Meet the Owner/Founder

Karen Smith, OTR is a high-energy, engaging, Occupational Therapist with extensive experience in leadership as a director of therapies, program development, mentor of therapists, and an effective pediatric clinician, in both clinic-based (medical model) and school-based (educational model) settings.  She uses a collaborative, strengths-based, solution-focused assessment and treatment approach, with family-centered communication to identify challenges and intervention solutions to achieve outstanding therapeutic outcomes. She ultimately builds a strong rapport with children, teens, young adults and their families to help each child reach their potential through education, inspiration, clinical support, guidance, and motivation to meet established goals. 

AREAS OF FOCUS 

Sensory Processing and Regulation I Primitive Reflex Integration I Motor Planning and Coordination I Behavioral Strategies l Zones of Regulation l Visual Processing I Grasping l Handwriting l Dyslexia l Handwriting Without Tears l Executive Functioning I Social Thinking! I ADHD I Autism I Strengths-based approach I Growth Mindset I Inspiring kids and empowering adults and families

EDUCATION and CREDENTIALS

• Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy (equivalent to current Masters Degree), The University of Western Ontario (now Western University) 1993 London, ON, Canada 
• National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT), Nov 2005- Current
• California Board of Occupational Therapy, Licensed Occupational Therapist, CA License #20424, Aug 2019 - Current, in good standing
• The Virtues Project Program Facilitator, March 2023

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

• Owner and Founder, Karen Smith-Pediatric OTR, Concierge Occupational Therapy Services
• School-based OT for Conejo Valley Unified School Districts and two Idaho school districts 
• Director of Sensorimotor and Communication Therapies and Clinical Occupational Therapist at Cortica in Westlake Village
• Occupational Therapist and Program Development at Chatterbox Pediatric Therapy Center in Nampa/Boise, ID 

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

• National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT)
• American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA)

SELECTED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

A wealth of experience in the areas of visual processing skills, autism, primitive reflex integration, pediatric brain development, sensory processing and integration, sensory diets, executive functioning skills using strategies from "Zones of Regulation",  "Social Thinking!", '"Cognitive Based Therapy", Handwriting Without Tears", "Brain Gym", "Bal-A-Vis-X" and integrated learning with movement.

SELECTED WORKSHOPS PRESENTED 

• Success in Middle School: Empowering Parents and Students
• Inspiring Kids! A shift from Judgement to Curiosity
• Virtues - Empowering kids vs Micromanaging
• Zones of Regulation Strategies for School Use   
• Strategies for Functional Grasping in School-Age Children   
• Letter Height, Spacing and Placement  
• Sensory Tools and Strategies for Classroom Focus
• Occupational Therapy in the School Setting    
• Brain-Based Movement Strategies for Effective Learning  
• De-Mystifying the Sensory Diet