About Allison
I would describe myself as a passionate problem solver. As an occupational therapist, I look at each child as a whole person. I want to understand why they are having a difficult time with a task and how it's affecting everything else. This allows me to come up with innovative, personalized strategies to teach your child in a motivating and playful way. I meet kids where they are in the moment; if they are melting down I am the calm that helps them regulate and if they need a boost I am the energetic motivator.
I have always been inspired to work with neurodiverse kids. As a young adult, I taught adapted swimming lessons and volunteered with the special olympics before attending University. I went to McGill University for a Bachelor's in Rehabilitation Science and then a Master's in Occupational Therapy. Through extensive additional training in various areas, I have developed my own style prioritizing connecting with the child and family, building emotional regulation skills, empowering the families to have the tools when they are no longer my clients and growing the skills that are missing to achieve their goal.
I always consider the impact of the environment and the expectations on the child’s participation. I have been working as a pediatric occupational therapist for over 5 years in both private practice and not-for-profit settings in Canada and Internationally.
Testimonials
Photos are not actual clients
From Shannon,
mom of a 5 year old boy
We met Allison during a challenging time for our family. We were fielding daily calls about behaviour from preschool, and lacking direction on how to help our son adapt and succeed. Navigating first time parenthood with a differently wired child does not come with a guidebook. The information out there is overwhelming and so much of it is ineffective, inaccurate or impossible to implement in daily family life. From the moment Allison effortlessly connected with our son, we felt relief. Her approach was calm and soothing even during moments of chaos, and over the course of less than a year of working with her, we felt much more confident in recognizing his triggers, collaborating with school staff, and proactively setting our son up for success both at school and within our family unit.
Allison was incredibly flexible, adaptable and always had new ideas to meet our son where he was at with his unique and evolving challenges. She worked closely with teachers and support staff, seamlessly respecting the concerns and needs of both the school and our family. She taught us current, child-centered, evidence-based practices and introduced us to many effective strategies and tools to help our son thrive. I have no doubt that through her thorough assessments, observations, and innovative interventions she will continue to help other families feel confident and equipped to support their child. Allison was the ideal balance of professional expertise and genuine caring and we feel so grateful to have met her.
I have had the pleasure of working with Ali for 2 years. Ali is outstanding at developing programs / strategies that are evidence based and work to the strengths of the children and their families. She creates flexible innovative approaches to support children to achieve their goals. Ali collaborates with families and all team members and provides coaching to empower all involved. She builds strong relationships with others and gladly shares all her expertise. Ali has an incredible ability to get down to a child’s level and build strong trusting relationships. She excels at supporting children with complex needs and has an incredible ability to make connections with these children.
Ali puts children first! Always, always, your child will be at the front of her mind. Allison is tremendous with her relationship building between children and their families. She takes the time to "listen" and "hear" what you are saying and is committed to providing the best support possible. Ali will think 'outside' the box to ensure that your child has the best individualized programming that they require. She is current with her knowledge base and is continually expanding her repertoire and readily shares any and all information. Ali has that unseen quality - she is a master in her field.
I had the privilege of working with Allison over this last year and she is a phenomenal Occupational Therapist. She engages so beautifully with the children she works with and it is absolutely amazing to see her work. She is an amazing communicator and makes you feel heard and understood. Allison has such a vast knowledge base in all areas of OT that you wish you could sit and observe her for extended periods of time. She has such a calming effect on children and it is so wonderful to be able to watch her play, interact and explore their world with them. It was such a pleasure working with Allison this year and I just wish I had more time with her so I could devour all the information she had to offer me!