Maria wasted no time to fulfill her desire to help others, beginning her journey to become a certified occupational therapist assistant (COTA) only one week after retiring from a 20-year career with the State of Arizona.  Maria graduated from Pima Medical Institute with a 4.0 GPA, receiving her license in February 2018, with the support of her husband and son. Her infectious enthusiasm for her new career has motivated Maria’s son to enter the OT field, as he is currently attending school to also become a COTA.

Maria has experience working in Skilled Nursing Facilities with geriatric patients and pediatric outpatient clinics. Her experience includes working with children diagnosed with ADHD, autism, developmental delays and sensory processing disorder (SPD).  She admires the honesty, creativity and energy of the children she works with, stating “There is no better reward than seeing the joy in a child and parent’s face when a child achieves their goals”.  Maria plans to continue to develop her skills in sensory integration, Handwriting Without Tears^® and feeding strategies.