Hello, Cheerful Helpers Families!
I am so happy to be joining the Cheerful Helpers community as an occupational therapist. I have been an OT for more than 26 years, working with children and families in schools, clinics, homes, hospitals, and community settings.
OT has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. My mother, Patricia Haas, was a pediatric occupational therapist for more than 50 years, and I grew up watching the creativity,
curiosity, and compassion she brought to her work. I eventually followed in her footsteps, beginning my own OT career in 1999 and later earning my Doctor of Occupational Therapy degree.
My approach is neurodiversity-affirming, relationship-based, and strongly influenced by sensory integration. I am particularly interested in understanding the why behind what we see. Rather than beginning with, “How do we change this behavior?” I tend to ask, “What is this child
experiencing, what is their nervous system telling us, and what might help them participate?” I believe movement, sensory experiences, relationships, communication, and emotional safety
are deeply interconnected.
My doctoral research, completed at a time when relatively little research examined stimming from the perspective of autistic people themselves, explored autistic stimming not simply as a behavior to reduce or eliminate, but as a meaningful form of communication, regulation, and social expression. That work continues to shape my practice. I want children to know that they do not have to become someone different in order to be successful. My role is to help them
develop the skills, supports, environments, and self-understanding that allow them to participate
more fully as themselves.
Outside of OT, I love adventure and being outdoors. I lived in Alaska for many years, where I hiked, camped, skied, and skijored behind sled dogs—and, once, even a reindeer! Since
returning to California, I have fallen in love with outrigger canoeing and now race with a Southern California canoe club.
I am excited to become part of the Cheerful Helpers community and to get to know the children, families, and staff. After more than two decades as an occupational therapist, I am still fascinated by this work and by what children can teach us when we take the time to watch, listen, and understand.
