Jeanne Schutz, MS, OTR/L

I always say that I have the best job in the world because I get to play all day! I have been an occupational therapist for 20 years and have expertise in the areas of feeding/swallowing, NICU, Autism spectrum disorder, and sensory processing. My passion is helping parents gain a better understanding as to why their child might be experiencing challenges with activities of daily living, including feeding, sleeping, self-care, play skills, and self-regulation. I look at the important foundations of child development, including sensory processing, primitive reflex integration, early childhood trauma, and motor coordination, and provide fun, effective, and developmentally appropriate intervention to maximize your child’s capabilities. I believe that parents are the best teachers for their children and I am here to provide you with “tools for your toolbox” so you feel as confident and comfortable as you can while you promote your child’s unique development.

I received my Bachelor of Science in Community Health with a focus on Health Administration from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. But, after having cared for a family friend with multiple sclerosis during my high school years, I knew that I wanted to be an occupational therapist. I pursued a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy at Rush University in my hometown of Chicago, where I published a masters thesis studying the impact of bedrest on women with high-risk pregnancies. Specifically, I wanted to minimize the effect of cortisol on the mother and developing fetus. Throughout my career as an occupational therapist, I have worked in a variety of settings including NICU, newborn nursery, burn unit, acute rehab, outpatient rehabilitation clinic, home health, early intervention, and private practice. I have been a contributing member of various pediatric multidisciplinary teams including a neonatal assessment team, transdisciplinary early intervention team, feeding team, and Autism diagnosis team. I have completed a wide range of continuing education courses including Fragile Infant Feeding, SOS Approach to Feeding, TalkTools, Masgatova Neurosensorimotor Reflex Integration (MRNI), Therapeutic Listening, Kinesiotaping, Handwriting without Tears, Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy, Sensory Integration, and Neuro-Developmental Training (NDT). I love working with families in their natural settings because that is where life and a child’s true “occupations” occur.

Outside of work, you’ll find me hiking, skiing, making travel plans, and trying to keep up with my son, the other true joy of my life.