Therapy works best when it’s collaborative and fits your child’s real, everyday needs.
Occupational therapists and homeschool moms Sarah Collins and Kim Hazelton have an honest conversation about what families can realistically expect from occupational therapy. They break down the importance of understanding a child’s sensory and nervous system responses, avoiding power struggles, and prioritizing the goals that matter most to the family. You’ll hear why collaboration between parents and therapists is key—and how to carry strategies over into daily life at home. Kim also shares highlights from her books Calm Down, Child and Neuro Roots, offering extra support for parents navigating this journey with confidence.
Special Needs
Sarah Collins is a homeschooling expert, occupational therapist, and educational consultant who specializes in supporting neurodivergent learners. Her unique professional background combines clinical expertise with hands-on homeschooling experience. Sarah transitioned to homeschooling in 2017 after working nine years as an occupational therapist while raising her young family. Though initially skeptical of homeschooling, she quickly embraced its ability to provide individualized education, family-centered learning, and academic customization.
When her son experienced reading difficulties, Sarah's occupational therapy background enabled her to incorporate movement-based learning, while collaborating with specialists to address his underlying needs. This personal experience with her neurodivergent son inspired her current mission: combining her occupational therapy expertise with homeschool education to support other families navigating similar challenges.
Sarah holds an MS in Occupational Therapy from Medical College of Virginia (2008) and a BS in Recreation and Leisure Administration from York College of Pennsylvania (2001). Her professional experience includes working as a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist at Children's Hospital in Richmond (2002-2006), a Pediatric Occupational Therapist at Kennedy Krieger Institute (2008-2011), a Home Health Occupational Therapist at University of Maryland (2011-2016), and currently as a Homeschool Occupational Therapy Consultant at HomeschoolOT (2019-present).
As an educational leader, Sarah has served as a Classical Conversations Foundations Tutor (2016-2018, 2023) and Essentials Tutor (2018-2022), Charlotte Mason Co-op Co-coordinator and Instructor (2019), home educator for three children with diverse needs (2016-present), and Elective Co-op instructor teaching cooking, physical education, handwriting, and executive functioning (2024-present). She regularly presents at major homeschooling and educational conferences, including CHAP, HEAV, Homeschooling Special Needs Conference, and various medical symposiums.
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