Staff Profile

Tammy L. Belcher, MS, OTR/L

As Executive Director of Giant Leaps, Tammy oversees all aspects of center operations, ranging from staffing and professional development to managing contracts with the Early Intervention Program, Committees on Preschool Special Education, and school districts. Certified in the administration and interpretation of the Sensory Integration and Praxis Test, Tammy conducts evaluations and maintains a full caseload, which includes treatment sessions, parent education, and teacher consultations. She has served as county representative to the New York State Occupational Therapy Association since 2006 and is sought after by community groups, schools, universities, and professional organizations as an expert speaker on sensory integration, fine motor development, and adapting the classroom for children with special needs.

Before founding Giant Leaps, Tammy was a school-based occupational therapist in the Ramapo Central School District (RCSD) in Hillburn, New York, and at the Gillen Brewer School in Manhattan. She was the first occupational therapist to be recognized for outstanding work by the RCSD Special Education Parent Teacher Association, and was presented with its “We Are One” award in 2003. Prior to these posts, Tammy was an occupational therapist with the New York City Board of Education.

Over the course of her 15-year professional career, Tammy has worked extensively with children diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorders, cerebral palsy, emotional disturbances, Fragile X Syndrome, hydrocephalus, muscular dystrophy and neuromuscular disorders, nonverbal and other learning disabilities, sensory processing disorder, speech impairments, spina bifida and Tourette’s Syndrome.

A native of Dalton, Georgia, Tammy earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of the South and a Master of Science degree in Occupational Therapy from Columbia University.