Our Staff

Leah received her B.S. in physical therapy in 1989 from Southwestern University, Cebu City, Philippines. She completed her transitional doctorate in physical therapy at the University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, in 2013. Leah has worked as a physical therapist in multiple practice settings, but has been part of Harris County Department of Education since 2000 where she initially worked in Early Childhood Intervention before moving to School-Based Therapy Services. She now serves as a Manager within School-Based Therapy Services, managing PTs, PTAs, OTs, OTAs, and music therapists in a local school district. Leah serves as the physical therapy Coordinator of Clinical Education, coordinating school-based field work experiences for physical therapy and physical therapist assistant students. She is a Texas Physical Therapy Association Tom Waugh Leadership Development Program Fellow and currently serves on the Texas Occupational Therapy Association School Focus Group Advisory Board.

Janine has over 40 years of experience as a physical therapist in multiple settings, including acute care, rehabilitation, out-patient, home health, long-term acute care, skilled nursing, and now, school practice. In a past position in a gait and clinical motion analysis laboratory, she had the opportunity to participate in many research projects and to present at local and national conferences. She has co-authored research articles, abstracts, and posters. Currently, Janine works behind the scenes supporting TxSpot’s web design and content. Janine is a fellow of the Texas Physical Therapy Association Tom Waugh Leadership Development Program.

Amy has over 20 years of experience as a school-based occupational therapist and manager. She has been asked to consult with various school districts and educational service centers across the state of Texas to provide program evaluation and training. She has presented on a variety of topics related to school-based practice at local and national conferences. Amy has authored many articles, including one regarding research on weighted vests in which she was Principal Investigator.  She serves as an editor for the Journal of Occupational Therapy, Schools, and Early Intervention, has served on various AOTA work groups, and is a reviewer for AOTA conference proposals.

Traci began her 18-year career in the field of occupational therapy as a certified occupational therapy assistant (COTA), eventually returning to school to earn her Master's degree in occupational therapy. Traci has worked in a variety of settings including rehabilitation centers, inpatient mental health, pain management clinic, home health, and schools. She has worked as a school-based therapist for the past 9 years. During her time working as a school-based therapist, Traci was a member of the assistive technology team and part of the Preschool Program for Children with Disabilities (now called Early Childhood Special Education) team.  While on the team, she participated in arena play-based assessments for children transitioning from Early Childhood Intervention (ECI). She recently joined the management team for School-Based Therapy Services at HCDE.  Traci has an interest in mental health and leads the mental health leadership group at HCDE.