Donna Klein OT, PLLC

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Donna Klein OT, PLLC

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Helping children thrive. Helping parents understand. Helping providers grow.

Pediatric OT | Parent Coach | Provider Mentor | Founder, Westchester Therapy Solutions | NY & FL + Virtual Nationwide Donna Klein, M.A., OTR/L, is a licensed occupational therapist with decades of experience working with children, families, and professionals in complex and emotionally meaningful situations. She is the founder and former director of Westchester Therapy Solutions, a highly respected pediatric therapy practice in Westchester, NY, where she worked closely with families and led, supervised, and mentored a large multidisciplinary team of therapists for over 30 years. Following the sale of her practice, Donna returned to providing more individualized work through Donna Klein OT, PLLC. Her current work includes supporting children and families, educating parents, mentoring providers, and offering consultation and workshops focused on understanding behavior, communication, and regulation. Across all phases of her career, Donna’s work has centered on listening carefully, identifying patterns, and helping people feel more confident, understood, and supported.

19/08/2026

5 things to get the school yr off to a good start!

1. Use Open Ended questions about school (not yes/no or questions with 1 word answers) ie. What did you/didn’t you like about school today? Instead of how was school?

2. Keep ur ears open to what your kids say but also your antennae (for additional meaning behind the words)

3. Many boys open up more to discussions/questions about school when they are engaged in an activity ie. playing outside or without having to make eye contact while riding in the backseat of the car.

4. Keep a journal of meltdowns. Include the date, what happened beforehand … this helps parents understand what the real triggers are and then how they can react to help their children in advance.

5. Use Sensory diets - these are activities that are put in place for each individual child before any stressful event or before situations where a child typically demonstrates regulation challenges. Discuss with your OT or reach out - happy to help 🤗

21/07/2026

What a GREAT message ❤️

24/06/2026

And I would add - be proactive by keeping a behavior journal! Attempting to figure out what caused the behavior can help (no matter how small the detail) decrease the frequency with solid strategies prior to those situations oh … and a really good sensory diet 👍

22/06/2026

Supporting therapists is very important to me. To be working with the public / children and families with special needs is quite a privilege.

Development happens only over a limited period of time. Children are precious and their families are looking for professional guidance.

I just encountered a therapist with several years under her belt, when she was asked, what the goals are for her child she was unable to answer. I have encountered many therapists without a clear foundation of what they are working on and most importantly why…

After 35 years as an OT, I know firsthand that a good therapist can be very effective and can change the entire trajectory of the child and the family’s life.

If you’re not feeling effective as a therapist, reach out. I would love to help you get the intense satisfaction that I have gotten for decades.

Feeling ineffective or fuzzy in your approach leads to burnout. It can be different - let’s do it together 🤗

16/06/2026

A newer OT recently asked a great question:

"How do you help a child with aggressive behaviors when parents can't clearly identify what happens before the behavior occurs?"

One of the biggest lessons I've learned in 35+ years as a pediatric occupational therapist is this:

Behavior is often communication.

When we focus only on stopping a behavior, we may miss the reason it is occurring in the first place.

Instead, I encourage therapists and parents to become detectives and ask:

✔ What was happening before the behavior?
✔ Were there demands, transitions, sensory challenges, sibling conflicts, fatigue, hunger, or frustration?
✔ What were the child's early warning signs?
✔ What was the child trying to communicate?

Many children who appear regulated at school spend tremendous energy holding it together all day and then "fall apart" at home, where they feel safest.

Understanding the "why" behind the behavior often leads to more effective intervention than focusing on the behavior itself.

These are the types of clinical reasoning discussions I love having with therapists, parents, and educators.

I currently offer individual mentorship and case consultation for OT students, new graduates, and therapists looking for support with pediatric clinical reasoning and challenging cases. Message me for details.

12/06/2026

Couldn’t be prouder! Not only is my son Zach Klein an amazing OT - ReadyForActionTherapy.com
But he gave a lecture today and highlighted me as his mentor/role model 😊 A few years in and his practice is growing rapidly

04/05/2026

WESTCHESTER, NY AVAILABILITY - As someone who has worked with thousands of children and families over the past 30+ years, I’ve often met parents who feel their child’s progress has stalled. As the prior Founder/Director of Westchester Therapy Solutions—a well-known practice in Westchester for decades—I now work directly with a limited number of families, offering a more personalized, in-home approach focused on real, day-to-day change.

I support children who may be struggling with:
• Attention and Engagement
• Feeding challenges
• Big emotionals & dysregulation
• Daily routines and independence
• Fine and gross motor development

My work often centers around children who need a different level of support—not just more therapy, but the right therapy.

If you’re wondering whether this could help your child, I’m always happy to connect and talk it through.

📩 You can message me here or text me directly at 914-552-0010

20/04/2026

Feeding challenges can be stressful for the child, parents, and the whole family. Creating calm mealtime routines can help.

𝐅𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐘 𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐄:
★ Everyone takes each food—including parents.
★ Your child has time to watch others interact with less
preferred foods in a relaxed, natural way.
★ When any family member puts food on their plate, offer
calm praise: “Nice job.”
★ If a food feels too hard for your child to manage he/she
can place that food on a "learning plate" for this
purpose.

𝐈𝐟 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭, 𝐈’𝐦 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩.

16/03/2026

When therapists feel stuck with a child, it is often because the focus has shifted to activities rather than identifying the underlying skill that is breaking down.

The real challenge is teasing apart which area is driving the difficulty — regulation, motor planning, postural stability, sensory processing, or something else. That level of clinical reasoning takes experience and a clear framework.

Once that becomes clear, treatment becomes much more focused and progress usually follows more naturally.

11/03/2026

When a child is struggling, they are usually not trying to be difficult.
They are asking for help.

In my pediatric practice, I often remind parents that behavior is a form of communication. Children don’t always have the words yet to say “I’m overwhelmed,” “I’m frustrated,” or “I need support.”

Instead, it often comes out through behavior.

One of the most powerful things a parent can do in that moment is pause, Take a deep breath, Count to ten.

Your calm becomes the mirror your child looks into. When you stay regulated, you help their nervous system settle and begin learning how to regulate their own emotions.

Sometimes the biggest shift for a child happens when the adult shifts first.

These are exactly the kinds of everyday parenting challenges I enjoy helping families think through and navigate.

Address

Telephone

+19145520010

Website

http://www.DonnaKleinOT.com/

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