KATY BURGER,MS,OTR/L
"I love working with families at KTT because we get to share so much excitement each time their child achieves a new skill!"
Katy Burger MS, OTR/L
JOHN ROBISON
"I love the atmosphere at KTT that is so full of passion, excitement, and joy!!!"
John Robison
President & Owner
kburger@kthriveot.com
CEO & Owner
jrobison@kthriveot.com
Katy is a co-founder of Kids Thrive Therapy. She received a Master’s of Science degree in Occupational Therapy from Towson University in 2005. She has experience treating individuals of all ages to achieve independence and an improved quality of life. Katy has been primarily working with children since 2011 in public and non-public school settings as well as outpatient pediatric practices. She is Feed The Peds® Trained, and trained in the Sequential Oral Sensory Approach to Feeding as well as Handwriting Without Tears. Katy is passionate about advocating for children, connecting with families and celebrating each child’s accomplishments. Katy enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, and running. She is a member of the Maryland Occupational Therapy Association and the American Occupational Therapy Association.
John is a co-founder of KTT and a healthcare executive with many years of experience in the industry. He has held various roles in the functions of finance, HR, and operations in small, midsize, and large healthcare companies. At KTT, he leads the business management functions with a priority on client service, and creating a fun and engaging culture within the practice. John is a CPA and a graduate of Loyola University. He is an avid sports fan and enjoys playing basketball and golfing. John is married with two children and lives in the Baltimore area. John is also President of the Nolan Robison Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides assistance to children with mental health issues.
ADDIE STANG
"I love working with families at KTT because they are always willing to collaborate and learn in new and exciting ways. I love supporting and empowering families to help their children reach their goals."
Addie Stang
MS, OTR/L, ADHD-RSP
Clinical Director
Infant Therapist
astang@kthriveot.com
Addie received her Master's Degree from Elizabethtown College. Addie completed her graduate research at Elizabethtown College, with a focus in pediatrics, interoception and emotional regulation. She presented this research at the American Occupational Therapy Association Conference and was just published in the journal Occupational Therapy in Health Care. Addie has experience working with children, their families and their school to support sensory processing, self regulation and visual motor skill development. Addie has extensive training in working with individuals with ADHD and is a certified ADHD services provider. Additionally, Addie works with infants and children with feeding/oral motor difficulties, is Feed The Peds® Trained, and has completed The Tummy Time! Method training. She is passionate about working with the feeding dyad between babies and their caregivers to support development as well as supporting pre and post frenectomy care. During her free time Addie enjoys going to the beach! Addie is a member of the Maryland Occupational Therapy Association and the American Occupational Therapy Association. Addie has expanded her role at KTT to include transitioning into the Clinical Director role as she continues to be a tremendous support to management and therapists.
ERIN PUESCHEL
"I love working with families at KTT because building a strong bond and coming together as a team gives each child the best opportunity to succeed and THRIVE!"
Erin Pueschel, MS, OTR/L
STEPHANIE UTZ
MS, OTR/L, CLC
STACEY GREENBERG MS, OTR/L
Stephanie Utz, MS, OTR/L, CLC
Stacey Greenberg MS, OTR/L
Lead Occupational Therapist
OT Student Intern Coordinator
Infant Therapist
epueschel@kthriveot.com
Staff Occupational Therapist
Certified Lactation Counselor
Infant Therapist
sutz@kthriveot.com
Staff Occupational Therapist
sgreenberg@kthriveot.com
Erin received her Master's Degree from Towson University. She has treated patients of all ages but has a passion for working in pediatrics. She has worked in private practice and school settings and has experience in primitive reflex integration, neurological techniques, vision therapy, and sensory integration. Erin also provides feeding therapy to infants and young children and has completed trainings in the Beckman Oral Motor Protocol, infant handling techniques, and evaluating and treating Congenital Muscular Torticollis (including plagiocephaly and brachycephaly). Erin is a member of the American Occupational Therapy Association. During her free time, Erin loves spending time with family and friends, travel and staying active. She is from New York (Yankee fan) but has grown to love Maryland over the years and lives in Baltimore City with her husband and two daughters. Erin has expanded her role at KTT to include transitioning into the Lead Therapist position which includes staff mentorship and being the lead liaison for coordinating university student internships.
Stephanie received her Master’s Degree in occupational therapy and her post-baccalaureate certificate in autism studies from Towson University. She is also a certified Tummy Time Method provider. Stephanie has experience with sensory-motor development and primitive reflex integration. Additionally, she has extensive knowledge in infant development as well as feeding difficulties and pre- and post- frenectomy therapy. She is Feed The Peds® Trained. Steph is a Certified Lactation Counselor, which allows her to meld her expertise with occupational therapy and further supporting breastfeeding with the caregiver-baby dyad. During her free time, Stephanie loves spending time with family and friends- especially with her son, Daxten. She also loves the outdoors, camping, and racing and spending time with her sons, Daxten and Carson.
Stacey is a neurodivergent occupational therapist who received her Master's Degree from Towson University. She has worked in transdisciplinary outpatient pediatrics and is trained in Sequential Oral Sensory (SOS) approach to feeding (level 3), Beckman Oral Motor Assessment and Intervention, and Feed The Peds®. Additionally, Stacey specializes in AAC, sensory regulation, and family education for Autistic children. Stacey has worked closely with Speech Therapists learning how to use, modify, and integrate AAC and low-tech communication devices into sessions. Stacey is passionate about helping children and families experiencing mealtime challenges and advocating for neurodiversity affirming practices to support children and family live authentic lives. Some additional courses Stacey has taken include: Inclusive approaches to supporting neurodivergent children with feeding challenges including ARFID, Feeding the Child on the Autism Spectrum, Food Scientist Model: SOS Approach to Feeding Adaptation for the School-Age Child, Neurodiversity-Affirming OT Practice: An Autism CE Summit, and Anxious Eaters and Anxious Mealtimes.
Stacey also currently works in Hampstead where she teaches children and adults how to ride horses. During her free time, Stacey loves to ride horses, Latin dance, cook, and spend time with her family and friends.
LESLIE WALD
MS, OTR/L
MEREDITH LYNN
MS, OTR/L
KATE SMITH
MS, OTR/L, CPAM
Leslie Wald, MS, OTR/L
Meredith Lynn, MS, OTR/L
Kate Smith, MS, OTR/L, CPAM
Staff Occupational Therapist
lwald@kthriveot.com
Staff Occupational Therapist
mlynn@kthriveot.com
Staff Occupational Therapist
ksmith@kthriveot.com
Leslie received her Master of Science degree in Occupational Therapy. She has worked with individuals of all ages in inpatient, outpatient, early intervention and school-based settings across the country. She’s worked with critically ill children in the NICU and Pediatric ICU settings. Leslie has owned her own preschool-based OT practice, consulting with educators to strengthen developmentally appropriate tools and resources in the classroom, as well as working with students on skills to support age-appropriate development. She is trained in Handwriting Without Tears and has supported children of all ages using this curriculum. She loves working with families and educators to promote success. In her free time, Leslie enjoys spending time with her three kids and husband, going to the beach, and exercising. Leslie is a member of The Maryland Occupational Therapy Association and The American Occupational Therapy Association.
Meredith earned her Masters of Science in Occupational Therapy from Towson University and her Bachelors of Science in Biology from Loyola University Maryland. She has experience working in outpatient pediatrics and has a passion for working with children, previously an assistant kindergarten teacher. Meredith now loves working in outpatient pediatrics as an occupational therapist. As a graduate student, Meredith completed two fieldwork projects. One project involved building a sensory trail on an 80-acre hippotherapy farm in northern Maryland, designing stations targeting all of the senses aimed to improve children’s’ sensory and self-regulation. Her second fieldwork project involved using the Zones of Regulation program to help children learn and utilize self-regulation strategies to improve their ability to engage in their daily environment. During her free time, Meredith enjoys doing yoga and Pilates, cooking, and spending time with her friends and family, especially her two little nephews.
Kate received a Master’s of Science degree in Occupational Therapy from Towson University. She has experience in treating individuals of all ages to achieve independence and an improved quality of life. Kate has a primary passion for working with the pediatric population. Kate has worked in public and non-public schools, acute care, in-patient rehabilitation, outpatient, as well as private practice settings. She is trained in Handwriting Without Tears and is a Certified Physical Agents and Modalities Practitioner. When Kate is not working, you can find her at home spending time with her two daughters and husband. Her family enjoys the outdoors, hanging out with friends, and playing games. She also enjoys interior design and rehabilitating old pieces of furniture.
CHIVAUN LEONARD
MS, OTR/L
Chivaun Leonard, MS, OTR/L
Staff Occupational Therapist
cleonard@kthriveot.com
Maddie McVearry, MS, OTR/L
Staff Occupational Therapist
mmcvearry@kthriveot.com
Erin Sammarco, MS, OTR/L
Staff Occupational Therapist
esammarco@kthriveot.com
Chivaun earned her Masters of Science in Occupational Therapy from Towson University. She has worked in a variety of settings including comprehensive inpatient rehab, acute care, outpatient pediatrics, and schools. Most recently, she worked on multidisciplinary teams in a non-public special education school for children with complex developmental, behavioral, and medical needs. She has training in sensory integration and the DIR/Floortime approach. Chivaun is passionate about supporting sensory-motor, self-regulation, and executive functioning skills in children. She believes in promoting development and skill acquisition through child-led interventions. In her free time, Chivaun enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband and son, getting lost in a good book, and cooking.
Maddie received her Master's Degree in Occupational Therapy from Towson University. She has gained experience working in adult outpatient rehabilitation at Pivot Physical Therapy and pediatric telehealth and pediatric inpatient rehabilitation at Kennedy Krieger Institute. Maddie has always had a passion for working with children and strives to help children and their families participate in everyday life meaningfully. During her free time, Maddie enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, exercising, and cheering on Baltimore sports teams.
Erin Sammarco received her Master of Science degree in Occupational Therapy from Husson University. She has experience working in outpatient pediatrics, outpatient neurorehabilitation, and adult, adolescent & child mental health. She is a certified Physical Agents and Modalities Practitioner and has experience working with individuals with Autism and utilizing the Alert Program with a variety of age groups. Erin worked closely with pediatric speech therapists gaining an understanding of how to utilize a child’s AAC device and other means of communicating to enhance a child’s treatment. She is passionate about helping children meet milestones by incorporating sensory motor development, sensory & emotional regulation, gross motor activities, executive function skills and play based therapy. Erin enjoys traveling, being outdoors, working out and spending time with friends and family. She is also Feed the Peds trained.
Courtney Meade, MOT, OTR/L
Staff Occupational Therapist
cmeade@kthriveot.com
Courtney Meade received her Master’s Degree in Occupational Therapy from Quinnipiac University. She has experience working in pediatrics (early intervention), acute care, and inpatient neurorehabilitation. Courtney has a
passion for helping children achieve their developmental milestones to facilitate participation in meaningful activities. She also strives to empower parents to connect and assist their child in a way that is individualized to
each unique parent/child relationship. In her free time, Courtney enjoys yoga, painting, and reading. She also finds joy in spending time with her family and black lab (Leo). She is a member of the Maryland Occupational Therapy Association and the American Occupational Therapy Association.
Jessica Hart, MS, OTR/L
Staff Occupational Therapist
jhart@kthriveot.com
Jessica received her Master’s Degree in Occupational Therapy from Towson University. She gained experience working in pediatrics at Towson’s Children’s Therapy Program, as well as at Therapy Solutions for Children. She also gained experience in the mental health field at Sheppard Pratt. Jessica has worked with children of all ages and diagnoses, in a variety of settings. She has always had a passion for working with children, engaging with their families, and helping them reach their fullest potential. In her free time, Jessica enjoys modeling, dancing, arts & crafts, outdoor activities, working out, and cooking.
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Joey Burgess, MS, OTR/L
Staff Occupational Therapist
jburgess@kthriveot.com
Joey received his Master of Science Degree in Occupational Therapy and Bachelor of Science in Health Science from Alvernia University. He has experience working with kids in outpatient, home, community, and school-based settings. Joey has a passion for working with neurodivergent youth, completing his Master’s capstone project in neurodiversity-affirming supports and strategies and continuing education courses through Learn Play Thrive. He believes in supporting self-regulation and executive functioning skills through a child-led, play-based approach. In his free time, Joey enjoys going to concerts and the movies and playing video games.
JULIA MOYER
"I love working with families at KTT because each day is new and exciting. I get to witness the great strides each child accomplishes every day."
Shelby Sarnecki, MS, OTR/L
Staff Occupational Therapist
ssarnecki@kthriveot.com
Julia Moyer
Office Manager
jmoyer@kthriveot.com
Shelby received her Bachelors of Science degree in Kinesiology from the University of Rhode Island and her Masters of Science degree in Occupational Therapy from Towson University. She has worked in a variety of settings including acute care, inpatient rehab, home health, and nonpublic schools. Shelby has spent the majority of her work experience in the nonpublic schools providing direct service and facilitating groups targeting handwriting, fine motor skills, self-regulation, and sensory processing. During her free time, Shelby enjoys spending time with her twin babies, going to the beach, and drinking iced coffee.
Julia has been working in the health and medical field for many years. She’s previously worked as a one-to-one aide with special needs children at an elementary school and she ran a therapy office. She handles the all-around organization of the office and will gladly check into any of your insurance questions, or handle your scheduling needs. In her spare time, Julia enjoys spending time outside with her two dogs, and working on home renovation projects.
Jordan Smith
Rehab Technician
Jordan recently graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science at Towson University. She was accepted into the Occupational Therapy program at Towson University and will be starting classes in Fall 2024. Jordan previously worked for 2.5 years within a daycare setting where she enjoyed caring for and playing with children aged 6 months to 13 years. Favorite activities included crafts, soccer, and engaging in imaginative play. Outside of work and school, Jordan enjoys a relaxing day at home with her dogs and family and going out with her friends.