Get to Know Hopebridge’s Pediatric Occupational Therapists in North Carolina

Hopebridge Launched New Outpatient Therapies with OT and Speech Therapy in North Carolina

When a child struggles to hold a crayon, use utensils or follow simple directions, many parents wonder if they should “wait and see” or find extra support. For families in North Carolina, getting answers and the right therapies just became easier.

Hopebridge now offers pediatric occupational therapy and speech therapy in local North Carolina clinics. These services can help infants, toddlers, and preschoolers through early intervention during the most critical years for development and learning.

 Childhood occupational therapy helps children build fine motor skills, develop independence in daily routines and improve sensory integration, which can lay the foundation for school readiness and social success. For children with sensory issues or developmental delays, an occupational therapist can address challenges in self-care, feeding, play and participation in everyday life. Families who have a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may also be able to receive applied behavior analysis (ABA therapy)—all under one roof at Hopebridge.

To share what this means for families, we spoke with four of our North Carolina occupational therapists. They offer insight into what occupational therapy can help with, what inspires them in their work, and a glimpse into the progress they’ve already seen in their young patients.

Dr. Jordan Widenhouse, Occupational Therapist / Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD, OTR/L) in Gastonia, NC

Hometown: Belmont, NC

Alma mater: Mary Baldwin University in Staunton, VA

What inspired you to pursue a career in occupational therapy?
One of my purposes in life is to serve others, and occupational therapy is a wonderful way to fulfill that. When I was younger, I had the opportunity to be part of a mentorship program working with children with special needs. I knew from that point on, that I wanted to serve this population, and it wasn’t until a little after high school that I realized occupational therapy was the best way for me to do that.                     

As a pediatric OT, what is your area of passion?
Social and play participation, sensory self-regulation skills, and school-preparedness training.

What initially sparked your interest in working at Hopebridge?
Their focus on looking at the kids as a whole and ensuring their needs are met in all areas (ABA, OT, SLP, PT) for them to be as successful as possible in their lives.

What is your favorite activity to do with your kids during a session?
I had a few treatment sessions with a kid who loved Disney characters. One of his goals was to work on his handwriting and far copy skills. Usually, I tried to make handwriting fun, but he did not like to do any handwriting tasks. We had an idea to write all the names of his favorite Disney characters on the board. He used an augmentative and alternative communication device (AAC) to communicate, so he would click his favorite character and proceed to write their name. We did this activity at the beginning of several consecutive sessions and his handwriting skills dramatically improved in that short time. This sounds like a simple activity, but the reason it’s one of my favorites is because he was so excited to do this every time he had a session with me, and because of that excitement, his participation and fine motor/handwriting skills improved. This example shows the importance of client-centered treatment and the impact it truly can make.

Tell us about a moment or case that made you think, “This is why I do what I do.”
I had a kid who had a hard time opening up. He would often act out his frustration by throwing things. By my third session with him, we started with a gross motor activity, and he really enjoyed it. He was really engaged for the rest of the session, and that was probably the start of us building that therapeutic bond. For the next several sessions, he started telling me more words, participating in more tasks, and looked like he really enjoyed our sessions. He was surpassing his goals and doing really well at school as well. Seeing his progress and watching him thrive in his environment was one of those moments where I thought, “This is why I do what I do.”

What is a fun fact about you that your coworkers and kids may not know?
I love to hike in the mountains and explore new trails.

Isha Patel, Registered Occupational Therapist (OTR/L) in Indian Trail, NC

Hometown: Charlotte, NC

Alma mater: UNC-Chapel Hill for undergraduate studies and East Carolina University for grad school

What inspired you to pursue a career in occupational therapy?
During one of my undergrad courses, my professor discussed occupational therapy interventions performed to improve fine motor skills. That was the first time I had even heard of the field of OT and was immediately fascinated by all of the creative interventions that could be utilized to help individuals with various disabilities all across the lifespan. Upon further research, my interest in the field grew stronger as I learned about how client-centered OT is and how OTs can focus on a multitude of skills based on our patients’ needs (ex. fine motor, visual motor, cognitive skills, balance, etc.) to help them improve their performance in meaningful activities.

As a pediatric OT, what is your area of passion?
I enjoy being able to use my creative lens to develop engaging interventions that help my clients improve their performance with age-appropriate activities of daily living (ADLs).

What initially sparked your interest in working at Hopebridge?
I was interested to learn that Hopebridge offered ABA, OT and speech therapy all in one center, as I had previously read research on how having a strong interdisciplinary team typically leads to positive outcomes for shared clients.

What is your favorite activity to do with your kids during a session?
I enjoy working together with my clients to put together and complete obstacle courses. Whether it is to help meet my client’s sensory needs or to improve engagement in other activities, my clients typically enjoy and are very engaged in these interventions.

Tell us about a moment or case that made you think, “This is why I do what I do.”
Rewarding moments for me tend to be when my client and I have been working together on a skill (e.g. shoe tying) for weeks or months and then finally my client completes the activity on their own. It is wonderful to think back on all of the hard work they put into learning the skill and how much progress they had made.

What is a fun fact about you that your coworkers and kids may not know?
I am very interested in interior design. I love watching room makeover videos in my free time and even enjoy helping my friends put together creative space layouts for their apartments/homes.

Dr. Lisa G. Wooding, Occupational Therapist / Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD, OTR/L) in High Point, NC

Hometown: Greensboro, NC

Alma mater: Mary Baldwin University in Staunton, VA

What inspired you to pursue a career in occupational therapy?
I have always been interested in the medical/health field, but did not want to become a medical doctor. I originally thought I wanted to be a physical therapy, but once I shadowed an OT at a hospital, I found my interest switched.

As a pediatric OT, what is your area of passion?
Sensory integration and regulation.

What initially sparked your interest in working at Hopebridge?

What sparked my interest was the family feel between staff and kiddos at Hopebridge, as well as their appreciation of work-life balance.

What is your favorite activity to do with your kids during a session?
Playing with the sensory table with different materials, such as kinetic sand, water and shaving cream.

Tell us about a moment or case that made you think, “This is why I do what I do.”
Positive parent feedback always reinforces why I do this job.

What is a fun fact about you that your coworkers and kids may not know?
I never learned how to ride a bike, lol.

Christina Mullins, Occupational Therapist (OTR) in Winston-Salem, NC

Hometown: Walkertown, NC

Alma mater: Winston-Salem State University in Winston-Salem, NC

What inspired you to pursue a career in occupational therapy?
My grandparents. I always enjoyed being their helper and knew I wanted to help other people.

As a pediatric OT, what is your area of passion?
Working with children who have attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

What is it that you enjoy most about working at Hopebridge?
The idea of helping kids grow to be their best self and teach them their disability is a superpower because they are our future.

What is your favorite activity to do with your kids during a session?
Sensory brushing and joint compression because I get the most eye contact, smiles and giggles.

Tell us about a moment or case that made you think, “This is why I do what I do.”
A child who had difficulties getting calm needed support and I was able to help them regulate enough to successfully use the restroom.

What is a fun fact about you that your coworkers and kids may not know?
I can juggle…or at least I use to!

Start Occupational Therapy at Hopebridge

Whether your child needs help with communication, fine motor skills, feeding, or sensory processing, pediatric occupational therapy and speech therapy with clinicians like this incredible crew can open doors to growth and independence.

At Hopebridge Autism Therapy Centers in North Carolina , families can now access these services alongside ABA therapy for a coordinated approach to therapies and treatments for autism, developmental delays, and other childhood needs. From supporting preschoolers with sensory integration challenges to helping toddlers meet early speech milestones, our team is here to guide families through every step of the early intervention process.

If you’re wondering when occupational therapy is needed or how speech therapy for toddlers could help your child, the best time to start is now. Take the first step toward services by visiting hopebridge.com/contact to connect with our team and schedule an evaluation.

*Informed consent was obtained from the participants in this article. This information should not be captured and reused without express permission from Hopebridge, LLC. Testimonials are solicited as part of an open casting call process for testimonials from former client caregivers. Hopebridge does not permit clinical employees to solicit or use testimonials about therapeutic services received from current clients (Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts 5.07-5.08; BACB, 2020). Hopebridge does not provide any incentives, compensation, or renumeration for testimonials provided by a former client or client caregiver.