Business Women Awards 2025
ACHIEVEMENT HONOREE:
Sarah McNeill, McNeill Children’s Institute founder
THE DIRECTION of Sarah McNeill’s life emerged like a blueprint early on.
“When I was growing up, we didn’t have technology like cellphones. I played in the woods behind our house in Middletown,” she said. “Then in middle and high school, I was a competitive national gymnast. The bars and the beams, the intensity, hard work and camaraderie; I loved it.”
The grit and determination McNeill developed through intense training shaped her character and work ethic. In 2020, she founded McNeill Children’s Institute, a medical clinic with locations in Middletown, North Kingstown and East Providence. It specializes in treating children and young adults up to age 22 with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, autism, dyslexia and other learning differences. The institute empowers children through speech, occupational, feeding and vision therapies, along with social skills programs.
McNeill’s academic path was challenging. Initially reluctant to attend college, she enrolled at Quinnipiac University to study occupational therapy, encouraged by her parents. She later discovered she had ADHD and auditory processing difficulties, which made learning difficult. Despite these challenges, she excelled in her field, drawn to a career that allowed McNeill to be physically active while helping children.
“I don’t really read and comprehend what I’m reading. I have to write everything out. It doesn’t make for an easy situation. That’s how I got my degree,” she said. “Eventually, I learned I have ADHD, and some auditory processing difficulties, like some kids I treat, but I wasn’t diagnosed till I was 44. I’ve always felt different.”
McNeill moved to California where she studied new pediatric occupational therapy techniques and worked in the San Diego school system for 22 years. Seeking more fulfillment, McNeill started a home-visit business and later volunteered with Red Autismo, a nonprofit in Baja, Calif.
In 2019, McNeill and her family returned to Rhode Island where she became the head occupational therapist in the Portsmouth School System. But when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, she decided to open her own clinic. Despite early financial struggles, her institute today has 24 staff members, 400 weekly appointments and a waiting list.
