Melanie Conway
OTD, OTR/L, Spellers Method Provider
Melanie is an Occupational Therapist at Spellers Center Tampa. She has a Doctorate Degree in Occupational Therapy and a Minor in Psychology.
During grad school, she had the opportunity to complete an internship with Dana Johnson at Spellers Center Tampa. After graduating, Melanie took a full-time position and knew immediately that it was meant to be and that she was doing the work that she was meant to do. Melanie says, “it felt like the perfect fit for both my skills and my passion”. Melanie specializes in supporting purposeful movement with the clients and students that she works with. Through integrating everyday functional movements, she creates a stronger sense of brain and body awareness. As an occupational therapist, Melanie helps individuals develop essential skills necessary for independence and daily life. Such skills include honing fine and gross motor skills, handwriting, activities of daily living (ADLs), sensory processing, and ocular motor skills.
She believes that all individuals she works with can and want to learn and should therefore be given the opportunity to participate in any athletic or motor activity they choose.
As a Spellers Method Practitioner, Melanie’s focus is building motor skills that enable individuals with different sensory-motor profiles to effectively use a letterboard as a reliable form of communication. She finds this role particularly rewarding because it allows her to give individuals a voice and supports them in their journey toward greater independence. She is very passionate about what she does and is thrilled to be a part of such an incredible community!
Melanie Conway serves in multiple roles at Spellers Center Tampa allowing her to have a meaningful impact on both individuals and their families. As the Clinic Director, Melanie oversees day-to-day operations including staff management, client care, supervising interns, etc. Melanie keeps coworkers engaged through her creation of a tradition called ‘Mel’s Question of the Day”, which brings fun and education to the work environment. Through all of her roles at Spellers Center Tampa, Melanie provides education and coaching to families, helping them to understand their child’s sensory-motor profile and teaching them how to motor coach for daily tasks. She also, trains parents to be effective communication partners while guiding them in the creation of strategies for self-regulation. Lastly, Melanie trains and presents to other therapists and educators, raising awareness of the importance of presuming competence, both cognitively and in terms of motor abilities in all individuals.
What do you love most about your work at Spellers Center?
“What I love most about my job is the opportunity to work one on one with families and clients; helping them set and achieve personalized goals. However, what truly drives me is witnessing my clients achieve these goals and seeing the positive impact it has on their lives. There’s nothing more rewarding than seeing them gain independence and watching them thrive!”
What is something that you wish everyone understood about your job?
“I wish everyone understood about her job is that it is important to Presume Competence in individuals, both cognitively and with their motor skills. This means that they can and want to do what is asked of them.”
When you’re not working, what do you like to do?
When she’s not working hard at the clinic, Melanie enjoys working out, hanging out with her goldendoodle ‘Ollie’, reading and line dancing. Oh, and she loves white chocolate Reese’s.