I’ve known for most of my life that I wanted to work with children, and turns out, I’m pretty good at it!  I completed my occupational therapy degree in 2003 and despite required internships in hospitals, nursing homes, and adult rehab units, I knew my heart was always in pediatrics!
To clarify what pediatric OT is, I work with children so they can perform their everyday tasks, or “their occupations.”  For them these are skills they need to play, feed, develop, and to take care of themselves.
The areas I focus on and am well versed in include:
~Sensory integration                 ~Handwriting
~Fine motor                                ~Prehensile patterns
~Visual motor                             ~Visual perceptual
~Early intervention                   ~Nuero-developmental treatment (NDT)
~Upper extremity splinting     ~Self care training
~Oral motor                                ~Feeding therapy
~Therapeutic massage              ~Gross motor coordination
~Developmental delay              ~Cognition
~Social and peer interactions  ~Parent education
I started my Occupational Therapy (OT) career focusing on working with children with autism, ADHD, ASD, and other similar disorders at a sensory integration specific clinic.  Then I moved to a pediatric hospital outpatient facility where I worked with children with a wide variety of developmental difficulties and diagnosis.
While earning my degree in occupational therapy with a minor in psychology and business, I worked in the school districts in Illinois, Michigan, and Florida doing various positions as a substitute teacher, paraprofessional, and child associate.  I also helped run a parenting program in a low income area.
I earned a certification in infant mental health to help increase my ability to interact and understand infants.  I also completed over 500 hours of volunteer experience in an OT or OT related field while in high school.

I live with my amazing husband and 2 large rescue dogs. We have also taken in a few foster dogs, which is very rewarding and I love it (even though it is hard to say goodbye).