TESTIMONIALS
The power of pumping
Nan Arkwright is one of the most talented occupational therapists I have worked with. Her expertise, as well as her kindness and empathy, have been of immense value to families in my practice. I cannot recommend her highly enough!
- Dr. Deborah Sedberry, Behavioral Pediatrician
My son has seen Nan individually and as part of a social skills group. I highly admire Nan's patience and skill in working with my son. She slows down interaction and conversation to help him understand the impact of his behavior. Nan is always warm and positive in her approach with my son, and it's obvious that she really cares."
- Anonymous Mom
For anyone considering seeking Nan Arkwright’s assistance, you’ve certainly found a gem!
Nan has helped my child grow and develop, from writing to problem solving. I have seen my child gain confidence within himself, and with the things he does.
During the pandemic, Nan was, and is still able to provide her classes virtually. Learning a new way to navigate these classes and get the children to participate, was and is, fantastic!
During the Summer, Nan offered weekly parent support groups. With many parents and caregivers attending, these sessions provided a variety of excellent information and advice.
Nan is kind, thoughtful and informative. No judgements. She has not only guided my child, but also my husband and me, and we are very appreciative. Nan provides incredible support and suggestions, and is accommodating of her time if and when needed.
Nan, thank you for all that you have done and all that you do!
-JD, Parent
Our 4 yr boy was in need of working on his social interaction skills. His pediatrician recommended OT in a group so that his social skills could be improved. We were very fortunate to get a referral for Ms. Nan Arkwright. She is a great professional and we could not be happier with her method and guidance she offers to both kids and parents. Mrs. Nan’s groups are definitely a great success and we could not have a better professional to guide and work with our son.
-Andres Dervieux-Lecoq
Working with Nan over the past four years has been transformational. My son and our family
would not be where and who we are today without her. She first began working with our son when he was three years old helping address sensory, motor planning, fine/gross motor and behavioral issues. Our now seven year old son is exceptionally successful academically and socially and has learned to regulate himself emotionally in a way we’d expect from a much older child, all as the result of Nan’s work with him. Nan became much more than an occupational therapist for our son over the years. She has been and continues to be an exceptionally helpful
parent coach, providing thoughtful, creative, and strategic advice about how to handle situations, including those related to sibling rivalry, and has provided support that is far outside the scope of the more traditional OT functions we initially sought out. We will be forever grateful to Nan and could not recommend her more highly.
- Jen
Nan has been such a blessing to our family. We have been working with Nan for almost 2 years and I have seen such a huge improvement in my son's small motor skills, able to self manage big feelings, being able to focus, and learn to like school again all because of Nan. With the new year starting and everything being remote Nan was so accommodating and was able to come to our house and help with remote learning to ensure we had a good start to the school year. With her guidance, our son has developed into a confident and capable child. Thank you for being such an important part in our child’s development.
- Ruben G., Alamo
After 6 months of working with Nan, my son has made great progress in regulating his emotions, is more confident with his school work, and enjoys kindergarten. Nan also guided my husband and me towards more effective and positive parenting skills.
- V K, parent
Nan has been working diligently with our twins not only on their gross and fine motor skills, but also their social, emotional and sensory challenges. Her wealth of experience as been invaluable for both the children and me, coaching us all through many developmental challenges. Her patience and calm demeanor have been helpful guides for continuing our progress at home.
- Lisa, Walnut Creek
I wanted to tell you that today for my son’s homework he had to record a video and explain two everyday heroes in his life. One of them was you! And he said you were his hero because “you gave him Confidence” Thought I would share with you what a difference (and impression) a few hours with him made!
- Tiffany, Parent (and now homeschool teacher to a first grader due to covid)
Nan is amazing! My 3 year old son has a speech delay and behavioral issues. Because he couldn’t express himself, he would get physical and aggressive with the kids at daycare. Just after a few weeks of working with Nan, we started seeing significant improvement in my son’s speech and behavior. In addition to working on gross and fine motor skills, Nan teaches kids boundaries and social skills and provides support for parents. I learned a lot from her modeling and advice. With Nan’s guidance there’s no more yelling at our house!
- Lana N., Walnut Creek
Nan was pivotal in helping my son gain confidence in his social skills and abilities. She helped us learn boundary building tools and discipline structures that helped our family and him during school and social environments. Nan is a cherished member of our family plan and team when it comes to understanding each other and working through any issue.
- Melissa Isenburg
Nan helped us tremendously as we learned to better support our highly sensitive four year old. She taught us to navigate transitions so that our daughter could move on to the next thing without a meltdown. Her social skills group helped our daughter handle unexpected interactions with other kids better and gave her the confidence to try hard things. We really appreciated all the additional resources she shared to improve our general parenting skills. We're so grateful we connected with Nan before we got stuck in the patterns that were making day-to-day life so very challenging. If every parent had a Nan in their corner, the world would be a better place!
- Irene Nelson
I am completely amazed at the progress that both of my children are exhibiting since they started to work with Nan. They love coming to see her. And my interaction with Nan is always very pleasant and straight forward.
- Yana Mayfield
My son has been working with Ms. Nan for 2 years. When he started he was in preschool and having a hard time using his words to communicate his needs. At that time, he was running through the play yard and putting his hands out at his sides and knocking the other kids over. His teachers knew he wasn’t trying to hurt other kids but were clueless how to help him communicate. Ms. Nan and her volunteers helped him learn how to communicate his needs and wants. Now he is in Kindergarten and his teacher told me he is one of the most articulate children in her class. She also commented that he has a sophisticated way of handling his social interactions and helps model appropriate conflict resolution. I wish every child could have the benefit of the help of Ms. Nan and her volunteers. It is hard to underestimate the effect of his participation in weekly group. Nan and her volunteers are so patient and kind. I have been amazed how much he has learned. I highly recommend her services to anyone with a child!
- Becky Vichiquis
Nan's strength is her compassion and dedication to providing a holistic approach in providing services. In addition to building social skills, play skills, motor skills, and self-confidence in a child with a calm presence, she helps provide each parent with education and the necessary tools to help a child reach their fullest potential. I have had the pleasure of being one of Nan's volunteers, and her attentiveness, tenacity, and creativity are skills I aspire to gain in my own future career.
- Jason Balaoing, Samuel Merritt University 22' , Doctorate of Occupational Therapy Student
I have known Nan Arkwright personally and professionally for ten years. When we were looking for an occupational therapist for my daughter, Nan came highly recommended to me as someone who truly cares about each child with whom she interacts. This is absolutely true! Nan intends to set up each child for success in his or her fine and gross motor skills as well as life skills. Under Nan’s direction, my daughter’s fine and gross motor strength and coordination developed and blossomed. Nan implements all of the skills she has learned through both her education and many years of practice to teach children how to help themselves and to become independent. Her social skills groups help children learn to interact and play with each other in a reciprocating manner. As a parent of a child with both ADHD and ASD, one of the things I was most grateful for was Nan’s patience and determination to help my child with her self regulation skills. Nan’s attention to consistency and routine really helped my daughter learn and grow both physically and emotionally. I am forever grateful. I own Mulberry Tree Preschool and often recommend Nan to the families of children in my school who have sensory issues, self regulation challenges, or lack of motor planning. Nan has given in-service presentations to my staff and speaker night presentations to my families. She is a true professional with an immense amount of knowledge and experience. Nan introduced my school to Handwriting Without Tears, and we have been steadfast believers in this philosophy for many years. We feel so very fortunate to be able to recommend Nan to any family who can benefit from her help and wisdom.
- Susie Allison
While working with Nan, we appreciated how much time she took with us as parents, even before seeing our son, to understand our concerns and to answer our questions. She took special care while working with our son to get a feel for his unique challenges, always supplying us with at-home techniques to support the work they were doing together in OT.
- Heather J., Walnut Creek
I want to thank you for your help with Jake. I know it is years later, but being a working mom it was important to have you there. You were my eyes and ears when I could not be there. You were solution driven and provided options and ideas in the best effort to make our son successful. You truly don’t operate under the “one size fits all” motto. My son was made to feel safe and successful at a young age, which carried him into his junior high and high school years. We were pleased with the foundation you helped to provide.
- Natalie Probert Kurtz
We first saw Nan when my son was 4 years old. At that time he was unable to participate in group sessions or individual sessions with her without huge emotions. Slowly, with her gentle firmness and understanding, he got to a place where he was ready to learn. From there, he went from a fisted grip to printing his letters beautifully- something I am so grateful for. Now he is in first grade and ahead of the pack. He learnt to try new things and persevere, skills that have helped him master things like riding a bike and swimming. I cannot be more thankful to Nan for all her help. Her therapy and endless advice has changed our lives, and my relationship with my son. It is also amazing to see the quiet bond they share; one of mutual respect and understanding.
- Nehal Amin
Nan has worked with my daughter for years. She helped her with social skills, anxiety & learning with ADHD. I think the best part of working with Nan is the caring bond she has with kids & families. My daughter benefited so much from Nan working with her. She has been able to overcome problems, express frustration positively, improve interactions with others and reduce her frustration. Nan has been helpful with peer to peer social issues and academics. I am so grateful we found Nan.
- G. Klein, Walnut Creek
I will never forget the day that I first spoke to Ms. Nan on the phone. I was at that point in parenting a 2 1/2 year old where I needed some hope and guidance. Ms. Nan spent an hour on the phone with me, finding out about our family's needs and giving me ways she could help. I felt hope and was excited for our child to start working with Ms. Nan. We did one on one appointments and participated in her socialization classes on the weekends. Ms. Nan's dedication to our child's development was unwavering and often she would reach out with ideas via email. Our family endured some unforeseen hardships during that time and the compassion Ms. Nan gave to our family will never be forgotten. Ms. Nan is very methodical and engaging, the perameters and boundaries she sets for children we were able to mirror in our home. Ms. Nan approaches each child ready to listen to what they need from her and offers very personalized and customized therapy. Ms. Nan was the best resource, help, mentor, therapist and friend to us and our child. We are forever grateful for her care. Any child would be blessed to work with Ms. Nan no matter how little or much help they need. Ms. Nan is a gift to families.
~ Suzanne
Nan has been working diligently with our twins not only on their gross and fine motor skills, but also their social, emotional and sensory challenges. Her wealth of experience as been invaluable for both the children and myself, coaching us all through many developmental challenges. Her patience and calm demeanor have been helpful guides for continuing our progress at home.
- Lisa, Walnut Creek
I wanted to tell you that today for my son’s homework he had to record a video and explain two everyday heros in his life. One of them was you! And he said you were his hero because “you gave him Confidence” Thought I would share with you what a difference (and impression) a few hours with him made!
- Tiffany, Parent (and now homeschool teacher to a first grader due to covid)
My now 9 year old son began therapy with Nan Arkwright nearly two years ago. From our very first session it was clear how dedicated Nan is to the children she provides therapy for. In addition, Nan offers occasional opportunities to assist parents in navigating how to best support our children. I appreciate that Nan is able to communicate with my son in such a calm, caring and effective way. She has high but not unrealistic expectations of her clients, and creates an incredibly fun learning environment. If you are looking for a provider who will truly make a difference in your child’s development, look no farther.
- Jenna Lomeli
Nan has been an invaluable resource to our family as she helped our son learn to regulate his social and emotional behavior and self-control. She is calm and patient and immediately gained the trust of our son (and later also our daughter). As much as she helped our son, she also helped us as parents. Our parenting style and philosophy changed with her guidance, and our family is much happier as a result. She taught us to look for certain triggers and behaviors, and how to respond with empathy and kindness. We will be forever grateful for our work with her.
- D.H., Pleasant Hill
My son started with Nan when he was 5 years old, and I didn’t know where else to go. He no longer qualified for his IEP through the school district for speech and occupational therapy, but I could see that he still needed a lot of help. The first time I met Nan, I was so impressed with her knowledge and kindness and her facility! She works with the kids individually one on one to meet their specific needs which are ever-changing and so are her techniques! My son loved the obstacle course to get his wiggles out and to work on his core strength. She also helped him with his fine motor skills and other cognitive abilities. As much as she helped my son, she also give me invaluable parenting tips and work to do throughout the week to reinforce her sessions with my son. My son worked with Nan for four years, and I will forever be grateful to her. I have referred her to friends and families at the preschool I run. Her firm but kind approach with the children helps set boundaries and expectations, and she really helps to motivate the children to learn and grow. Nan even observed my son in his classroom and helped improve his classroom experience and get the accommodations he needed to improve. Over the years, my son has made so much progress with her therapy, and I still use the parenting skills she taught me.
- Angie, Preschool Administrator
