A picture is worth a thousand words.  In a glance you can see the important people in my life, my family.  I am happily married, the proud mother of three wonderful children and fortunate to have a large close knit family.   We love to have fun outdoors, travel and share good times.  I am also fortunate to have a job that allows me to be creative, to grow and to learn.  My career path has always involved teaching, but I have never been formally educated as a teacher- until now. ​

I received my degree in Physical Therapy (PT) and I have been teaching patients and caregivers how to improve their mobility since 1985.  Quickly I realized that I needed to frequently adapt my teachings so that different types of learners could understand and benefit from what I had to say.  I often had to meet patients (learners) where they were.  The spectrum of patients I dealt with ranged from illiterate, non-English speaking immigrants to cardiac surgeons. ​​ Although I have been practicing PT for several years, my job is forever changing and I can expect something different and interesting every day.  Currently, I am working in a center based school for students aged 3- 26 years old.

My work involves directly treating disabled students along with instructing school staff in a curriculum called MOVE (Mobility Opportunities Via Education).  This curriculum focuses on utilizing mobility for disabled children and it weaves functional activities into their daily routine.  I instruct educational groups in our area and sometimes out of state.​​​

​In the school system the role of a PT is to work with physically disabled students to improve their ability to access their school setting.  Some examples of goals we work toward are improving sitting or standing balance so that a student is better able to participate in classroom activities.  I also work on teaching stair climbing and gait activities so that students are able to ride the school bus and travel throughout the school environment.  Other goals include teaching a student to improve their ability to carry a lunch tray or transfer into a regular school chair.  As a health professional new to the school system, I returned to school to learn more about the education field to better serve my students.  By pursuing my degree I have learned many new skills that allow me to train educators in the MOVE curriculum and collaborate with other professionals to assist students to achieve their goals.  In the future, I hope to teach and work more closely with the families of the students in our school to give them strategies for helping their student become more independent in their daily life.  ​​

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