Occupational Therapy programme designed by Tipperary HSE professional wins award

A project using video to support neurodiverse primary school children to self-regulate, has received a prestigious Occupational Therapy award at this year’s Association of Occupational Therapists Ireland (AOTI) annual conference.

Dearbhla O’Reilly, Senior Occupational Therapist with HSE West covering Limerick and Tipperary, picked up the 2025 Eva Duggan Award for her initiative The Self-Regulation Video Project – a child-directed video resource to support self-regulation and empower children, families and schools with well-being and participation in everyday life. 

It was initially developed within primary care, HSE Mid West, to address the high need for sustainable self-regulation resources for schools and families.

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The project will support neurodiverse primary school pupils across the country to understand and manage their regulation in a child-friendly and accessible way. It aims to support engagement in learning, play and daily routines. As part of winning the award, Dearbhla will receive a €1,000 bursary towards developing initiatives to enhance paediatric service.

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Dearbhla, who now works with National Council for Special Education (NCSE) in Sustained In-School Therapy (SIT) based in West Region (Limerick/Tipperary), said:

“I'm so delighted to receive the Eva Duggan Award for my project, a child-directed video resource to support self-regulation. Self-regulation is a child’s ability to recognise and manage their own energy, emotions and behaviour so they can learn, play and take part in daily life. This can be especially challenging for neurodivergent children, who may experience differences in sensory processing, attention or emotional regulation.

“In my role with the NCSE inclusion is at the heart of everything we do, and this resource is one way to support that vision in schools. This recognition means a lot to me because it reflects the years I have spent working with children and building an understanding of what is needed, and it strengthens my belief that this project can make a real difference”.