Hi, I’m Sara!

I am a licensed pediatric occupational therapist (OTR/L) and certified Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) therapist, and I’m here to support your and your family in navigating life with a young child with ASD.

Through my work providing occupational therapy and ESDM therapy, creating and supervising two clinical ESDM programs, and coaching caregivers using the ESDM model, I recognized the profound and often missing piece of traditional therapy models - caregiver coaching.

The current model of therapy for young children with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)- whether it is OT, PT, Speech Therapy, or ABA - relies on the premise that much of the “change” and learning happens in a therapy session. While it is undeniably true that skilled intervention is a critical piece of treatment for developmental therapy, research also supports the fact that for a young child, the vast majority of learning for young children takes place in the home. Bridging the gap between what a child learns in therapy by teaching, supporting, and empowering parents to carry over the learning and therapeutic techniques into the home is a profound addition to the therapy model.

My goal is to offer this service to families that are looking for additional support and coaching in the home, applying my training as an ESDM therapist and occupational therapist.

I am certified in the following areas:

  • Occupational Therapist (OTR/L), licensed in the state of California

  • Certified Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) through the UCDavis MIND Institute

  • Advanced Sequential-Oral-Sensory (SOS) feeding therapist

    I am trained in the following areas:

  • Primitive Reflex Integration

  • Sensory Processing and integration

  • Emotional Regulation and Mindfulness strategies

  • Handwriting Without Tears

My deepest desire is to empower you - caregivers, guardians, and parents - to strengthen your bond and connection with your child and step more confidently into your role as his/her greatest teacher. Together, I aim to:

  • Teach you to honor, read, and increase your child’s verbal and non-verbal communication

  • Learn to apply and infuse simple ESDM techniques into your daily life with your child to maximize his/her learning and development

  • Maximize learning for you child during play and daily home routines and activities

  • Apply behavioral and sensory strategies as needed in your home

  • Provide skilled observation, support, and intervention for your child’s development

  • Build confidence in you and your child to become agents of change