Helping Children REACH for Their Highest Goals
Michelle Dowdy lives in Gainesville, Georgia with her husband, Mark. Michelle started OT Therapy Works in 2010 and has been serving the children and families of Northeast Georgia since that time, contracting with the Babies Can’t Wait program, as well as seeing clients privately. She graduated from Brenau University in 2001 with a BS/MS in occupational therapy.
With over 20 years of experience working with pediatrics, Michelle has worked with children with a variety of diagnoses, including, but not limited to, physical impairments, cognitive deficits, developmental delays, visual impairments, hearing impairments, genetic disorders, traumatic brain injury, learning disabilities, sensory processing disorder, and autism spectrum disorders. Michelle has a particular interest in working with children with feeding difficulties, whether those difficulties are sensory based, or due to physical conditions which limit the child’s ability to eat. Michelle is certified in the Beckman Oral Motor Protocol and has many hours of continuing education in the area of feeding. Michelle believes each child is unique and seeks to provide individualized treatment for each child she sees.
Marla Orr joined OT Therapy Works in 2019. She lives in Athens, Georgia with her husband, two daughters ages 13 and 11, and two dogs. She graduated from Brenau University in Gainesville, Georgia in 2002 with a BS/MS in occupational therapy. Marla was the lead OT for 12 years in the Habersham County school district. She continued her school-based therapy in the local school system after a move to Nashville, Tennessee, as well as providing therapy in other states through a telehealth platform. Marla has provided therapy to children with various diagnoses, including, but not limited to, physical impairments, cognitive deficits, developmental delays, visual impairments, hearing impairments, genetic disorders, traumatic brain injuries, learning disabilities, and autism spectrum disorders. Marla and her family returned to their home state of Georgia in 2019 and she brings her extensive knowledge base and experience to OT Therapy Works. Marla shares, “I have been working with the 0-3 population since the fall of 2019 and am thoroughly enjoying the experience. I feel so blessed to have a career that allows me to combine my love for helping others and my love for children.”
Dawn Swalberg joined OT Therapy Works in June of 2017. She received a degree in animal training and management and worked with the California Condor reintroduction program at the Los Angeles Zoo. Ms. Dawn even did bird shows! Dawn is married and has two children. After moving from California to Georgia in 2007, she decided she would like to stay home and eventually work from home. Her son is 26 and has a chromosomal deletion and her 14-year old daughter is adopted from Korea. Since she has been involved with therapies and therapists through her son’s entire life, she decided moving into the medical field would be a great match. She enjoys making sure the paperwork and insurance end of therapy runs smoothly for the practice so that children receive the care that they need. Dawn is an invaluable part of our team!
Rachel Smith graduated with a Master's degree in occupational therapy from Brenau University in 2021, becoming a part of the OT Therapy Works team at that time. Rachel is continuing to grow her skills related to sensory integration and feeding techniques. She loves spending time outside hiking, training her dogs, and snuggling up to a good book. Rachel loves Jesus and attends Browns Bridge Church. Her favorite part of working with children is seeing how their confidence grows when they are able to accomplish a new task.
Ashley Wright joined OT Therapy Works in February 2024. She graduated from UGA with her Bachelor of Science in Exercise and Sports Science in 2021, and then graduated with her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from Brenau University in 2023. She currently lives in Athens and loves the city! She will be serving the Athens area.
Ashley first learned about OT through her best friend in middle school, who had cerebral palsy. Since that time, she has been interested in therapy and is excited to now have the opportunity to impact the lives of children and their families. Her favorite part of working as an occupational therapist is partnering with families to help their children thrive and knowing that parents are more hopeful and confident when the session is over. She looks forward to growing her skills in the areas of sensory integration and feeding therapy.
In her free time, Ashley loves to run, do puzzles, watch baseball games (Go Braves!), and travel. She has visited all 50 states and looks forward to doing some international travel in the future.
