Home/Adult Clinic/Occupational Therapy
Adult Clinic

Adult Occupational Therapy

Specialist adult OT services including DCD assessments, sensory needs assessments, and ongoing therapy blocks. Our focus is not just on diagnosis, but on helping you function confidently and independently in everyday life.

Email Adult Clinic See Fees

About Our Adult OT Services

Our adult occupational therapy team works with individuals who experience motor coordination, sensory processing, or daily living skill challenges that affect their work, relationships, and well-being. We offer three main pathways:

  • Adult DCD (Dyspraxia) Assessment — joint assessment with a doctor and OT
  • Adult Sensory Needs Assessment — online (UK) or in-person in Wallingford
  • Ongoing OT Therapy Blocks — goal-based support for daily life and workplace
Service 1

Adult DCD Assessment

Our adult DCD assessments are completed jointly by a doctor and an occupational therapist, working together in one coordinated session. This joined-up approach allows us to explore medical, functional, and emotional perspectives side by side.

Who Can Be Assessed

Assessments are appropriate for individuals who:

  • Have never been formally diagnosed in childhood
  • Continue to experience coordination-related challenges in adulthood
  • Are seeking clarity, support, or workplace/educational adjustments

The Goal of an Adult DCD Assessment

  • Confirm or rule out a diagnosis of DCD where lifelong coordination difficulties are suspected
  • Clarify how motor coordination affects daily living, employment, education, and well-being
  • Guide recommendations for support, workplace or educational adjustments
  • Enhance self-understanding and support the development of self-management strategies

What Does the Assessment Involve?

Before the Session

  • Structured questionnaires about daily living skills, leisure, fatigue, and past medical history
  • Review of any existing reports or relevant history you provide

During the Session (approx. 2 hours)

  • Detailed developmental and medical history with a doctor to confirm early onset
  • Standardised motor assessments (for ages 18–25) or informal functional assessments (for over 25s)
  • Completion of practical tasks to explore coordination, motor planning, and everyday functional skills — wear comfortable clothes and well-fitting shoes
  • A reflective discussion with you to explore how coordination differences affect your daily life

After the Session

  • A detailed report summarising findings, strengths, and areas of difficulty
  • Tailored recommendations for workplace or educational adjustments, therapy options, and strategies
  • The report can be shared with employers, educators, or healthcare professionals to help advocate for appropriate support
Diagnostic Criteria
A diagnosis in adulthood requires evidence that coordination difficulties began in childhood (even if not previously diagnosed), continue to affect daily functioning, and cannot be attributed to another significant condition (e.g. cerebral palsy, stroke).

How an Adult DCD Assessment Can Help

  • Provide clarity and validation for lifelong challenges
  • Support applications for reasonable adjustments in the workplace or education (e.g. under the Equality Act 2010)
  • Guide referral to occupational therapy, physiotherapy, or coaching to develop practical strategies
  • Support mental well-being by reducing frustration and improving self-awareness
  • Help you build on your strengths — creativity, problem-solving, and communication
Service 2

Adult Sensory Needs Assessment

Understanding Sensory Processing in Adults

Sensory processing refers to how the nervous system receives, organises, and responds to input from the body and environment. Sensory processing differences don't disappear with age — they evolve. While sensory challenges in children are well recognised, there's growing awareness that adults can experience similar difficulties, often with a significant impact on daily life.

For some, these patterns have been present since childhood. For others, they may come to the forefront following major life events — illness, stress, or roles involving intense sensory demands including military or emergency services work. Increasingly, parents who've supported their children's sensory needs begin to recognise familiar traits in themselves.

Typical Signs and Impact

  • Emotional regulation and well-being — difficulty winding down, irritability, shutdowns, or sensory overwhelm in busy or unpredictable environments
  • Focus, productivity, and work participation — struggling with open-plan offices, noise sensitivity, or transitions between tasks
  • Social interaction and relationships — masking, avoiding sensory-rich settings, or needing recovery time after social engagement
  • Daily routines and self-care — discomfort with clothing textures, difficulty with mealtimes, or needing structure to manage sensory load
  • Access to leisure and community activities — avoiding travel, events, or unfamiliar environments due to sensory demands
Delivery Options
This service is available online (UK residents only) or in person at our Wallingford clinic. It's designed to support reflection, collaboration, and practical planning — helping adults better understand their sensory profile and shape strategies that support everyday life.

What Does the Assessment Involve?

Before the Session

  • Structured questionnaires and reflective prompts to complete in advance
  • Opportunity to share existing reports, notes, or reflections that offer insight into your sensory profile

During the Session (approx. 1.5 hours)

  • A combination of validated sensory assessments and collaborative discussion
  • Exploration of sensory preferences and sensitivities across home, work, and social settings
  • Joint reflection to contextualise findings and explore practical take-away advice
  • Time to talk through your experiences in a calm, respectful setting — either online or in person

After the Session

  • A full written report outlining your sensory profile, clinical findings, and tailored strategies
  • Recommendations can be shared with employers, healthcare professionals, or used to inform access needs and reasonable adjustments

Who is this assessment suitable for?

  • Adults experiencing sensory-related challenges in everyday life, including work, home, or social settings
  • Those seeking greater self-awareness and practical strategies to support wellbeing
  • Adults with a history of sensory differences or those exploring traits linked to neurodivergence
  • Those navigating life transitions, stress, or roles with high sensory demand

Please note: This service is not suitable for adults currently experiencing acute or complex mental health challenges that require specialist input. If you're unsure whether this assessment is right, we're happy to discuss it with you.

Service 3

Ongoing OT Therapy Blocks

Following an initial assessment, adults may be offered a block of goal-based OT sessions to build specific skills, develop strategies, and promote confidence and independence.

What Sessions Include

  • Targeted skill development (core strength, balance, dexterity)
  • Task-specific practice (workplace tasks, organisation, daily living skills)
  • Sensory-based activities to support regulation and attention
  • Strategy work with employers or family members where relevant
  • Ongoing goal tracking to ensure therapy remains relevant and outcome-focused

Frequency and Duration

Weekly or fortnightly sessions over a term or intervention block — typically 6 sessions, 60 minutes each. Sessions may take place in clinic or via telehealth. Therapy blocks draw on evidence-based approaches including the Cognitive Orientation to daily Occupational Performance (CO-OP) and Ayres Sensory Integration® (ASI).

Ready to Start?

Contact our adult clinic to discuss which OT service fits your needs.

Email Adult Clinic