Hi, I'm Shannon.

I'm an occupational therapist, school-based OT, lifelong learner, and, probably the role that shapes me most, mama of two.

My path through occupational therapy has taken me from early intervention and pediatric feeding to adult home health and, ultimately, into the schools. Along the way, I've had the privilege of working alongside children, families, and educators to better understand what helps children learn, grow, and participate in the activities that matter to them.

It was through my work in the schools that I developed a particular passion for handwriting. I began noticing just how many children were struggling with the foundational skills needed to put pencil to paper, and how often those challenges affected not only their written work, but their confidence and participation in the classroom.

That curiosity eventually became the inspiration behind Root + Rise.

I'm a Certified Handwriting Specialist through Learning Without Tears® and recently earned AOTA's Professional Certificate in School-Based Practice. I'm also pursuing my M.Ed. in Interdisciplinary Educational Studies at the University of Vermont, incorporating the Specialized Literacy Studies Certificate into my graduate work.

I love learning, and the more I learn about handwriting, the more fascinated I become by how much is happening when a child puts pencil to paper.

Handwriting sits at this really interesting intersection of motor coordination, visual-motor integration, language, literacy, attention, and learning. What might look like a simple difficulty forming letters can actually involve several different skills, and understanding those differences is what makes individualized intervention so important.

I'm particularly passionate about bridging the gap between occupational therapy and literacy instruction. I believe children benefit most when we look beyond handwriting as an isolated motor skill and consider how it connects to their broader development as readers, writers, and learners.

Root + Rise was created to bring that perspective directly to children and their support teams.

Through comprehensive occupational therapy-based handwriting evaluations and individualized intervention, I work to understand not just what a child is struggling with, but why. My ROOTS to RISE approach helps guide that process, from exploring the foundational skills and environmental factors influencing handwriting to providing explicit instruction and meaningful opportunities for practice.

I don't believe in a one-size-fits-all approach to handwriting. Every child brings their own strengths, experiences, and challenges to the table, and I believe effective intervention begins with understanding the whole child.

Above all, I want children to feel capable and confident in their writing. Because handwriting shouldn't be the thing that gets in the way of sharing their ideas, showing what they know, or enjoying the process of learning.