Kaitlyn Doyle, OTD, OTR/L

Kaitlyn graduated with her Doctorate of Occupational Therapy from St. Ambrose in 2019. Kaitlyn is a dedicated pediatric OT and Early Intervention provider with extensive experience supporting children with a wide range of diagnoses. She has experience evaluating and treating children in the home, school, clinic, and community settings. Kaitlyn has a strong background in working with children on the autism spectrum, both in direct therapy and as part of multidisciplinary evaluation teams. Kaitlyn is deeply committed to empowering families and collaborating closely with them to set and achieve meaningful, individualized, goals. Her approach is rooted in compassion, teamwork, and a belief in each child’s potential to thrive. Her ultimate goal is to help every child she works with reach their full potential, while also ensuring families and caregivers feel supported every step of the way. Outside of work, Kaitlyn enjoys spending time with her family and friends, being outside, trying new restaurants, and grabbing a cup of coffee.

An 8-week program for children age 3-6 with sensory processing differences

Children with sensory processing differences have difficulty with regulation, which sometimes makes it difficult for them to interact with the world around them. Our Sensory Explorers group targets regulation in order to build engagement! This group is led by pediatric occupational therapists Mackenzie Baldock (2:30 group) OR Meghan Day (8:30 group) and developmental therapist/PLAY Project Consultant Brenna Thompson, all of whom specialize in using developmentally appropriate strategies to support children so they can learn new skills. Group meets once/week for 60 minutes.

Wondering if this class is appropriate for your child? Some characteristics of kids who benefit: easily frustrated with play, repetitive play, difficulty sitting/keeping still to engage in play, refuses to allow others to engage in play, unable to be messy, overly busy, quickly overwhelmed in a busy environment, picky eater, difficulty tolerating grooming/dressing/diapering routines, struggles with transitions/following a group plan/routine. 

Goals of the group include:

  • Child participating in a variety of sensory play activities
  • Engaging socially with others in the group
  • Providing a non threatening environment where children can experience new sensations with the support of a pediatric Occupational Therapist and PLAY Project consultant
  • Providing personalized resources to caregivers, so they better understand the sensory system and learn strategies to assist their child with regulation outside of group
  • Opportunity to meet with other local families
 
 

GROUP MEETS for 8 weeks:  Caregivers must stay on the premises to support their child and learn helpful strategies. Children will separate from caregivers for the session; caregivers can socialize in the lobby (we will also provide a few toys for siblings to play). Caregiver education is a key component of this program. 

 

OPTIONAL Summary Report available at close of session. This 2 page report will summarize your child’s participation in the class and provide helpful sensory strategies to increase their participation in activities. This report could be given to teachers in classrooms & daycares or utilized to help educate other caregivers about ways to help your child participate. This option includes a 30 minute Zoom meeting with Brenna and MacKenzie/Brenna and Meghan to review the report and discuss your child’s progress in Sensory Explorers. COST: $100 due at sign up