Occupational Therapy Edinburgh

Highly Specialised Occupational Therapist for children and young people

An introduction

I am Rachel Moyes, a Specialist Occupational Therapist providing support for children and families in Edinburgh and surrounding areas with over 15 years’ experience working exclusively with children and young people. I am committed to seeing children and young people becoming more independent and confident in their daily lives. 

Supporting the adults around the child to feel confident in self-management is key to working with me. I aim to provide the adults around the child with the information, tools and strategies to best support their child’s development. I fully understand the daily pressures that come with supporting a child with additional needs and I am able to take a gentle measured approach to therapy support.  

Assessments Offered

Standardised Assessments:

  • Evaluation in Ayes Sensory Integration (EASI) Assessment – The purpose of the EASI assessment is to provide a valid and reliable set of tests for assessing key sensory integration functions that underlie learning, behaviour and participation. The EASI measures sensory perception, postural/ocular/bilateral motor integration, praxis and sensory reactivity.
  • Movement Assessment Battery for Children (Movement- ABC) 3rd Edition – This assessment provides an objective measure of the child’s fine and gross motor coordination skills, and is a recognised assessment for the potential diagnosis of Development Coordination Disorder (DCD)/Dyspraxia.
  • Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration (VMI) 6th Edition – Internationally respected and backed by decades of research and clinical use, the VMI helps assess the extent to which a child can integrate their visual and motor abilities (hand-eye coordination)
  • The Detailed Assessment of Speed of Handwriting 2nd Edition (DSAH-2) – The DASH is a reliable measure of handwriting speed for children and young adults which helps identify functional handwriting difficulties. The DASH can be used to promote the requirement for additional handwriting support.

Neuro- Developmental Joint Assessment:

I have teamed up with Meave Dillon https://edinburghspeechtherapy.co.uk, a Speech and Language Therapist, who specialises in neuro-diversity and paediatric conditions. We are now able to offer a combined joint assessment of needs. Assessment takes place in a home-for-home therapy space near Colinton Village, Edinburgh. We are also able to signpost and link in with independent specialists, such as physiotherapist and audiologist. We have access to free parking and toilets.

Joint Assessment Package includes; Play based assessed of needs with both therapist (OT&SLT), joint written report, recommendations and forward therapeutic plan.

Non- Standardised Assessments:

Not all children benefit from or are able to take part in a standardised assessment. Therefore a non-standardised assessment can take place. This a flexible and informal assessment that can be conducted to see where a child’s strengths and abilities are, as well as highlighting areas of challenges and difficulty. Non-standardised assessment can still measure a child’s skills and progress, but they do not compare them to a group of peers the same age.

An example of a non-standardised assessment might be observation of the child at school, nursery or at home. It may involve playing with the child, asking the child to carry out specific tasks, which can be modified according to the child’s level and ability, and speaking to the adults around the child to gain a greater understanding of where the child’s challenges are.

Our son said the best thing about school are break time and spending time with Rachel. She has a warm, genuine, caring nature and her approach to helping our son with the challenges he faces are fun, tailored and engaging. Personally, I have found Rachel extremely supportive and its so refreshing to find someone who just 'get's your child'. Especially when you feel at a bit of a loss with their challenging emotions and behaviour. We'd never want to change our son, but we'd also like to understand and help him with any difficulties he may have, and that can be made easier with Rachel's solutions. She never fails to say how amazing he is, which parents need to hear, she also empathises with him and us as parents equally. A true professional.
Parent of child (7)
Rachel has supported our family since our child needed intervention starting at early years stages, they are now approaching 7 and she is still there. Rachel is always on the other end of the phone when I need her, she’s taken the time to get to know our family and child, she is proactive and tailored her approach to our child’s needs. Her experience, resources and methods have made a positive difference to our family and we look forward to continuing this ij the future. I am thankful for the hard work Rachel has put into our family, she will make you feel comfortable and can really help.
Parent of child (6)
Rachel has been the most wonderful paediatric OT we could have found for our child. She is a delight to work with; kind, efficient, timely, thorough and professional.  Rachel emanates a warm and caring disposition and as such, has built up a brilliant rapport with our child. She takes a personal interest in him and has adapted activities, motivational stickers and task incentives to suit our child’s interests- meaning he’s always having fun and keen to work hard with her.  Nothing is too much of an inconvenience for Rachel, who flexibly adapts to our child’s availability and needs each week. Her thorough feedback from every session is clear and concise and we’ve been involved/able to support with our child’s advancement at every step.  Our child has made wonderful progress with her kind and experienced support. We are incredibly grateful to her and I would not hesitate to recommend Rachel.
Parent of child (5)
Rachel has been supporting my children and my family for some time now. The support she has provided has made a noticeable difference in my child's confidence and their ability to attend nursery and manage the transition into school. Rachel has additionally provided me with support to feel confident in managing my child's challenges by myself when they arise. We don't live in driving distance but Rachel has always been really accessible for either telephone or video calls, and she is always reassuring and understanding to our unique circumstances. 
Parent of child (3&5)
Rachel has been an excellent support to my son whilst he navigates his ADHD diagnosis. She has supported him at school, ensuring the strategies that they have worked on can be used effectively within the school and our home environment. My son looks forward to his sessions and has built a strong foundation to help manage his emotions.
Parent of child (9)

Get in touch