Dana is a lifelong Alaskan, who has been working with children in Anchorage and across the state for over 25 years. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Occupational Therapy from San Jose State University in 1991 and has enjoyed continued education in evidence based occupational therapy approaches. Her clinical experiences include early intervention, in patient acute care, outpatient clinics and outreach to infants and children in remote communities of Alaska. Dana uses the following approaches in treatment: D.I.R. Floortime, Oral Motor Treatments, Ayers Sensory Integration, Neurodevelopmental Treatment, Perception-Action Approach, trainings in ocular motor and visual perceptual skills, Integrated Listening Systems, treatments for Dyslexia, Yoga, Lindamood-Bell’s LIPS program, and Aquatic Therapy, to name a few.
Dana enjoys spending her free time with her family and dogs, gardening, doing home improvement projects, traveling, volunteering, and being creative.
Ashley is an Occupational Therapist traveling from South Carolina. She received her Master's of Science in Occupational Therapy from Barry University in Florida. Her clinical internship experience involved working with children in a school setting in Pennsylvania focusing on behavior management and handwriting skills. She also has clinical experience in a skilled nursing facility focusing on rehabilitation and training for individuals with stokes, dementia, and Parkinson's. Ashley has a background in American Sign Language as she fell in love with the language at an early age. When not at work, Ashley enjoys spending time with her fiancé and dog being outdoors with them rock climbing, skiing, hiking, mountain biking, and fishing. Ashley also enjoys Acro and aerial yoga and singing whenever she gets the chance. Ashley too volunteers her time at local animal shelters and soup kitchens. Every year, she looks forward to volunteering at Tim Tebow's Night To Shine special needs prom that is held all over the world.
Sarah is a licensed occupational therapist. Her career started in special education which is where she discovered OT. She loves the OT approach to helping people overcome barriers and increase their participation in meaningful life activities.
She enjoys helping kids increase their fine motor skills and self-regulation through child led treatments. Her continuing education includes DIR Floortime, Beckman Oral Motor protocol, and courses focused on sensory modulation and emotional regulation.
Sarah enjoys all things outdoors. Some of her hobbies are hiking, backpacking, cross country skiing, and spending time with her Australian Shepherd, Ollie.
Rachel is a travel occupational therapist originally from Michigan. She graduated with her bachelors from Michigan State University and received her Masters of Occupational Therapy from Carroll University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Her experience includes multiple settings: inpatient (skilled nursing facilities, long term care, assisted living facilities) as well as outpatient (home health and hospice). She has also worked in outpatient pediatrics in Illinois. Rachel loves integrating using therapeutic play to help children gain independence and grow as unique individuals! In her free time, Rachel loves to hike, do hot yoga, cook and read.
Irene is originally from upstate New York. She graduated with her Doctorate of Physical Therapy from The Sage Colleges in Troy, New York in 2018. Irene's experience includes treating children with outpatient orthopedic injuries, spinal cord injuries, developmental delays, bowel/bladder dysfunctions, and those on the autism spectrum. Irene has extensive education in pelvic health rehabilitation through The Herman and Wallace Rehabilitation Continuing Education Courses and loves to help kids with bowel/bladder dysfunctions. When not at work, Irene enjoys snowboarding, hiking, running, and drawing.
Ariel Rice is a bilingual English-Spanish Speech-Language Pathologist who specializes in early intervention and feeding therapy. She has a B.S. in Speech-Language Pathology and a minor in Spanish from Grand Valley State University and received her M.A. in Communication Disorders and Sciences from University of Oregon. She loves traveling, cooking, and really any outdoor activities. When she is not working, she spends her time with her husband and their two huskies.
Kelsie Maynes is a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist Clinical Fellow who is currently in the process of earning her Certificate of Clinical Competence through the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). Completing her bachelor’s degree in Communication sciences and disorders from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2020, she continued perusing a career as an SLP by earning her Masters of Science from East Carolina University in 2022. Her clinical internships allowed for a wide range of experiences including working with Veteran’s on cognition, stroke-recovery, and voice disorders to pediatric experiences utilizing articulation, language, and feeding interventions.
Relocating to Alaska in June of 2022 with her husband and son, Kelsie is excited to explore Alaska with her family. In her free time, she enjoys getting outdoors, game nights with friends, and anything that brings out her creative side.
Laurel grew up in South Carolina and graduated from Clemson University in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in Special Education. Laurel taught for four years, including two years as the Life Skills teacher at Goldenview Middle School. While teaching, Laurel gained experience working with a diverse population and became passionate about communication. In 2020, Laurel left the classroom to pursue a career as a Speech Language Pathologist. She completed her master’s degree in Communicative Sciences and Disorders through New York University in January 2023. Laurel has worked here at Achievement Therapy Center since graduation! Some of Laurel’s passions including working with autistic individuals, incorporating sensory based play into therapy, and Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). Laurel is a neurodiversity affirming therapist who enjoys learning about your child and incorporating their interests into their sessions together!
Outside of the clinic, Laurel enjoys spending time with her family and her two dogs. Some of her favorite activities include running, reading, hiking, camping, and playing games!
Kate James grew up outside of Philadelphia before moving to the mountain west to complete her undergraduate degree at Colorado College and her Master of Science in Speech Language Pathology at the University of Wyoming. She and her husband moved to Anchorage in 2014 and enjoy skiing, hiking, backpacking, and raising their two daughters. She specializes in working with children with autism, language intervention, treatment of articulation and phonological impairments, and reading/writing intervention. She is trained in the Wilson Reading Program, DIR Floortime, and the PROMPT technique.
Hannah Smith is the operations specialist at Achievement Therapy Center. She used to teach math at Clark Middle School until becoming a mom in 2022. She loves that she can apply her passion for mathematics and problem-solving in the business side of Achievement Therapy Center while also having flexibility to care for her children. The best of both worlds!
Outside of welcoming smiling faces in the clinic, Hannah enjoys playing volleyball, trying new recipes, having bonfires and barbeques with friends and family, and spending quality time with her family.
Billing Specialist
Brittanee is a customer service professional with a background is Hospitality and Operations. She has an associates degree in Early Childhood Education and is currently working on her Business Administration degree. She moved to Anchorage in September 2024 with her husband, son, and pup. In their free time, they are exploring the new-to-them city, playing board games, and enjoying the wildlife.
Serena attended Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York where she received a Bachelor's degree in Psychology in 2022. Her studies primarily focused on Clinical Psychology and Social Psychology. She previously worked in the mental health field directly with children who had various backgrounds of trauma in the Anchorage Community. Working directly with individuals facing challenges allowed her to learn the importance of support systems. She now uses that understanding to improve organizational dynamics as well as enhance experiences for patients and families and combines empathy and problem-solving skills while creating a welcoming environment.
In her free time, Serena enjoys baking, cooking, hiking, and spending time with her family.
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