Hi, I’m Dana. I’m deeply passionate about helping families affected by complex autism find clarity, confidence, and hope.

For more than 20 years, I’ve had the privilege of working alongside incredible families who have taught me what true resilience, patience, and hope look like, and that two things can be true at once: your child can struggle and make incredible progress.

But here’s what I realized: too many professionals didn’t know how to truly help these families. They didn’t understand complex autism, and worse, they often blamed parents when progress stalled. Seeing families feel defeated was difficult, especially knowing the real issue was that no one was addressing the full picture. This is why I created my YouTube channel: to reach more families and professionals who are ready for a new way of understanding autism.

My mission is to empower families and professionals to see autism through a new lens, one that recognizes the body-brain connection, promotes health, and opens doors to possibilities many once thought were out of reach.

Join me as we reimagine what’s possible for your child. Together, we can start understanding autism differently.

I want to reimagine what’s possible

What do you love about your work?

What I love most about my work is watching families reconnect and seeing parents realize that their child is capable of so much more than they were ever told. For years, many parents have believed what professionals said about their child’s limitations, but once they begin to truly see their child through a new lens, everything changes. The transformation that happens is nothing short of life-changing, and it’s the most rewarding part of what I do.

What’s something you wish everyone knew about your job?

I truly believe I have the best job in the world! I get to work with incredible families from all over the globe and help them see their child in a completely new way. Watching that shift in understanding – it’s life-changing for both the parents and the child. I also love teaching and mentoring other professionals because the more people who understand whole-body apraxia, the more families we can help. And that’s what it’s all about, changing lives, one family at a time.

How do you unwind?

I love going on motorcycle rides, particularly in the mountains, with my hubby – Todd. A strong passion of mine is fitness which includes regular workouts at the gym, and walking with my two pups, Archie and Newman, which also helps me to relax and enjoy the moment. I spent a lot of free time studying nutrition and learning more regarding the impact of diet and food choices on our overall health.

Here’s a bit more about my professional background

I’m an occupational therapist, researcher, and founder of the Spellers Centers in Tampa and Atlanta, where I work with families of children with complex autism, whole-body apraxia, and other neuromotor differences.

For more than 20 years, I’ve helped parents understand their child’s body and brain in a new way—through intentional movement, communication, and whole-body health. Along the way, I co-created the Spellers Method™, produced the documentary SPELLERS, and co-authored The Spellers Guidebook.

I began my career in Canada as an occupational therapist in the public school system, then transitioned to private practice in North Carolina before spending two years at Johns Hopkins Outpatient Care in the Tampa Bay area. In 2010, I opened my own clinic in New Port Richey, Florida, where I continue to work closely with families navigating the challenges of complex autism and whole-body apraxia.

My mission is simple: to help families find clarity, confidence, and hope as they learn to see autism differently—and discover just how capable their child truly is.

Education:

Ph.D. Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health and Development, Fielding Graduate University, CA, USA
M.S. Occupational Therapy, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, Canada
B.A. Kinesiology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
Advanced Training in Functional and Nutritional Medicine, American Academy of Functional Health, OR, USA

Professional Licensure & Memberships:

Florida Department of Health – Occupational Therapy License #13065 (2006–Present)
National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) – Member #233039 (2006–Present)
American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) – Member #4370694 (2006–Present)
DIRFloortime Expert Trainer and Provider Certificate (2013–2019)
International Association for Spelling as Communication (I-ASC) – Executive Leadership Cadre (2019–2020)

Research:

Ph.D. Dissertation (2015–2016)
Applying the Family Adjustment and Adaptation Model to Understand Parental Stress Experienced When Working With and Within a Treatment Team: An Interpretive Phenomenological Inquiry
Master’s Thesis (2006)
Using a Child’s Occupations to Deliver Sensory Integration Treatment in Their Home and School Environment

Professional Organizations:

Medical Science and Advisory Board, Documenting Hope
Medical Academy for Pediatric Special Needs (MAPS)

Presentations & Lectures:

Mind Over Motor: Understanding sensory motor differences and the impact of neurological “noise” in the autistic population. Documenting Hope Conference (2024)
Blending Motor Planning and Neurodevelopmental Optometry to access Communication. Documenting Hope Conference (2024)
Blending Motor Planning and Neurodevelopmental Optometry to access Communication. The Autism Community in Action (TACA) (2024)
Blending Motor Planning and Neurodevelopmental Optometry to access Communication. Medical Academy of Pediatric Special Needs (MAPS) (2024)
Mind Over Motor: Understanding sensory motor differences and the impact of neurological “noise” in the autistic population. Medical Academy of Pediatric and Special Needs Conference (MAPS)(2023)
Why Behavior is not Always Communication – National Autism Association (2022)
Revolutionary Thinking – Guest Presenter, BayCare Pediatricians Conference (2019)
Hope for Your Struggling Communicator – TACA Talk, Tampa, FL (2019)
From Chaotic to Organized: Supporting Students in the Classroom – Motormorphosis Conference, Sterling, VA (2018)
Understanding Challenging Behaviors – YMCA of the Suncoast, Palm Harbor, FL (2017)
Including Spellers in Schools – Motormorphosis Conference, Sterling, VA (2017)
Whole Body Movement – Motormorphosis Conference, Sterling, VA (2017)
Rethinking OT in Our Schools – Helping Hands Support Group, Trinity, FL (2016)
Supporting Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder – Helping Hands Support Group, Trinity, FL (2015)
The Development of the Parent: The Child’s Contribution – Co-Presenter with Dr. Claudia Gold, ICDL Annual Conference (2012)
Supporting Children with Asperger’s Disorder in the School Setting – Hillsborough Catholic District Schools, Tampa, FL (2010)
Rethinking OT in Our Schools – Tampa Day School, Tampa, FL (2009)
Autism and Sensory Processing: Impact on Treatment of the Pediatric Client – All Children’s Hospital Physical Therapy Dept. (2008)
DIR/Floortime Model: How Can We Use It in Practice? – All Children’s Hospital Occupational Therapy Dept. (2008)
Sensory Integration Therapy in Clinical Practice – Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, Canada (2006)
Making Sense of the World Around Us – Autism Parent Support Group, Raleigh, NC (2006)

Media & Publications:

The Spellers Guidebook: Practical advice for parents and students. Skyhorse Publishing 2023
Producer of the Award Winning Documentary, SPELLERS, 2023
Executive Producer of UNDERESTIMATED: The Heroic Rise of Nonspeaking Spellers, 2024