Our Team
Ms. Samantha (Sam)
MOT, OTR/L
(She/her/hers)
Pediatric Occupational Therapist and Feeding Therapist
Sam was born and raised in a small town in Minnesota. She had no idea what occupational therapy even was, until she got to college. At her high school graduation, her cousin asked her to come work at the daycare she owned when she went to college. She didn’t realize that it was a pediatric therapy clinic and daycare combined. This is where she fell in love with occupational therapy and knew she wanted to work with kids. She quickly changed her major and received her Master of Occupational Therapy from the University of North Dakota. Life came full circle when she was hired as an occupational therapist at the same location that she discovered her passion for it following graduation.
Since then, she has worked as a travel occupational therapist and she has had experience working in inpatient and outpatient settings with kids and adults of all ages and abilities, school systems, and she also has experience working with preemies in the NICU.
Sam has completed a variety of coursework to advance her knowledge and skills in many areas including vision, feeding, motor and movement skills, as well as sensory processing and self-regulation. As a lifelong learner, she is eager to take new trainings and courses. She would love to be a certified lactation consultant and continue her expertise in feeding of all ages. She enjoys working with families to enhance development, feeding and eating skills, school readiness, and participation in home and community settings.
University of North Dakota: Master of Occupational Therapy
Fun Facts!
What is your favorite childhood smell?
Rain; both the smell before it rains and the smell during/after
Which Hogwarts House would you be sorted into?
I am a Gryffindor. (I’ve done the sorting already) – But I think I could also be a Ravenclaw.
What is your secret talent?
My husband would say it is “making a mess”.
What is your favorite quote from an animated/childrens' movie?
“Never look back, darling. It distracts from the now” – Edna Mode, Incredibles.
Certifications and Trainings
• Child Passenger Safety Technician Certification (CPST); as well as additional CEUs including Virtual Car Seat Checks; Good, Better, Best for Children with Special Needs at Car Seat Checks; Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes: How Pediatric Anatomy Affects Injuries; After the Crash: Why Size Appropriate Child Seats Matter; Transporting the Littlest Passengers.
• CPST Advanced training - Safe Seating for All Children: Transporting Children with Special Needs – Advanced training course.
• Sequential Oral Sensory: SOS Approach to Feeding
• SOS: Feeding the 6 – 16-month-old
• Zones of Regulation
• Seeing the Big World: The Role of Vision in Pediatric Therapy
• Improving Focus and Behavior in the Classroom: Implementing Sensory Strategies that Work for All Students
• Creating and Implementing Sensory Diet Routines into Your Daily Life
• Mental Health First Aid
• Therapeutic Options Training
Favorite part of being a Pediatric Therapist:
Helping children and families discover their potential and make progress through play.
Places Lived:
Minnesota, North Dakota (twice), Washington, California
Hobbies and Interests
Reading, going swimming/to the beach/to the lake, spending time outside, music, movies, and what I love most is spending time with my husband, toddler, and pets.
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