About Ignite OT

Hi, I’m Jessica

A Senior Paediatric Occupational Therapist and the heart behind Ignite OT.

 

With over eleven years of experience supporting infants, children, and adolescents, I’ve had the privilege of walking alongside countless families through the highs, challenges, and breakthroughs of childhood development. I hold a First Class Honours degree in Occupational Therapy from University College Cork (UCC), a Diploma in Complementary Health Therapy and I am a qualified in Sensory Integration. I’m deeply passionate about creating therapy experiences that are playful, respectful, and rooted in each child’s strengths.

As a mum of two, I understand the importance of feeling supported, heard, and truly understood. I bring that same care into every session — combining evidence-based approaches with a warm, child-led mindset. Whether your child is navigating daily life skills, sensory needs, school transitions or if you just want to touch base and chat, I’m here to guide and support you in the right direction.

At Ignite, my goal is simple:

To light up each child’s unique spark and help it grow.

Qualifications and Professional Development

Sensory Integration Training – University of Southern California (USC):

  • Course 1 – Theoretical Foundations of Sensory Integration: From Theory to Identification
  • Course 2 – Sensory Integration Evaluation and Clinical Reasoning
  • Course 3 – Sensory Integration Treatment from Intervention to Participation
  • Course 4 – Special Topics in Sensory Integration Intervention to include:
  • Sensory Integration for Individuals on the Autism Spectrum
  • Sensory Integration in School Based Settings
  • Infant Sensory Integration Workshop led by Meg Faure in London, 2018
  • Sensational Babies: Meeting Sensory Needs in Early Intervention.
  • Primitive Reflexes: Screening, Compensation Techniques, and Treatment
  • Childhood anxiety
  • Creative Mindfulness Kids Practitioner
  • Visual Perception and Its Impact on Learning: Strategies and Resources
  • Eyesight to Insight: Visual and Vestibular Assessment & Treatment
  • ADHD 101: Understanding the Essentials
  • ADHD Play – An Integrated Approach for ADHD Children and Teenagers – Presented in person by Dr Heidi Kaduson
  • Qualified Baby Massage Instructor/IAIM
  • Diploma in Complementary Health Therapies
  • Qualified Massage Therapist
  • Train the Trainer Level 6
  • Lámh Certificate
  • DIR Floortime Approach
  • The Autism Diagnostic Interview – Revised (ADI-R)
  • Sydney Chu, Assessment and Intervention for Children with DCD
  • Providing Good Clinical Supervision (Association for Psychological Therapies)

What is Occupational Therapy?

Occupational Therapy can sometimes be tricky to understand due to the broadness of the profession. Simply put, “occupations” are the everyday activities that people need, want or are expected to do. For a young person, their main occupations include:

Play

Exploring, creating, using imagination and having fun

School Activities

Learning new skills, colouring, writing, focusing, following routines, becoming independent, organising belongings

Selfcare

Getting dressed, brushing teeth, using the toilet, feeding themselves

Social Skills

Playing with others, building friendships, taking turns, understanding others

Occasionally children find certain tasks problematic which may indicate underlying challenges in areas such as, coordination, posture and balance, attention, sensory processing, fine and gross motor skills and much more. OT’s focus on how and why the function of any of these areas may be hindered and what can be implemented to support development and promote independence.