Meet Heather

Hello and welcome to Thriving Kids London Pediatrics!

Heather Harris is the owner and founder of Thriving Kids London Pediatrics and is a registered Occupational Therapist (OT) practicing in London, Ontario. She completed her Master of Occupational Therapy degree in 2009 from McMaster University in Hamilton, ON and has been working as an Occupational Therapist for the past 14 years with children, youth, as well as adults. She has worked both in hospitals and in community settings in various practice areas for occupational therapy. Her passion throughout her career has been to work with children and youth with various conditions including sensory processing disorders, autism, ADHD, fine motor and gross motor difficulties, learning disabilities, behavioural challenges, emotional and mental health difficulties, and the list goes on. She also has worked with children and youth who have difficulties in performing their daily activities of living (ADLs) including dressing, toileting, bathing, and grooming. Prior to her Occupational Therapy Masters Degree, Heather graduated with an Honours Bachelor of Applied Science degree majoring in child, youth, and family studies from the University of Guelph, ON. She has dedicated her life to learning more about child and youth development, developmental milestones, neurodiversity, as well as taken courses and additional education over the years as an occupational therapist on best-practice and therapy for children and youth with special needs from various areas including Toronto, Waterloo, and London. These courses have helped Heather to have additional knowledge and skills to be able to work in pediatric occupational therapy practice. Heather has also worked over the past 14 years in London, ON providing services for children and youth (birth to 18) through in-home, community, schools, and she previously worked at a children’s rehabilitation centre in London, ON where she learned additional skills in solution-focused therapy and individualized direct as well as consultative services. Heather supports both children/youth and their families to build foundational life skills needed to carry out their daily meaningful activities (also known as their daily occupations). She believes in a holistic approach and focuses on the whole child, their unique strengths and talents, as well as their abilities. She tailors her therapy depending on what the child and family needs are. She focuses on enabling independence through providing assessment and therapy with the goal of improving quality of life, participation, and productivity. She believes that children/youth learn through hands-on activities and play-based. Child-led and youth-led therapy is also a major focus of the care she provides. She loves working with children and youth and continues to pursue helping one child, one family, and one community at a time. She also believes that early occupational therapy assessment and intervention in the early years is key and would like to help families who would otherwise be on waitlists for receiving services. Outside of work, you can find Heather enjoying walks with her family and energetic dog, enjoying the beach in summer, travelling, and running year-long in half-marathons and marathons.