Part of the sensory gym at McNeill Children's Institute. A climbing wall, an activity wall, and trampolines are around the room.

Welcome to McNeill Children’s Institute

  • At McNeill Children's Institute, we prioritize the wellbeing of your little ones.

    Founded by Sarah McNeill, the pediatric occupational therapist with over 20 years of experience, we offer a range of specialize services tailored to meet your child's needs.

    From developing fine and gross motor skills to therapy for feeding issues, vision, executive functioning skills, and self-regulation, we teach it all in a fun and welcoming environment.

    McNeill Children's Institute: supporting your child's growth and development every step of the way.

Rhode Island’s Leading Pediatric Occupational Therapy Practice

We Empower Children and Families to live their Best Lives.

McNeill Children’s Institute is re-writing the playbook for exceptional pediatric occupational therapy, right here in Rhode Island.

What Sets MCI-OT Apart?

There are a lot of wonderful pediatric occupational therapy options out there, but we believe we are charting a new course for Rhode Island children and families at McNeill Children’s Institute.

A blonde girl focuses her eyes on a ball she controls by blowing into a tube.
A young child reaches with their left hand while they're being fed with a spoon.
Sarah McNeill talking to a parent in her office.

Here are a few reasons why:

  • MCI’s founder Sarah McNeill trained under many of the pioneers of pediatric OT for more than twenty years on the west coast. She made the decision to bring back these innovative techniques and advanced training to her home state of Rhode Island when she noticed there was a scarcity of services for families, which was made worse by the pandemic years.

  • “We bring the whole family in,” says McNeill. “We work hard to make sure the OT ‘homework’ is practiced not only in the clinic, but also at home and at school. We look at this as a triangle of support.”

  • For each child, MCI conducts a full comprehensive assessment and determines an individualized approach.

  • MCI has designed state-of-the-art sensory rooms that stimulate the child’s mind and imagination. Sarah McNeill is renowned internationally for sensory room design.

  • MCI’s staff of nearly 30 OTs are trained to treat all ages, from birth to young adulthood.

  • MCI serves approximately 500 children each week, across their three clinics in Middletown, North Kingstown and Rumford.

A headshot of Sarah McNeill, the founder of McNeill Children's Institute.

Sarah McNeill, Founder

Sarah McNeill, a Rhode Island native, trained in California for 20 years with many ground-breaking pioneers in the field of pediatric OT. While there, she learned new, innovative sensory techniques that target developing children's vestibular, visual and auditory systems. Sarah decided several years ago to bring all that learning & development back home to the Ocean State and on July 1, 2020, McNeill Children’s Institute opened its doors for the first time.

Here's what some students and parents say:

A therapist works with a child.

 We Shine When Your Child Shines!

Kane loves Miss Christina! Thank you for all you do for Kane and for helping him manage his transitions (and everything else!)

Thank you for everything you do for ALL kiddos! You guys rock!

My child loves coming to MCI-OT, this is an amazing place!

So thankful for everyone's help at MCI!

Join Our Growing Community

Leave your contact info for occasional updates & newsletters

What Is Pediatric Occupational Therapy?

Pediatric OT helps children with unique learning styles. I.e., those who may struggle with various physical, mental and cognitive activities and tasks, grow, learn and interact more successfully in their daily lives: at school, at home, in sports, on the playground, and in the community-at-large.

Occupational therapy is not just for kids with disabilities, it can benefit a wide variety of children.
— The New York Times, "How to Help a Child With Delays in Motor Skills and When to Get Support"