Whitney Lear

Whitney has been a pediatric occupational therapist for over 10 years, since receiving her Masters of Science in Occupational Therapy at East Carolina University (Go Pirates!!).  She has worked in a variety of settings including homes, schools, outpatient clinics, and in the community.  She has experience with children from a few months old to 15 years old, with a wide variety of diagnoses including cerebral palsy, autism, sensory processing disorder, ADD/ADHD, learning disabilities,  orthopedic injuries, ARFID/feeding issues, developmental delays, and more. She has continuing education courses in a variety of areas including SOS Approach to Feeding, Intro to NDT Approach, Sensory Defensiveness: A Comprehensive Treatment Approach (including certification in the Wilbarger Brushing Protocol), Interactive Metronome, and Handwriting Without Tears.  

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Whitney truly believes that the therapy process should involve more than just the therapist and child, and strives for a collaboration with parents/caregivers and teachers, for success in both the home and school settings.  Carryover of therapy strategies is such an important part of the therapy process, and Whitney consistently aims to improve this collaboration throughout the therapy process. 

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Whitney was introduced to the world of feeding therapy during her final Masters internship in 2012, and was instantly hooked.  Since then, she has taken feeding courses including (but most certainly not limited to) the Sequential Oral Sensory (SOS) Approach to Feeding and Pediatric Feeding and Swallowing Disorders: A Medical, Motor, and Behavioral Approach.  She has treated a variety of children with feeding difficulties with varied diagnoses and ages.  She believes success in feeding therapy comes from the collaboration with all people involved in the therapy process, as well as her training and understanding of the whole picture when it comes to feeding.  Whitney has a passion for working in the field of pediatric occupational therapy, and an even greater desire for helping children and their families succeed with feeding!  

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When she's not working, Whitney loves to be outdoors, whether it's at the beach, paddle boarding, hiking and mountaintop views, biking, or traveling.  She also loves to spend time with her family and friends, and being "Auntie Whitney" to 20 (and growing!) amazing kids is her absolute favorite!