Occupational, Physical and Speech Therapists
Occupational Therapists:
Martha Cady
Martha Cady OTR/L, M.Ed.
Education: B.S. in Occupational Therapy from the University of Puget Sound 1970; Masters in Education with honors from City University in 1996.
Experience: I have worked thirty years as a therapist in areas as diverse as mental health (with children and adults); developmental preschools; school settings; and, since 1998 in pediatric private practice. I received certification in Neurodevelopmental Therapy in 1981; received a PIP grant in 1996 to make an exercise video for low-fit kids; and, received a Special Education Parent Advisory Council Award (SEPAC) in 2000.
Approach to Treatment: I believe that children need to know who they are, how they learn and what drives them to do the things they do. I use a sensory integrative approach to help children develop confidence in their own bodies and then a pragmatic and functional outcome approach to help children develop confidence in their skills to do things with alacrity. Children guide the therapy by their interests and exploration. I like using art and projects because they're fun and fun is the motivating part of play. When children have fun they will do it again and again, practicing skills and gaining confidence.
Areas of Interest: I'm interested in providing experiences for children to feel happy, satisfied and confident in their play and in their relationships. I have worked with children with a variety of diagnoses but most concerns are with fine motor, visual-motor, sensory and feeding difficulties.
Family and Outside Interests: I have two sons, a daughter-in-law and three grandchildren. I baby sit grandchildren, play tennis, Nordic ski, and sail. I like to sew and quilt, read, make cards, and like most crafts, especially those I can use with kids.
Doreen Hunt
Doreen Hunt MA, OTR/L
Education: 1984: Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy from Eastern Michigan University and 1987 Master of Arts in O.T. from University of Southern California.
Experience: I have been working in pediatrics, both in the school setting and private practice for more than 20 years. My passion for understanding and helping children with sensory integrative disorders began in college. I chose to move to southern California from Michigan to learn more about sensory integration. There I trained both in outpatient pediatrics and in the NICU with premature infants. I was accepted into the Masters level OT program at USC and was chosen to receive a Maternal and Child Health grant to continue my studies. This education included three months training at the Ayres Clinic in Torrance, CA. I specialize in working with children with sensory processing disorders, learning disabilities and autism. I am certified in the administration and interpretation of Sensory Integration and Praxis Test (SIPT). I am currently working on increasing the use of auditory intervention into my sensory integrative treatment model.
Areas of Interest: In the community I am involved with the Puget Sound Sensory Integration Study Group and I am a member of the advisory board for the Sensory Processing Disorders Parent Support Group on the Eastside.
Family and Outside Interests: I have lived in the Seattle/Woodinville area for 5 years now with my husband and two daughters- Corinne and Allison. We love to travel, bike and ski as well as engage in many other sports. Family is also very important as my parents, brother and sister now all reside in the Woodinville area.
Melissa Nilsen
Melissa Nilsen, MS, OTR/L
Education: University of Arizona: 1993 Bachelor of Science in Nutritional Sciences with a minor in Exercise Physiology from the University of Arizona; 2006 Masters of Occupational Therapy from University of Washington.
Experience: I joined the CTW staff in the spring of 2007 after returning to graduate school and working within the school district. My work and life experiences working with children with special needs introduced me to the field of occupational therapy. I passionately knew I could have a positive impact on children and their families so I returned to school to get my masters degree in Occupational Therapy. While working on my Master's project I spent a year working with children with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and learned how, among other things, sensory processing challenges impacted all aspects of their lives. During and after graduation, I worked for Lake Washington School district, serving self-contained and typical preschool, elementary school and performing initial evaluations through Willows Special Services. I presented at both the National and State Occupational Therapy conventions on my work with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FASD).
Approach to Treatment: I love working with children and their families. I work very hard to understand a child, first and foremost as a child, and then as a child with special needs. I believe almost all treatment begins with developing a strong muscle core and having a well integrated sensory system, which prepares a child to learn. I also believe children learn best when they have a healthy self-esteem and participate in joyful, creative play.
Areas of Interest:
Children with sensory processing disorders
Children with delays in gross and fine motor skills
Children with challenges in handwriting and other school related activities
Children with diagnoses impacting social and behavioral skills
Family and Outside Interests: I am married and have two young children. I mostly keep busy chasing after them and solving disputes regarding Thomas the Train. Our family enjoys trips to the park, trips to Lake Chelan, boating and playing outside. When I get a moment to myself, I enjoy running, yoga, reading, scrapbooking, watching college football and basketball, and sleeping!
Brooken Sayers
Brooken R. Sayers OTR/L
Education: Virginia Commonwealth University, Medical College of Virginia, 2001 Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy; Currently pursuing post-professional Master of Science in Occupational Therapy at University of Puget Sound.
Experience: Over the past several years of practice, I have had the privilege of working with children spanning a wide age range, from infancy through adolescence. Though I have many years of experience working in school-based settings, I particularly enjoy working with children in the clinic setting because it affords me the opportunity to maintain close and consistent communication with parents and families.
Approach to Treatment: A family-centered approach is paramount to my treatment model, and I strive to support families by focusing on their unique concerns and goals for their children. I am particularly interested in working with children with sensory processing and modulation challenges, and supporting improved self-regulation for successful participation in play, academics, and self-care tasks. My current research involves the use of proprioceptive exercises to promote an optimal state of arousal for improved attention, impulse control, and frustration tolerance.
Family and Outside Interests: My husband Jentery and I currently live in the North Seattle area. We are enjoying a shared academic lifestyle, as I complete my graduate work at the University of Puget Sound, and Jentery pursues a doctorate in English literature at the University of Washington. Despite our busy schedules, we also strive to make time for interests outside of our study areas, including traveling, snowboarding, jogging, and cooking and sharing meals with friends.
Judith Simmons
Judith A. Simmons OTR/L
Education: University of Puget Sound: 1977 Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy.
Experience: I have worked for thirty years as an occupational therapist. I have worked in pediatrics since 1980, as a staff therapist at Children's Hospital and Medical Center and then as director of Occupational Therapy. I have been in private practice for nineteen years at Children's Therapy of Woodinville. In addition, I consult with neonates with breastfeeding or bottle feeding issues and provide occupational therapy services to Overlake Hospital and Medical Center in their neonatal intensive care unit. I was certified in Neurodevelopmental Therapy in 1980.
Approach to Treatment: I enjoy working with children and their families. I strive to support the family and child as we work towards common goals using a strong home program. An essential part of the program is having highly skilled occupational, physical and speech therapists close at hand to consult or provide necessary intervention specific to their professional training.
Areas of Interest: I like to work with children with feeding, eating, and swallowing disorders - from the early premature infant to school age children. Other areas of interest include gross and fine motor development of infants and young children; handwriting and visual motor issues of the young child; low vision and cortical visual impairment.
Family and Outside Interests: I have three men in my life. A 1977 graduate of the U. of Oregon (Duck), a 2006 graduate of Washington State (Cougar), and a current freshman at the U. of Washington (Husky). My primary role at Thanksgiving is to keep peace among the Pac 10! I love to play tennis, sew, travel, study art, read, socialize with friends, and go for long walks with my husband.