Neuroaffirmative Occupational Therapy · Chicago & South Florida

OT that meets your
nervous system
where it is.

In-home and telehealth occupational therapy for Autistic, ADHD, PDA, and otherwise neurodivergent kids, teens, and adults — across Chicagoland and South Florida, with telehealth in IL, FL, WI, and NY.

Book a free 30-min consultation See how we work
Lifespan Care
Toddlers through adults
Affirming, Always
Never compliance-based
In-Home + Virtual
IL · FL · WI · NY

Meet your therapist

Hi, I'm Stefanie.

Founder of Ocean Tide Therapy and a licensed occupational therapist serving families in Chicagoland and South Florida.

I started Ocean Tide because I kept seeing the same gap: families looking for OT that respects how their kid's nervous system actually works, instead of therapy designed to make a neurodivergent child look more neurotypical. We are an explicitly neurodiversity-affirming, trauma-informed, LGBTQ+ welcoming practice. We come to your home, on your terms, at your kid's pace — or yours.

Meet the full team Book a free consult
Stefanie, founder and occupational therapist at Ocean Tide Therapy

How we work

Affirming care, plainly stated.

Neuroaffirmative is one of those words that's gotten used so often it's started to mean nothing. Here's what it actually looks like in our sessions:

We follow the kid — or adult.

Sessions are play-based, interest-led, and shaped around what your nervous system needs that day — not a fixed protocol on a clipboard.

Stimming is regulation, not a behavior to extinguish.

We don't try to change how someone communicates, moves, or experiences the world. We help build skills around who you already are.

Parents are partners, not bystanders.

We coach, we collaborate, we share what we're seeing in real time, and we send you home with strategies that work for your actual life.

Evidence-based OT inside an affirming frame.

Sensory integration, interoception, executive function support, motor skill development, feeding work — the full clinical toolbox, never the harmful pieces.

What you won't see in our sessions

We will never:

If your child has had therapy that left them more dysregulated, more shut down, or less themselves, you're not imagining it. We do this differently on purpose.

Book a free 30-min consultation

Our Services

Specialized care across the lifespan

From sensory-rich play sessions for toddlers to executive function coaching for adults, we meet you exactly where you are.

Pediatric OT Services

Play-based, family-centered therapy for children from infancy through adolescence. We support sensory processing, fine motor skills, self-regulation, and school readiness.

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Adult OT Services

Empowering adults to reclaim independence, manage sensory and executive function challenges, and build meaningful daily routines aligned with their goals.

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Interoception

Discover the "eighth sense" — interoception — and how tuning into your body's internal signals can transform emotional regulation, self-awareness, and daily wellbeing.

Learn more →

Our Approach

Every session is tailored, trauma-informed, and neurodiversity-affirming. We collaborate with families, educators, and healthcare providers for truly holistic care.

Meet the team →

Specialty deep-dives

Specific profiles, in depth

Some profiles need more than a general OT page. These are written for people actively researching them — by people who actually work this way.

PDA Profile

Pathological Demand Avoidance — also reframed as Persistent Drive for Autonomy. Low-demand, autonomy-respecting OT for kids and adults whose nervous system reads demands as threats.

Read about PDA →

AuDHD

The combined Autistic + ADHD profile is its own thing — not autism plus a side of ADHD. Therapy that holds both sets of contradictions instead of trying to resolve them.

Read about AuDHD →

Adult Executive Function

OT-based EF coaching for ADHD, autistic, AuDHD, and burned-out adults. Sensory-aware, identity-first, and built to survive your worst weeks — not just your best ones.

Read about Adult EF →

Late-Diagnosed Adults

If autism, ADHD, or AuDHD landed in your 20s, 30s, 40s, or later — the work isn't fixing you. It's translating the diagnosis into a daily life that actually fits your nervous system.

Read about late diagnosis →

Autistic Burnout

Real, distinct from depression, and not a productivity problem. Recovery-paced OT support that reduces demand load before it tries to rebuild capacity.

Read about burnout →

Adult Sensory Processing

Your sensory needs are real. We map your profile, design environments around it, and build daily strategies that respect — not reform — how your nervous system actually processes the world.

Read about sensory →

Who We Help

Conditions we support

Our therapists are trained and experienced in supporting a wide range of needs across the lifespan.

Autistic / Autism ADHD PDA Profile Sensory Processing Anxiety & Depression Developmental Delays Fine Motor Delays Executive Function Challenges Dyspraxia / DCD Trauma & PTSD Feeding Difficulties School Readiness Handwriting Difficulties Emotional Regulation Life Transitions Interoception Differences Self-Care & Daily Living Post-Injury Rehabilitation Chronic Pain & Illness

In their words

What families and clients say

Names and identifying details changed or omitted with consent. Real quotes from real Ocean Tide families and clients.

"Our 7-year-old's previous OT made him cry every session. With Stefanie, he asks when therapy is. That's the whole difference."

— Parent of an Autistic 7-year-old · Chicago [PLACEHOLDER]

"I'd tried four different productivity systems and three coaches before working with Ocean Tide. This is the first time someone built strategies around how my brain actually works instead of telling me to try harder."

— AuDHD adult, 34 · South Florida [PLACEHOLDER]

"I got diagnosed at 42. I'd spent twenty years thinking I was failing at being a normal adult. Six months with Stefanie and I finally have systems that actually fit how my brain works."

— Late-diagnosed Autistic adult, 42 · Chicago [PLACEHOLDER]

Want to share your experience? Email stefanie@oceantidetherapy.com — we always ask before publishing anything.

Ready to find your rhythm?

Schedule your free 30-minute consultation and discover how Ocean Tide Therapy can support you or your child's journey.

Get Started Call Us: (954) 418-2244

Service Area

In-home OT in Chicagoland & South Florida

In-home occupational therapy across the Chicago suburbs and South Florida — plus telehealth across Illinois, Wisconsin, Florida, and New York.

Chicago: (773) 245-3880  ·  South Florida: (954) 418-2244

Chicagoland

Chicago Evanston Naperville Oak Park Schaumburg Wilmette Highland Park Arlington Heights

South Florida

Fort Lauderdale Miami Boca Raton Hollywood Pembroke Pines Coral Springs Coral Gables Aventura
See all 51 locations →