Improve Brain and Body, Function and Life

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What Other People Just Like You Are Saying About
​A Rise Above Occupational Therapy

From a Parkinson's patient who had traditional therapy elsewhere:

From a pediatric concussion patient after we discovered an underlying vision issue:

From a Physical Therapy patient who pulled Alicia aside just to tell her:

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A Rise Above: Occupational Therapy Services LLC

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ABOUT OUR OWNER​
​ALICIA REISER, OTD,  OTR/L, CBIS

Alicia Reiser helps teens and adults with neurological conditions think, move and perform everyday tasks better to lead a fulfilling life, even if they feel like they plateaued.

Alicia understands that those with brain conditions are SUFFERING A LOSS… a loss of self in terms of who they were yesterday or a loss of expectations for their child.

No one expects to have a sudden brain attack or a progressive neurological disease that slowly takes away their independence.

No one expects to watch their child have difficulty with attention, sensory overload or a typical day at school, especially as a teenager.

Alicia has seen too many active adults feel like this is as good as it gets after going through typical therapy.  She has heard far too often that, “if you don’t get better after three months from your stroke, you won’t improve at all.”

She has also heard time and time again that concussion patients’ eye health is fine and their eye issues will resolve on their own and therapy won’t help.

And lastly, she has seen far too many worried parents and struggling children fly under the radar at school and then realize as a teen that there is something different in the way they learn and how they feel, because they were able to do just enough to get by.

After witnessing these stories over and over, Alicia decided to focus her private practice on those that others have given up on, or were never even identified.  With that, A Rise Above Occupational Therapy was born, located in both Allentown and Bethlehem.

As a mother of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), she understands the struggles of children growing into adults when they have sensory and executive functioning issues and school is excruciating.

As a therapist who has cried with patients when they move their arm for the first time after others have told them it doesn’t move, she understands that it is never too late and that you the patient have not plateaued, but maybe another therapist has plateaued.

She graduated with a B.S. in Biology from Muhlenberg College and went on to complete her Master’s in Occupational Therapy from Misericordia University.  Sixteen years later, she went back for her clinical doctorate in vision remediation from Salus University.

Dr. Reiser is a certified brain injury specialist, LSVT BIG certified clinician for Parkinson’s Disease, offers Interactive Metronome for auditory processing and learning conditions and has her clinical doctorate in optometrist-directed vision therapy for those with uncomfortable vision.  She is trained in The Interoception Curriculum for self-regulation and incorporates this technique, along with Polyvagal Theory, to help her clients improve their symptoms and promote self-regulation in all aspects of their life.

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Meet our Staff

Meghan Chemidlin, MS OTR/L helps kids, teens, and adults with neurological conditions think, move and perform everyday tasks better even if they feel like they plateaued or never even got identified.

Meghan is an occupational therapist who believes in helping every individual reach their greatest potential. She believes that everyone is a unique individual who should be treated that way. Meghan takes a holistic approach to treatment, taking into account every aspect of the child, teenager or adult. 

Through her own experiences, Meghan understands how kids can fly under the radar or fall through the cracks. She aims to treat every child in a way that makes them feel comfortable and heard. She also understands what it’s like to suffer from a concussion and wants to be there for you as you work together to get back to feeling like yourself.  

Meghan graduated from Elizabethtown College with a B. S. in Health and Occupation and then with a Master's Degree of Science in Occupational Therapy. She has experience with the neurological population as well as pediatrics. She is a LSVT BIG certified clinician and is trained in The Interoception Curriculum, the Alert Program, and Interactive Metronome. She is an Autism Spectrum Certified Clinical Specialist and is returning to Elizabethtown for her clinical doctorate in both Autsim and trauma informed care. In her free time, Meghan enjoys playing tennis, hiking and spending time with her family.

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Allie Mikelson, MS OTR/L helps individuals of all ages with neurological conditions perform their meaningful life activities to the fullest extent possible. Allie believes the individual can discover their true abilities and meet their therapy goals using a client-centered, holistic approach. Allie hopes to motivate and empower individuals to take control of their rehabilitation journey to improve their overall quality and participation in life. 
 
Allie has experience with both the adult and pediatric neurological population serving individuals who have sustained a brain injury, spinal cord injury, Parkinson’s disease and neurodegenerative disorders. In addition, Allie traveled to Morocco to experience Occupational Therapy in the mental health setting with all ages emphasizing the impact of culture on one’s life journey and life goals. This experience fostered a strong interest in occupational therapy’s role in treating individuals with mental health conditions.
 
Allie graduated from the University of Delaware with a B. S. in Exercise Science with a concentration in Exercise Physiology and from Shenandoah University with a Master’s of Science Degree in Occupational Therapy.  She is trained in Interactive Metronome, The Interoception Curriculum and LSVT BIG which she incorporates with her clients. In her free time, Allie enjoys coaching and umpiring field hockey on the local and national levels, being outdoors with her chickens and ducks and traveling to new places.
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​Giovanna Martinez, MS OTR/L helps kids, teens, and adults with neurological conditions maximize functional independence in order to return to their desired daily activities. 

With experience in pediatrics, orthopedics, and neurological injuries, specifically stroke, she is well versed in treating across various populations through an occupational therapy lens.  She understands and values the uniqueness in each individual. Through such experience across the lifespan, she believes that the individual can achieve their goals through a holistic and client centered approach.

Giovanna graduated from Elizabethtown College with a B. S. in Health and Occupation and then with a Master's Degree of Science in Occupational Therapy. She is trainied in Interactive Metronome and The Interoception Curriculum to improve all of her clients' functional performance.  In her free time, Giovanna enjoys going to the gym, hiking and spending time with her family. 

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Tonya Brugler, OTR/L helps children and their families improve their overall quality and participation in life throughout their child's development.   She is an experienced Occupational Therapist with over 29 years of clinical experience and has specialized in working with clients ages birth to 13 years in school-based, early intervention, equine-assisted therapy, and clinical settings.  Tonya has a passion to incorporate a holistic approach to treatment and strives to inspire children and their families to thrive.  Tonya’s other interests include feeding therapy, handwriting remediation, sensory processing, and integrating comprehensive client and family-centered care to maximize life engagement and satisfaction.
 
Tonya graduated from Elizabethtown College with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Occupational Therapy in 1992.  She is certified in Sensory Integration and Interactive Metronome.  In addition, she has extensive training in sensory processing and disorders, pediatric feeding challenges, and handwriting issues. In her free time, she loves spending time with her husband, Brent, their son, two daughters, and two fur-babies.  When Tonya is not working, she can be found supporting her children in their sporting endeavors. She also enjoys fitness walking, cooking, and collecting seashells and sea glass at the beach where she hopes to someday retire.

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Hear Alicia talk about her passion for Occupational Therapy on
WGPA SUNNY 1100 AM's
Fresh Start to a Healthy Life.
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Podcast is available at:

Menu-Streams/Podcasts-
Fresh Start to a Healthy Life 1/16/2020
​RePlay 4/23/2020

PODCAST

Read Alicia's latest publication on
"Concussion-related Vision Disorder Practice Patterns in
Occupational Therapy"
​in the Open Journal of Occupational Therapy.

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PUBLICATION

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