A Co Cavan woman has received a prestigious Occupational Therapy award at this year's Association of Occupational Therapists Ireland (AOTI) annual conference.
Dearbhla O'Reilly created a project using video to support neurodiverse primary school children to self-regulate.
The Senior Occupational Therapist who is originally from Killsheshandra picked up the 2025 Eva Duggan Award for her initiative 'The Self-Regulation Video Project'.
The project will support neurodiverse primary school pupils across the country to understand and manage their regulation in a child-friendly and accessible way.
It aims to support engagement in learning, play and daily routines.
As part of winning the award, Dearbhla will receive a €1,000 bursary towards developing initiatives to enhance paediatric services.
Dearbhla, who now works with National Council for Special Education (NCSE) in Sustained In-School Therapy (SIT) based in West Region (Limerick/Tipperary) said: "I'm so delighted to receive the Eva Duggan Award for my project, a child-directed video resource to support self-regulation. Self-regulation is a child’s ability to recognise and manage their own energy, emotions and behaviour so they can learn, play and take part in daily life. This can be especially challenging for neurodivergent children, who may experience differences in sensory processing, attention, or emotional regulation.
"In my role with the NCSE inclusion is at the heart of everything we do, and this resource is one way to support that vision in schools. This recognition means a lot to me because it reflects the years I have spent working with children and building an understanding of what is needed, and it strengthens my belief that this project can make a real difference."
