Meet Our Occupational Therapists
Nickie Meyer
Clinic Manager/OT Lead
OTR
Nicolette (Nickie) Meyer, MS, OTR is a licensed Occupational Therapist who received her Master’s of Science degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of Mary in 2013. She also graduated with a minor in Psychology. During her graduate year within the Occupational Therapy program she traveled with a group of OT students to complete medical based missions within Guatemala. Nickie’s pediatric experience includes a variety of settings such as private outpatient clinic, preschool- middle school, home-based early intervention, and aquatic therapy.
Nickie has always had a passion for working with children which started with a job completing family support and respite care for children from ages 3 to 18 years old within the home. She enjoys working with children of all ages and ability levels and has experience treating many diagnoses including, but not limited to, developmental delays, prematurity, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Inrauterine Stroke, a variety of genetic disorders, torticollis, sensory processing disorders, ADHD, and Autism.
Raised in Mandan, ND but currently lives with her husband in Denver, CO. Her interests include spending time with family and friends, snowboarding, enjoying the outdoors and traveling.
Additional trainings and education in the following:
Early intervention Training
Baby Treatment based on NDT principles
Sensory integration in aquatic therapy
Handwriting without Tears Program
Differentiating Sensory from Behavior
Melanie Potock courses: Feeding development and ARFID trainings
Rosemarie Helton
OTR/L
Hi, my name is Rosemarie (Rosey) Helton. I have been an OT since 2002. I am a native Coloradan and graduated from Colorado State University with a degree in Occupational Therapy and Human Development and Family Studies with an emphasis in infant and child development. I started working in an outpatient pediatric clinic, adult inpatient acute care and rehab. In October of 2007, I moved to Las Vegas, NV to work in the local school district as an Occupational Therapist. I also worked in an outpatient pediatric clinic, pediatric home health and school-based telehealth. In 2013, we returned to Colorado and I took some time off to stay home with my family. In 2019, I joined the team here at Milestone Pediatric Therapy Services, I found my true passion working with families and children in the early intervention setting. I truly love building a rapport with both the children and the families. I have a special love for this stage of development.
I have been married for 22 years to my husband, Alex. We have a daughter named Ali (18) who is attending CSU (GO RAMS!) and a son named Tyson (16). We have a dog named Griffin and we enjoy riding dirt bikes, camping and boating.
Trainings and Certification in the following:
Sensory Integration Praxis Test (SIPT) certified
Alert Program- How does your Engine Run?
Handwriting Without Tears
How to jump start learning for Children with Sensory Dysfunction
ABA techniques with Autism Training
Fundamentals of TEACHH Autism Program
CPR and First Aid
Kendra Vander Wal
OTR/L
Lauren Wexler
MOT, OTR/L
Lauren grew up near Chicago and received her Master’s in Occupational Therapy at the University of Missouri. Lauren figured out she wanted to be an OT at the age of 12 when she started volunteering at a therapeutic horseback riding stable alongside many therapists. She worked as an EMT for several years before starting her journey as a pediatric OT. She works in both the clinic and early intervention settings. Lauren has experience targeting skills including: fine motor, feeding, self care, visual perception, sensory processing, emotional regulation, and executive function. Lauren enjoys collaborating with the child, family, and other professionals to develop neurodiversity affirming, family-centered care unique to each child with a focus on the child’s autonomy. She enjoys being creative with treatment ideas and being silly in order to make therapy more fun for her kids. In her free time, Lauren enjoys hiking, camping, baking, cooking, playing roller derby, and skiing.
Additional certifications/trainings in the following:
DIR-FCD™ Level 1 Clinician
The Zones of Regulation®
Multiple feeding courses that address picky eating, oral motor skills, and g-tube weaning
Kristen Brainard
OTR
My name is Kristen Brainard. I have been an OT since 2000. I started in a small private school setting called G.E.M.S. where I was the OT in the preschool and kindergarten rooms. It was a great first experience because I had 2 more seasoned OT’s who mentored me and answered my million questions everyday. In the summer of 2002, I decided to try something new and began to work in EI as an in-home therapist. That is where I have stayed ever since. I feel like I have found my home with this population. I love being so involved with the families and I think early intervention is just so important to setting a strong foundation for our kiddos. I have seen a wide variety of diagnosis in my almost 17 years in EI but have a definite extra soft spot in my heart for kids with Down Syndrome. I would say a few traits of my therapy style is to see the whole kiddo, not just my discipline, and to think outside of the box! What works for one kiddo might not work for another one. And have fun-we get to play with kids for a living and we know they learn best when they are having fun! Personally, I have been married 20 years to my husband Mike. We have a 16 year old son named Jack and a 13 year old daughter named Sydney. We also have 2 dogs, Maci and Lola
Emily Kaczmarski
MOT, OTR/L
Emily is an Occupational Therapist from Chicago, IL. She graduated from Western Michigan University with her Master's in Occupational Therapy and Bachelor's in Interdisciplinary Health Services. Emily knew early on that pediatrics was her passion. She loves partnering with children, their families, and their team to promote meaningful participation in their activities of daily life.
She began her career at a developmental preschool and transitional kindergarten in Chicago, IL. Here she gained valuable experience working with a variety of children with developmental differences using principles from the DIR® Floortime approach and Sensory Integration framework to reach client-centered goals. She transitioned into the school-based setting after moving to Colorado. Within the school-setting, she gained experience creating educational programs for her students that focused on improving fine motor, visual motor, and executive functioning skills necessary to complete academic and daily life tasks. She also has worked with children and other therapists in group settings focusing on social skills, motor planning, sensory processing, handwriting, and executive functioning. In her spare time, Emily can be found rock climbing, hiking, camping, and gardening!
Special training:
The Zones of Regulation®
Currently completing her Level 1 Professionals Certificate in the DIR-FCD™ Model
Jane Conroy
OTR/L
Jane is an Occupational therapist from Cleveland, Ohio. She graduated with her Bachelor's in Occupational Sciences and her Master's in Occupational Therapy from Saint Louis University. She has worked with kids in all kinds of settings before finally landing on pediatric Occupational Therapy. Jane just recently moved to the Denver area from Indianapolis, so in her free time she is taking advantage of all Colorado has to offer!
Her areas of interest and experience include:
Genetic Disorders (i.e. Cri du Chat, CHARGE, Down Syndrome, etc)
Mental Health Disorders (i.e. ODD, OCD, anxiety, PTSD, etc)
Autism
Cerebral Palsy
Visual Motor Integration
Emotional/Self Regulation
Sensory Integration
Feeding
Talk Tools Trained
Kelsey Hendrickson
OTR/L
Kelsey is an Occupational Therapist originally from New Ulm, Minnesota. She graduated from Creighton University with her Doctorate in Occupational Therapy and Bachelor's in Human Development and Family Studies from South Dakota State University.
Kelsey's pediatric experiences include a sensory-based outpatient clinic, Neonatal/Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, and early intervention. Kelsey has a passion for working with young children and fostering development in the early years of life. She enjoys forming meaningful relationships with children and their families. Her professional interests include sensory processing, developmental delays, and trauma informed care. In her free time, Kelsey enjoys spending time with family and friends, hiking, running, traveling, and listening to music/podcasts.
Continuing Education Courses:
Melanie Potuck Picky Eaters Course
Melanie Potuck Bye Bye Bottles Course
Nascend Essentials Course for Substance Exposed Infants
