Rachel, MS, OTR/L

Rachel is an enthusiastic occupational therapist dedicated to helping children achieve their goals through play-based intervention strategies and caregiver education. Rachel has worked with children with varying diagnoses, including developmental delay, CP, Down syndrome, sensory processing disorder, and autism. She is skilled in creating care plans that focus on the client’s meaningful activities to enhance independence and participation in their daily lives. Rachel strives to create a nurturing atmosphere where each child’s efforts are recognized and celebrated, from the smallest victories to their greatest achievements.

Rachel has managed a complex pediatric caseload in an outpatient clinic, where she created and implemented meaningful interventions for children with various diagnoses, including developmental delay, Down syndrome, Rett syndrome, dyspraxia, Angelman syndrome, feeding difficulties, cerebral palsy (CP), anxiety, ADHD, and sensory processing disorder. She also has experience managing cases in both acute and outpatient rehabilitation centers, working with clients who have spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, and hand and shoulder injuries. Rachel excels at using her clinical reasoning skills to analyze occupations in context and overcome barriers to participation through occupation-based interventions, adaptive devices, and various treatment modalities.

Rachel values continuity of care and collaboration among all members of the care team, as well as with the child’s caregivers. She emphasizes the importance of collaborating with the child’s support systems to ensure that learned skills are carried over at home, school, and in the community.

During her doctoral capstone, Rachel strengthened her advocacy skills by working with a nonprofit organization for individuals with spinal cord injuries. She addressed issues related to wheelchair travel difficulties and inequalities by creating a wheelchair transfer training program for airline employees.

Rachel now resides in Durham with her husband and their Siberian cat. She is thrilled to have returned to her home state, where she aims to make a meaningful impact as an occupational therapist in the community where she was raised.