Five kids jumping and playing along a riverbank.

Strengths based, private occupational therapy for children and families, within their homes and communities.

Specializing in neurodivergent diagnoses, such as Autism and ADHD.

Now in Barrie, Ontario!

ExploreAbility owner Nicole MacLean works directly with families in and surrounding Barrie, Ontario.

After many beautiful years supporting families in Alberta, Nicole has now returned to her roots in Ontario. For all our Alberta clients, ExploreAbility continues to maintain a wonderful team of OTs serving families in the Calgary area.

How We Support Your Child & Family

Child experiencing positive sensory play with trucks and toys in the dirt of their backyard.

Occupational Therapy Services

We work with children in the comfort and safety of their home and community settings.

We can make powerful gains with children when they feel safe and comfortable in their environment. All our services are strengths based and focus on your goals and priorities. Through play and various activities, we work with you and your child to develop skills and solutions for everyday life. We can assess your child using both formal testing and informal observations to determine a unique support plan.

The support plan can be designed to address the following and more:

  • Activities of daily living

  • Emotional regulation

  • Sensory processing

  • Fine motor skills

  • Movement

  • Executive functioning skills

Parent and child with a disability laughing and smiling.

Parent Coaching

We provide in-person and virtual parent coaching to help you understand and navigate daily life with your family.

It is vital for parents and caregivers to feel supported as they care for their children:

  • Our approach focuses first and foremost on the nervous system—helping you understand how it works, how it regulates, and how both you and your child's nervous system affect one another throughout the day.

  • Our parent coaching provides you with a new level of confidence and awareness to bring greater ease and joy to your child and families' life.

  • Our approach is founded on relational neuroscience and we help to make it understandable and relatable for your world.

Environmental Adaptations

We provide support and resources to make your home and community settings as supportive as possible for your everyday life.

These services include:

  • Designing nurturing spaces
    e.g. chill-out spaces, play rooms, outdoor sensory spaces and more

  • Organizing your home for greater ease
    e.g. decluttering and home-editing, organization systems, support in maintaining the systems, setting up visual supports

  • Advising on adaptive furniture, equipment and tools
    e.g. recommending items that meet your child's unique needs, trialing equipment, sourcing affordable equipment to purchase

Photo of Nicole MacLean, Occupational Therapist in Barrie, Ontario

Meet Nicole MacLean

Owner & Occupational Therapist

Nicole has been an occupational therapist for over 25 years. She is also the mother of two amazing kids, an educator, and a mentor for her fellow OTs.

Nicole graduated from Queens University in Kingston, ON, in 1997. Her passion for children and youth began at a young age when she worked at specialized camps for children with disabilities. She continued to follow her passions and never wavered from the calling on her life to help children and their families navigate the joys and challenges of living and thriving.

As a pediatric OT, Nicole has spent her career working with children in clinical, educational and home settings. Nicole spent many years supporting teachers and children in their schools and classrooms. Over the past few years, Nicole has seen the need to support children not just in their school environment but also in their home environment.

Nicole lives in Barrie Ontario providing private pay services. She is also an OAP (Ontario Autism Program) Provider

She also leads a team of OTs in Calgary, Alberta who provide private pay and FSCD services (Family supports for children with disabilities)

For all children, feeling safe and connected in their home is essential, and often, families need help to navigate this. Nicole and her team specialize in supporting children who are neurodivergent and are having challenges with sensory and emotional regulation. ExploreAbility OTs take a strengths-based and holistic approach with children and their families.

What Families Are Saying

  • “Nicole is thoughtful, proactive and caring in her approach. Her compassion only surpasses her patience, and she has been fundamental to discovering and supporting our kiddo’s needs. We are incredibly grateful to have Nicole on our team.”

    Marlena S - Mom

  • "Nicole has been working with my daughter for a few years now. She always comes up with new and fun ways to keep my daughter engaged. We have appreciated all of Nicole's preparation for our sessions and her constructive feedback."

    John P - Dad

  • "I appreciate that Nicole values parents as the experts on their children while bringing new information and strategies for us to experiment with. She knows each child is unique and works with them while celebrating their gifts."

    Sacha M - Mom

  • "Nicole is an innovative, tactful and progressive-thinking therapist who takes her lead and guidance from my daughter. She is a very kind, receptive listener, approaching the whole child with humour and joy. It is apparent that Nicole is highly motivated to ask intentional questions and is an ambitious lifelong learner as a therapist."

    Johanna W - Mom

  • "Working with Nicole has been life-changing for our autistic daughter and our family. She provides great care and expertise, intellectual honesty and empathy. She makes my daughter feel safe and happy and creates a real bond that enables them to work together on challenging issues peacefully and often through laughter. We feel privileged to have her as our OT and highly recommend her to any family looking for an OT."

    Cyrielle F - Mom

FAQs

  • Nicole MacLean provides services in Barrie and the surrounding area including Washago, Orillia, Elmvale, Cookstown, Innisfil, Alliston.

    The Alberta OTs provide services in Calgary.

  • Yes! We offer OT services in your home, as well as at community locations (library, rec centres), outside spaces (weather permitting) and virtually.

  • No, you do not need a doctor’s referral for OT services.

  • Our sessions are not covered by OHIP (Ontario Health Insurance Plan). Families pay for our services up front, and may be reimbursed by funding and/or their health benefits provider, if applicable.

  • Yes. The Ontario Autism Program (OAP) offers support to families of children and youth on the autism spectrum. Children and youth who have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by a qualified professional are eligible for the program.

    Occupational Therapy is funded under the ‘Core Clinical Services’.

    https://www.ontario.ca/page/ontario-autism-program

  • We do not direct bill to any insurance providers. We will provide an invoice with all of the necessary information in order to submit a claim. Make sure the benefits cover consultation appointments as well as ongoing therapy appointments.

  • We ask that all clients have an active credit card on file. Families are welcome to pay by e transfer or debit if needed, but must have an active credit card on file in the event that payment is not received.

  • Please fill in the form below to initiate a free 20 minute consultation call where we will further discuss your needs and cost of services.

Request a Free Consult Call

We welcome all inquiries! Parents seeking support for their child are encouraged to complete the form below. Inquiries can also be made by email to ExploreAbility owner Nicole MacLean at nicole@exploreability.ca.