I am a pediatric occupational therapist with 30 years experience, serving private clients in the Tampa Bay area. I received a Master’s Degree in Occupational Therapy in 1994, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology in 1992. My OT career has produced a depth of experience working in a variety of settings and with many age groups and types of disabilities. These include skilled nursing rehabilitation, home health care, acute care trauma center rehab, serving school-based therapy needs in the homeschool community, and serving clients in a pediatric neurodevelopmental therapy clinic. I am also recently retired from homeschooling my 3 children for 11 years. I was drawn to the world of pediatric OT and sensory processing 21 years ago when my first child was born.

I created A+ Handwriting to help students improve their handwriting ability for success in schoolwork activities and life. In many school settings, teachers are no longer able to focus on proper handwriting technique nor the underlying physical and sensory skills required for success. My A+ Handwriting program provides individualized assessment and one-on-one treatments aimed at preparing children for “handwriting readiness” by the time they enter school, and to help older kids who persist with handwriting difficulties. 

Over time, many children develop improper handwriting postures, which reinforce irregular motor patterns and can create muscle fatigue, unnatural stress on finger joints, illegible handwriting, frustration, and even an unwillingness to perform writing activities. Other kids may have sensory-motor based, muscle tone, dysgraphia, or primitive reflex integration issues, which can be detrimental to the timely development of many aspects of handwriting, which are important during the school years and throughout life. 

A+ Handwriting OT Evaluations include all of the above areas, plus an analysis of each student’s Learning Style, Dominance Profile, Sensory Processing matrix, and Executive Skills. Correction of underlying problem areas is the main goal of A+ Handwriting intervention, which naturally corrects handwriting issues and a host of other important skills at the same time.

Research-based OT interventions are an important component in the process of reversing or preventing handwriting difficulties. An individualized A+ Handwriting Plan of Treatment targets the foundational skills of Visual Motor Integration, Fine and Gross Motor Coordination, Reflex Integration, Sensory Processing (including visual, vestibular, attention/focus, and auditory processing), Trunk Control, Shoulder Stability, and Functional Grasp patterns necessary for handwriting fluency.

I am a registered, licensed, board certified Occupational Therapist in Florida, with a specialty and advanced training in handwriting remediation for school aged children, grades Pre-K through 12th grade. 

Often, before a child is able to participate in the complex skill of handwriting, there are various modalities to help children calm & regulate themselves for improved self-control, focus, and sensory processing.  I am a certified iLS Practitioner, and trained in the SSP protocol for students with more challenging auditory processing, emotional regulation, and behavioral issues. What is iLS? Check it out, here: http://integratedlistening.com/the-science-of-how-ils-works/

What is SSP? https://integratedlistening.com/ssp-safe-sound-protocol/

I am also a Certified Autism Spectrum Clinical Specialist, who endeavors to provide the best possible therapeutic challenges and progression of skills in order to help advance each child’s neurodevelopmental maturity, all in God’s perfect timing.

I am passionate about helping kids discover their unique God-given talents while growing their self-confidence and ability to be successful in the sensory world we live in.

When not working, I try to keep a healthy life balance by spending time with my family, biking, cooking, and beaching in sunny Florida.

I work with students on my therapy bus, “Miss Dot” in locations throughout the Tampa Bay area. Check out more information about my therapy services aboard “Miss Dot” here!