Patty Surman, OTR/L

Patty has over 30 years of experience as an occupational therapist and 18 years specializing in pediatric therapy. She has extensive knowledge in sensory processing challenges, autism spectrum disorders, neurodevelopmental delays, learning disabilities and visual processing disorders. She has received advanced training in Masgutova Neuro Sensorimotor Reflex Integration, Social Thinking, Sensorimotor Integration, neurodevelopmental delays, Handwriting Without Tears and the effects of trauma.

Her clinical experience includes school-based OT, private practice, inpatient rehabilitation and acute care services. Patty sits on the OT board at Davenport University and is a part of Kent Can (a multidisciplinary collaboration and evidence-based treatment for students with Autism). She is also part of the Statewide Autism Resources and Training (START) Project through Grand Valley State University. She enjoys teaching as a clinical educator for master level OT students.

When it comes to working with children and their families, Patty believes it is important to listen to their concerns. Her philosophy is that behavior is communication. She believes it is necessary to identify the underlying causes of what is interfering in the day to day functioning and empower the child to use their areas of strength to help them overcome challenges.