About Belong OT
Experience, evidence and practical support for everyday life
Belong OT is led by Déarbhla O’Reilly Malone, a CORU-registered Senior Occupational Therapist with more than 20 years of experience across health, education, disability and community services in Ireland and Western Australia.
Based in Ardnacrusha, Co. Clare, Belong OT supports children, young people and adults, alongside families, schools and education settings.
Meet Déarbhla
A practical approach shaped by varied experience
Hello, I’m Déarbhla O’Reilly Malone, founder of Belong OT and a Senior Occupational Therapist.
I graduated from Trinity College Dublin with a BSc (Hons) in Occupational Therapy in 2005. Since then, I have worked across early intervention, HSE primary care, children’s disability services, trauma-informed care, complex physical disability and school-based occupational therapy.
Most recently, I worked as a Senior Occupational Therapist with the National Council for Special Education’s Sustained In-School Therapy service. I worked alongside education teams to strengthen inclusive practice, build staff confidence and support participation throughout the school day.
This experience helps me understand the systems families navigate. I value clear communication, useful reports and recommendations which work across home, education, health and community life.
Earlier clinical experience, including Western Australia
While living in Western Australia, I worked with children and young people affected by trauma, abuse and disrupted care through Parkerville Children and Youth Care. I later worked as an Advanced Clinician Occupational Therapist with Therapy Focus, with responsibilities across complex seating, mobility, specialist equipment, home modifications, environmental adaptations, staff mentoring and service development.
Family life and practical support
Outside work, I am a mum of three. Parenting has reinforced that the same approach will not suit every person, family or day. Much of our family life happens around school, football and camogie, which keeps me grounded in busy mornings, tired evenings, changing routines and limited time.
Advice only has value when it fits the person and the life they are already living.
Experience that shapes my practice
A broad clinical and professional foundation
My work has spanned health, disability, education, community services, complex physical needs and service development. The detail is here if you would like to know more.
Health, disability and community practice
Experience across early intervention, HSE primary care, children’s disability services and community occupational therapy, including complex seating, mobility, specialist equipment, home modifications and environmental adaptation.
Education, inclusion and trauma-informed practice
School-based occupational therapy, teacher collaboration, assistive technology, classroom access and whole-school capacity building, alongside experience supporting children and young people affected by trauma, abuse, disrupted care and complex life experiences.
Leadership, training and service development
Clinical supervision, student education, staff development, professional training, quality improvement and accessible service design have formed part of my senior occupational therapy roles.
Occupational therapy for adults
Support built around everyday life
Belong OT supports adults who want to understand what is making everyday life harder and find practical ways forward. This might include planning and organisation, sensory demands, fatigue, motor coordination, DCD/dyspraxia-related difficulties, handwriting or typing, home routines, study, work routines or growing independence.
My approach starts with the activities that matter to you. I look at the person, the task and the environment together, then focus on practical changes that fit your actual routines rather than expecting you to fit a standard approach.
Depending on your goals, support may involve an Adult OT Assessment, a focused DCD/dyspraxia assessment where relevant, or Goal-Focused OT Support. A full assessment is not needed for everyone. The Initial Consultation helps decide what information or support would be most useful next.
I work within clear professional boundaries. Belong OT does not provide autism or ADHD diagnostic assessment, and formal Work and Access or employer-facing workplace assessments are not part of the current public service.
How I work
Four principles guide my practice
Start with what matters
Support begins with the routines, relationships and activities that matter to the person or family.
Understand the whole situation
I consider the person, the activity, the environment and the demands involved. Difficulty does not always sit within the person.
Make recommendations useful
Advice needs to be clear, prioritised and realistic. The aim is to identify meaningful actions people can use in everyday life.
Work collaboratively and keep learning
The person’s priorities guide the work. Research, supervision, specialist education, reflection and feedback continue to shape my practice.
Why the name Belong OT?
Belonging is more than being present
Belonging has always mattered to me.
Over time, I have learned that being present in a school, workplace, team or community is not always the same as feeling understood, valued and included.
The same person may thrive in one environment and feel out of place in another. Qualities such as enthusiasm, direct communication or a different way of thinking may be valued in one setting and misunderstood in another. This connects closely with occupational therapy. Sometimes difficulty arises because the activity, expectations or environment are not the right fit.
A child might achieve well while using enormous energy to manage the school day. An adult might appear capable while privately struggling to sustain work, home life or daily routines. The right support should protect more than performance. Confidence, wellbeing, identity and connection matter too.
Belong OT was created to help people understand what supports them, reduce unnecessary barriers and participate in everyday life without losing who they are.
My reflection on the GAA All Stars programme explores what happens when belonging comes before performance and the environment is shaped to help every child take part.
Professional recognition and projects
Work that connects evidence with practice
AOTI Eva Duggan Award 2025
Join In Your Way: resource in development
I am developing Join In Your Way with support from the AOTI Eva Duggan Award 2025. It uses body clues and animated stories to explore supported participation in everyday activities. Co-production and piloting are planned; its impact has not yet been established.
Explore Join In Your WayUniversity of Limerick | Evidence-Based Practice
Self-regulation interventions in primary schools
As part of my Postgraduate Certificate in Advanced Clinical Practice, I critically reviewed research on universal digital and video-based self-regulation interventions in primary schools, with a focus on the quality of the evidence and its relevance to everyday school participation.
University of Limerick | Independent Academic Project
Participation, interoception and strategy use
I developed an evidence-informed framework connecting interoceptive awareness, supported strategy use and participation in primary-school activities. This work now informs the development of Join In Your Way.
HSE Innovation in Healthcare | Shortlisted 2024
Child’s Play telehealth programme
Child’s Play was one of a small number of projects shortlisted through the HSE Innovation in Healthcare programme. Although it did not receive the overall award, the project received €30,000 in funding to support its development and delivery across HSE Mid West, working with HSE Innovation colleagues.
Qualifications and professional standing
Professional background
- BSc (Hons) in Occupational Therapy, Trinity College Dublin, 2005
- Postgraduate Certificate in Advanced Clinical Practice, First Class Honours, University of Limerick, 2026
- Leading and Managing Practice micro-credential, First Class Honours, University of Limerick
- CORU-registered Occupational Therapist, Registration No. OT023194
- Member of the Association of Occupational Therapists of Ireland
- Recipient of the AOTI Eva Duggan Award 2025
Ongoing professional learning
Continuing professional development
Ongoing professional development supports my clinical practice.
Selected professional development
Recent and relevant learning includes ADOS-2 training in 2026 covering Modules 1–4 and the Toddler Module, alongside professional development in neurodevelopment, sensory processing and self-regulation, sleep, trauma-informed practice, assistive technology, complex seating and postural management, supervision, leadership and service development.
Current study
- LCETB QQI Level 6 Train the Trainer — in progress
- UCC Neurodiversity in the Workplace, Level 8 — in progress
Ready to take the next step?
You do not need to know exactly which service you need before getting in touch. An Initial Consultation provides a clear starting point to discuss what is happening, identify your priorities and consider the most useful next step.