Mary Lymer Dip. COT

After completing sixth form studies I spent a year as a full time volunteer at a Barnardo’s school where I worked as a member of the residential care staff.  It was through enabling the children to participate in everyday activities that I discovered Occupational Therapy and decided it was the career for me.

I trained at the Welsh School of Occupational Therapy, qualifying in 1993.  As a junior I was able to attend an introductory training day on Sensory Integration and this together with my research, “The Nature and Use of Play in Paediatric Occupational Therapy” lead to an interest in sensory issues. I have worked in a variety of NHS Hospitals and community services including neuro rehabilitation, psychiatry, general medicine and surgery, wheelchair and special seating service. I currently work part time for a Local Authority in a team specialising in supporting those living with dementia. 

Working with children has always featured in my life through leadership roles in the Scout and Guide Movements and at Woodlarks Camps for physically handicapped girls.  I have been involved in Scouting since 1987 as a leader. I have always enjoyed enabling people to participate whatever their ability and have been quite inventive at times to achieve the aim! Through watching friends’ children develop and linking back my initial interest in the work of Jean Ayres and Sensory Integration I began to develop my skills further on a number of advanced training days with Dyspraxia UK to become a specialist Assessor of adults with dyspraxia.

During the past year I have provided training to other health professionals to increase the awareness of Dyspraxia and other associated conditions.