Therapies
Occupational Therapy
Our Occupational Therapy team has training in several therapeutic programs and techniques including Handwriting Without Tears, DIR/Floortime, and several sensory integration and feeding therapy intervention techniques.
Pediatric Occupational Therapists help children achieve their optimal potential in their daily “occupations” of play, self-care and school. The goal of occupational therapy is to increase a child’s success in these occupations and address any of the foundational areas of sensory processing and motor planning that influence the performance of functional skills and participation in daily activities.
Get occupational therapy services started!
After completing the paperwork found in this link, a Carruth Center employee will contact you regarding next steps and scheduling.
Children who have developmental or learning disabilities can often benefit from occupational therapy. Occupational therapy can also benefit children who demonstrate difficulties with sensory processing and sensory integration, gross and fine motor strength, or planning and coordination in the absence of other overriding diagnoses.
Occupational therapy may be recommended if a child is struggling with:
- Sensory processing – Difficulty responding to sensory input resulting in dysregulation. Sometimes referred to as a Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD). This may present as an over-responsivity and/or under-responsivity to sensory input such as touch, movement, positional changes, tastes, textures, smells or noises. This may also present as poor organization, attention, safety awareness and/or difficulty with task completion, as well as increased impulsivity, withdrawal, or aggression.
- Fine motor/manual skills such as grasping, precision use and manipulation of items (ex: tying shoes, writing, picking up small foods).
- Visual motor-perception skills such as letter or word recognition, visual memory, closure or discrimination, and spatial relations.
- Self-help skills such as age-appropriate independence in feeding, dressing, grooming, toileting, or manipulating fasteners (buttons, zippers, etc…).
- Motor planning and body awareness which includes initiation and execution of tasks, development of functional play skills and tolerance of changes in routines or transitions between activities.
- Balance and postural strength/stability which are needed to sustain upright and seated postures for functional tasks (eating, doing homework/schoolwork, self-help tasks).
- Bilateral coordination, strength and endurance, including jumping, running, climbing, and gross motor tasks.
- Eye-hand coordination and visual tracking which is needed for a variety of functional skills such as various ball skills, tracking objects or reading.
Carruth Occupational Therapists
Rachel Czar, OT, SIPT Certified
Rachel Czar is an occupational therapist at The Carruth Center. She holds both a BS and MS from the University of Texas Health Science Center and is Sensory Integration Praxis Test...
Rachel Czar, OT, SIPT Certified
Rachel Czar is an occupational therapist at The Carruth Center. She holds both a BS and MS from the University of Texas Health Science Center and is Sensory Integration Praxis Test (SIPT) Certified. Prior to joining The Carruth Center, Rachel worked as a lead in a DIRFloortime® preschool group in Dallas. She also has experience working with children in outpatient clinics, as well as in their home and school settings. Rachel is passionate about helping children with autism and sensory processing disorder. She is experienced helping children with feeding issues and has Handwriting Without Tears® training.
Rachel believes that a child’s occupation is to play. “I enjoy helping them in a fun and playful way to carry out their occupational roles of a student, family member and most importantly, a play mate,” she says. “My goal is that the children I work with believe they are playing and do not realize they are also working hard in therapy.”
In her free time, Rachel enjoys being a mom to her two sons, going to movies and concerts and spending time with her family.
Susan Honey
Susan earned an Associate of Occupational Therapy degree from HCC Coleman University in 2017 and holds a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of Houston. She is curr...
Susan Honey
Susan earned an Associate of Occupational Therapy degree from HCC Coleman University in 2017 and holds a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of Houston. She is currently pursuing her Master's degree in Occupational Therapy.
Throughout her professional career, Susan has dedicated herself to providing valuable support to parents and educators in maximizing children's success. Her specialized training and extensive experience in sensory integration and developmental areas, including sensory processing, motor development, behavioral skills, and group therapy, have equipped her with the knowledge and skills necessary to deliver effective therapeutic and successful interventions. Susan's work as an occupational therapist assistant has provided information on various topics, including sensory processing, fine-motor development, handwriting development, and life-skills group activities at clinics and schools.
Additionally, she holds continuing education certificates in DIR Floortime, Sensory Integration, Behavioral Intervention, and Handwriting Without Tears. Susan's vast experience has enabled her to guide and inspire children, caregivers, and educators across various settings, including homes, daycares, preschools, and different school systems (public, private, specialized, and cyber). Her unwavering dedication to the growth and development of her patients is driven by her love for what she does.
Susan takes pride in her work and is passionate about helping children reach their full potential. She is a native of Houston and currently resides there with her husband and two cats. Susan enjoys traveling, live music, the arts, and spending time with loved ones during her free time.
Caroline Moreland, MOT, OTR/L
Caroline Moreland is a Licensed Occupational Therapist with the Texas Board of Occupational Therapy Examiners and obtained certification through the National Board for Certifica...
Caroline Moreland, MOT, OTR/L
Caroline Moreland is a Licensed Occupational Therapist with the Texas Board of Occupational Therapy Examiners and obtained certification through the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy. Caroline completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise Science at The University of Texas at Austin and received a Master’s of Occupational Therapy from the University of Texas Medical Branch in 2019. Since becoming an occupational therapist, Caroline has worked in a variety of settings including outpatient neurorehab, outpatient pediatrics, and school-based OT services. She has an extensive history of working with and volunteering with children who have autism spectrum disorders. Caroline has a history with The Carruth Center as she completed her Level 2 Clinical Rotation here during graduate school. Caroline’s areas of interest include sensory integration techniques, play-based intervention, handwriting, and self-regulation. Caroline has completed training to become a certified DIR/Floortime practitioner and is excited to provide Floortime services to her kids at Carruth!
Rachel O’Reilly Tovar, MOT, OTR/L
Rachel O’Reilly Tovar is a registered and licensed Occupational Therapist with the Texas Board of Occupational Therapy Examiners and obtained certification through the National B...
Rachel O’Reilly Tovar, MOT, OTR/L
Rachel O’Reilly Tovar is a registered and licensed Occupational Therapist with the Texas Board of Occupational Therapy Examiners and obtained certification through the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy. Rachel is also a licensed DIR/Floortime practitioner.
Rachel received a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Quantitative Social Sciences from the University of Houston where she published a thesis about children with learning and emotional difficulties. She received a Master’s of Occupational Therapy from Texas Woman’s University in Houston.
Rachel has a passion for working with children; she has spent the last 10 years volunteering and working with children in many settings. She has volunteered for organizations such a PM Pals and Night to Shine, and she was a Sunday School teacher for River Pointe Church’s iFit ministry for many years. Rachel has experience working with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, sensory processing disorders, genetic disorders, and learning differences.
Rachel’s areas of clinical interests include sensory integration techniques, play skill development, handwriting, and self-regulation. Rachel believes that every child is unique and worthy of connection; she strives to help children achieve increased self-esteem and independence.