From being a pediatric occupational therapist for over 20 years, as well as having the blessing of being "mom" to my wonderful family, I have gained a lot of experience of what works well and not so well. And especially how this varies between individuals and families. We are all so beautifully unique, especially children. Why shouldn't their developmental journeys be too? 

 I have experience working with various public-school systems with all ages from preschool through high school. I supported children under numerous eligibility categories including but not limited to learning disability, specific learning disability, other health impairment, emotional disability, developmental delay, physical impairment, autism, mild to severe intellectual disability, & speech language disability. I also have experience serving children in a residential psychiatric facility for clients ages 5 through 14. Most of these young people were suffering the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder and had significant behavioral-related difficulties, including severe dysregulation, emotional & sensory. 

 I founded Milestones and established our tier-model of therapy in order to offer a more customized, less invasive approach to supporting children's growth and development, that is inclusive to all children and families. One thing I was able to take from all of the settings I have been part of, is the importance and success of an integrative approach to service delivery, including all of the people on a child's team. Milestones creates a clean, inviting space for families & communities to embrace the enjoyment of childhood and the family unit, while also being exposed to what I have to offer as a therapist. If a child is struggling in a certain area, I want to be able to partner with parents to provide more support for them without adding more stress to a family. By empowering parents, a child can receive the support they need on a daily basis and in a naturalistic setting. If more intense services are required, we are ready to provide those but also want to get children back to our least restrictive model of "open-play" as soon as possible, being cautious not to over-therapize them.

As Fred Rogers put it best, play is the most important work of childhood. This is because it really works. At Milestones, children will be able to access what the need, when they need it, and transition back and forth between different models of service delivery as needed, all under one roof with a familiar staff: meeting the needs of the child and family versus attempting to fit them into a generic mold.

I hope to see you soon!