Welcome to the Acorn Academy
The Acorn Academy offers a 12-week Picky to Progress online feeding therapy program for parents and caregivers. The program was created for neuro-divergent kids 1-5 years old. It can be helpful for all kids struggling with eating.
Coming Soon: New Programs in 2026:
Creating A Sensory Smart Home
Creating a Sensory Smart Environment for Early Education
Stay Tuned!
Nurturing PotentialWhat is Acorn Academy?
We empower parents to nurture their child's potential via education and consultation services. We provide strategies that are practical, tried and true and work with your busy lifestyles.
For Parents
Gain practical, therapist-backed strategies to support your child’s development, sensory needs, feeding abilities, self-regulation, improve routines, and reduce daily struggles.
For Educators
Learn proven techniques to create a sensory-friendly classroom and effectively support neurodivergent students.
Online programsFrom Picky to Progress:
A Step-by-Step Program for Eating Success
Do you have a child struggling with selective eating? Does your child have little interest in eating? Are you overwhelmed by the amount of feeding advice and don’t know where to start? This 12-week online program helps you understand your child’s individual feeding difficulties and gives you practical strategies to help your child expand their food choices, improve mealtime routines, and reduce sensory challenges. Learn how to decrease overstimulation, encourage sitting for meals, and make eating a positive experience. You are not alone! Create weekly individual feeding plans for your child with specific strategies and start making feeding progress today to help your child learn to eat better.
Program Objectives
Understand why your child isn’t progressing with eating
Increase the variety of foods they will eat
Learn strategies to improve willingness to try new foods
Understand your child’s sensory needs and preferences and how they affect eating
Develop methods to increase how much they eat
Teach your child to sit down for meals
Establish peaceful and consistent mealtime routines
Use positive and encouraging eating language
Implement strategies for challenging mealtime behaviors
Understand why your child eats at daycare or school but not at home
Set and understand realistic expectations and goals
Tailored supportFeeding & Sensory Consultations for Parents
Tired of endlessly searching for answers online? Get expert guidance from a pediatric occupational therapist with 28 years of experience. Book a call and get 5-10 written practical strategies tailored to your child’s needs.
Meet Stacey, MA, OTR/L
Founder of Acorn Academy, Pediatric Occupational Therapist and Feeding Specialist
Stacey Neill is a dedicated pediatric occupational therapist, autism specialist, developmental specialist, and feeding therapist with over 28 years of experience. She earned her B.S. in Physiology from U.C. Davis and completed her Master’s in Occupational Therapy at the University of Southern California.
Growing up and currently living in rural Weaverville, California, Stacey balances her career with family life, raising two teenage daughters and spending time hiking, backpacking, reading, and enjoying the river.
Throughout her career, Stacey has helped develop an early intervention preschool and taught early educators through Oregon State University. she worked in homes, schools, clinics, and hospital, running a private practice and previously owning a sensory integration clinic for 13 years. The COVID-19 pandemic shifted her focus, enabling her to support families through parent coaching, teaching and online programs.
Specialties & Certifications
Feeding Therapy
Adaptive Technology
Rhythmic Movement Training
S’Cool Moves
Handwriting Without Tears
SOS Trained Feeding Therapist
Autism
Sensory Integration and Praxis Test Certified (SIPT)
Floor Time
Neuro-Developmental Treatment
Infant Massage
Pediatric Feeding Institute trained Feeding Therapist
Licenses
California Board of Occupational Therapy
National Board of Occupational Therapy Association
Why the Acorn?
"The acorn is a symbol of potential. I love working with parents to bring out the potential in their child. Progress isn’t always linear – we constantly need to adapt and adjust. Finding creative ways to help a child succeed is so rewarding for me as an O.T. and for the parents. I’m still learning every day, and that is part of what makes this work so fulfilling."
Stacey Neill, MA, OTR/L
here to helpHow Our Programs Can Help Kids
Our programs go beyond addressing feeding and sensory challenges – they also provide guidance on improving daily routines, self-help skills (dressing, hygiene, brushing teeth), sleep plans, transitions, and overall developmental progress. We offer practical strategies that help children feel more confident and capable while also supporting parents, caregivers, and even extended family members in creating a more understanding and structured home environment.
We help with
Fine Motor Skills
Impulse Control
Learning Disabilities
Sensory Processing Disorder
Genetic Differences
Dyslexia
Torticollis
Gross Motor Coordination
ADD/ADHD
Developmental Delay
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Executive Dysfunction
Cerebral Palsy
Feeding Disorders & Challenges
Self-Regulation
Toilet Training
Customer ReviewsWhat Parents and Educators are Saying
By combining parent coaching, educator training, and therapist-backed methods, Acorn Academy provides a comprehensive approach to supporting neurodivergent children at home, in school, and in care settings.