Debra is a licensed Occupational Therapist that graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. She is an Early Intervention provider and therapist who has always loved working with children. Debra has enjoyed serving children and their families in a variety of settings both in inpatient and outpatient rehab at the Children’s Hospital of Illinois. She also has provided outpatient services through Easter Seals Rehabilitation Center where she enjoyed participating in their Aquatic Therapy Program as well.
Debra’s experience includes working with children of all ages from infants in the NICU to inpatients in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, the General Pediatric floor, and outpatient rehab services as needed. While working at the Children’s Hospital of Illinois, Debra worked closely as part of a multi-disciplinary team with Physical therapists, Speech therapists, physicians, nursing, and social workers.
Debra has experience working with children that are medically involved, trauma injuries, hemiplegia, and developmentally delayed of all ages. She is also enjoying working with children needing sensory regulation training and developing specific strategies and home programs that are individually adapted to meet both the child’s and the families’ needs and priorities.
Throughout her career, Debra has seen how vital it is for families to be actively involved in carry over of the treatment techniques at home to help promote their child’s success. She enjoys coming alongside families to meet them where they are at and helping them prioritize what their individual needs are for their child and their family as a whole.
Outside of work, Debra enjoys spending time with her family outdoors, going for walks with her yellow lab, and horseback riding.