When our family moved to Philadelphia, we didn’t know anyone and felt completely lost when our daughter began having significant behavior challenges at home and school. Annie was the only healthcare provider that didn’t dismiss our concerns. She immediately pointed us toward the right next steps, recommending Nemours for an evaluation, which led to our daughter’s autism diagnosis and access to the support she truly needed.

Annie’s vast knowledge of local resources—from clinics and therapy options to schools and early intervention programs—has been invaluable. She has an incredible ability to connect families with the right people and information, and she does it all with empathy, warmth, and a genuine commitment to helping others. I can honestly say that Annie changed the course of our family’s journey. Without her knowledge and support, we might still be searching for answers.

.J.

Annie has been our son's occupational therapist for about two years now, engaging with him to navigate a multitude of milestones from his toddler years to his current pre-K setting. Our son loves Annie and looks forward to the mornings when he gets to see her! Not only has Annie been an excellent therapist who has provided support to our son over the years, but she has been an indispensable member of his therapy team - acting as a resource for us as parents and always brainstorming ideas on how best to support him.

.H.

It was a joy and privilege to work with Annie to support my vivacious 4-year-old son. We worked with Annie both in our home setting but she also went into his school and worked directly with his teachers.

First and foremost, Annie made therapy about my son. It was indistinguishable from play for him.  Activities were selected and adjusted based on his interests.. She introduced sensory objects, activities, and routines that simply never would have occurred to us. Our son is seriously enriched for having met her. And he simply LOVES her. His eyes light up at the mention of Annie. She has a magic with children that makes her exceptional at her job.

Beyond the interaction with our son, Annie was an excellent coach for my husband and I. Annie explained what was going on in our son’s body and mind. As much as we love him, his behavior can be frustrating. Understanding the why behind what seems to be erratic made a huge difference for me personally. She also showed us how our own behavior was creating more tension and how to react and manage things instead.

At home, Annie worked with my husband and I to solve some tension spots, such as bedtime and getting through meals. The problem solving logic that we applied has since carried over to other situations and we’ve been able to work things out on our own thanks to Annie’s previous coaching and way of framing how to think about them.

Annie also worked with my son in his school, learning the trouble spots during his daily routine with teachers and then attending during those periods. While I cannot speak directly about Annie’s work at school, but I also cannot overstate the amount of praise I received from his teachers for her. They said she “transformed the way we think about everything” and “made a difference to the whole school.” Annie gave them the tools and the confidence  to handle things on their own. On their own, the teachers stated that they felt weekly sessions could stop for the time being, although we will always keep the door open for future assessments and would welcome the opportunity to work with Anne again.

All in all, I cannot speak highly enough of Annie. She made a huge difference in my family’s life and we are so incredibly grateful.

.Z.