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Aspire!
Occupational Therapy & Coaching Ltd.
At Aspire Occupational Therapy & Coaching LTD, we are dedicated to empowering individuals to reach their full potential.
Our Services
Occupational Therapy
We support children to self-advocate for what they know they need at home, school and community environments. The individual’s experience of the world is valid.​
Could be impacted by a disability that is identified or not yet identified such as
autism/pathological demand avoidance, ADHD, anxiety, brain injury, genetic
differences, and physical disability, among a few.
Occupational Therapy Assessment
Assessment is provided in a variety of occupational therapy areas. Parents often know something is up with their child and would like assessment to support them to learn more about their child.
Other times, parents are looking for specific assessment information to support a further psychological assessment, such as for autism.
This can be valuable to collate information from daycare/school and home/ community experiences for children who are considered “high maskers” in some situations, such as in an assessment session or at school.
Mentorship for OT's
Mentorship is available for pediatric occupational therapists.
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​​These relationships involve 1 or 2 monthly virtual meetings to learn and consult
about a specific topic area or client, with parent permission.
​Videos of sessions are recommended for review, also of course, with parent permission.
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For British Columbia occupational therapists wishing to become a provincial, registered autism service provider and be on the provincial “RASP list”, supervision and mentorship are available.
Resources for neuroaffirming coaching and consulting for working professionals, business owners and individuals are available.
Please contact us for more information.​​
Neurodivergent Coaching
Pathological Demand Avoidance
You may have heard of it. Pathological demand avoidance. Or otherwise known out in the world as ‘persistent drive for autonomy’ or ‘pervasive desire for autonomy.’
It is considered a type of autism, driven by high levels of anxiety. There is an internal expression and an external expression. It is characterized by an overwhelming inability to resist demands/pressure, whether an internal demand or one presented by someone else.
It is very different than the well-known versions of autism. The recognition of PDA is growing around the world, as it is not yet in the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) and is not as well known in Canada as in other countries.
What is assessed and misdiagnosed can be misleading to families and children as oppositional defiant disorder, ADHD, and anxiety. This can send families and schools to resources that are not addressing the disability that PDA actually is.
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We at Aspire are very PDA-friendly and see the desire for autonomy as an inherent strength, often from a young age. The approach for supporting children with PDA is viewed here as a healthy parenting approach for all of our children!
Interoception
Interoception, initially identified by Occupational Therapist, Kelly Mahler is a sense that provides information about the internal condition of our body—how our body is feeling on the inside, allowing us to experience many body sensations such as a growling stomach, dry mouth, tense muscles or racing heart. Awareness of these body sensations enables us to experience hunger, fullness, thirst, pain, body temperature, need for the bathroom, sexual arousal, relaxation, anxiety, sadness, frustration, and intertwined with emotional sensations such as anxiety, sadness, frustration and safety.
"Occupational Therapy is a necessity for many people with all different types of disabilities. For some, it can be difficult to find a therapist they connect with. Or perhaps they haven't found a therapist that is willing to take feedback and adapt therapy programs and strategies. Alison has worked with me on and off for the past 10 years and there is no one else I would rather have in my corner when advocating for equipment and helping me meet my goals in therapy Alison is friendly, approachable, reliable and most importantly, always open to feedback and suggestions to make therapy the most beneficial for every client. When you work with Alison not only do you get a therapist, but you also get a friend."
Tagen Marshall