of the children I work with, and I also use evidence to guide my practice.
After working as an OT, I became a mom. The most challenging and beautiful education yet. As many others before me, my path to parenthood was not straight-forward. It was full of traumatic pregnancy/post-partum experiences that have changed how I view health care, parenting, life, etc. I live with my husband, 2 kids and 3 cats. Having a child with neurodiversity has required every ounce of OT skills at times. And so here I am an OT living with kids.
My experience as an OT mom parenting neurodiversity has given me huge compassion for the families I work with. Life is never easy, but who knew it could be this hard! Through this website I plan to share tips and tricks of what I’ve learned along the way through my experiences as a parent, my experiences as an OT, and through the knowledge I gained reading research and other evidence. Hope I can help to families, caregivers and other health care professionals.