Brittany Rieker

Occupational Therapist

Clinic director
 

Hi, I’m Brittany! I have been working in pediatric occupational therapy for 10+ years now. My passion for working with children has been present all of my life. I began acting on that passion while working towards my bachelors degree in Kinesiology from Washing State University, GO COUGS! I was designing after school programs for at-risk youth in rural Eastern Washington. I returned to Montana and spent just over a year working with Linda Malloy in Billings as an OT Aide. I absorbed knowledge in treatment of infants, feeding challenges, and medically fragile children. I then completed my Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of Mary and began working in outpatient pediatrics with children of all ages and functional levels. 

I truly believe in unconventional approaches to treating children. The clinic is not a fit for all! I have extensive training in treatment of children ages birth to three years old. I am dually certified in Eagala as an equine specialist and specialized professional. I am also SOS Feeding Protocol certified, have certifications from NDT, Advanced Treatment of The Baby and I hold several aquatic therapy certifications. I have been providing aquatic therapy for medically fragile to physically typical children for over seven years.

I believe therapy for children is playing, and play should involve movement and freedom to explore!

I fill my soul with family time in the mountains. My husband and I enjoy taking our 3 girls and dog up in altitude to unplug and reconnect!

BRITTANY@LEAFPEDIATRIC.ORG

Kelsey Rowse

Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant

Clinic Lead
 

Hello! My name is Kelsey and I am a licensed and Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant with a broad background of working with special needs children.

My occupational journey began as a Behavioral Therapist providing Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) therapy to children on the Autism spectrum in Sacramento, California. After learning about the realm of Occupational Therapy, I pursued an Occupational Therapy Assistant degree from Casper College and graduated in 2013.

Since graduating, I have been working in Billings, Montana in various settings with children with fine motor and gross motor delays, visual motor difficulties, Sensory Processing Disorder, Autism, and developmental delays. I enjoy providing aquatic and equine therapy, which I have been invested in for several years.

I have certifications in sensory processing and regulation, Social Thinking, Zones of Regulation, The ALERT Program, Bal-A-Vis-X, and the SOS Feeding Approach. I recently became certified as a child and adolescent anxiety treatment professional (CCATP-CA). I am passionate about helping kids reach their full potential and enjoy treating children of all ages and skills levels!

In my free time, I enjoy hiking, being outdoors, and spending time with my boyfriend, cat, and dog.

KELSEY@LEAFPEDIATRIC.ORG

Heather Bowman

Occupational Therapist

Educational Opportunities Supervisor

Hi, my name is Heather! I graduated from the University of North Dakota’s satellite program in Casper, WY, with a doctorate degree in Occupational Therapy. I completed my doctoral capstone in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) where I developed an evidence-based guideline for preterm infant eye examinations, as well as had the opportunity to learn advanced practice NICU-based skills under a certified neonatal therapist. Prior to this, I spent time at an outpatient pediatric clinic in Minnesota, where I gained experience with Zones of Regulation, sensory processing, feeding and fine motor development while working with clients ages 2-17.

I joined LEAF Pediatric Therapy in the summer of 2022 and I am beyond excited to be a part of a clinic that emphasizes client-centeredness and a child’s most important occupation, PLAY! I look forward to engaging in opportunities for continuing education, staying up-to-date with research, and embracing mentorship opportunities so that I can continue to grow as an occupational therapist. Some of my interest areas include infant massage and feeding, social thinking, vision, and aquatic therapy.

In my free time, I enjoy hiking, backpacking, camping and traveling with my boyfriend, taking photos, listening to music, and watching hockey!

heather@LEAFPEDIATRIC.ORG

Kasey Kelleher

Occupational Therapist

Clinic manager
 

Hey y’all, my name is Kasey! I was born in Birmingham, Alabama and received my BA in Kinesiology from Auburn University (War Eagle!). I have always enjoyed working with children, especially infants. While shadowing in a NICU during my undergraduate program, I learned about the professional of occupational therapy and was completely hooked. 

I moved to Billings in 2018 to complete my Doctor of Occupational Therapy program at the University of Mary. I completed my final doctoral capstone at Billings Clinic in the Labor and Delivery unit creating a website for new mothers and learning more about how we can support babies during their first year of life. Upon graduating, I decided that I wanted to stay in Billings and had the wonderful opportunity to join the LEAF team! 

I have experience with feeding, Zones of Regulation and infant development and support. I look forward to utilizing these skills while working with children of all ages in functional and FUN ways. I have a passion for working with infants and hope to continue completing more courses and becoming certified in specialties including Neurodevelopmental treatment (NDT), lactation and breastfeeding support, infant massage and neontal therapy services. I believe in providing children with the support they need through creative and sustainable techniques incorporated into their daily life! 

In my spare time, I enjoy reading, hiking, working out and spending time with my friends and husband! 

kasey@LEAFPEDIATRIC.ORG

Tayler Spang

Physical Therapist
 

Hi there, my name is Tayler Spang! I graduated from Montana State University - Billings in April of 2019 with my bachelors degree in exercise science! I then went to physical therapy school in Bismarck North Dakota at the University of Mary and received my Doctorate of Physical Therapy in April 2022. I have always enjoyed working with children and was able to gain great experience in my clinical rotation at Sanford Childrens in the outpatient clinic, home health setting, the hospital and in the Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU)! My passion is working with babies as well as teenage athletes, but love working with any children that I serve! 

Prior to working at LEAF, I worked in pediatrics both in an outpatient clinic and home health settings in Florida! I have experience with a variety of diagnoses including cerebral palsy, torticollis and plagiocephaly, developmental delays, down syndrome and more! My husband and I decided to return back to Montana, where I was given the opportunity to work at LEAF! 

In my spare time, I enjoy hiking, paddleboarding, kayaking, snowboarding, reading, working out and hanging out with my husband and two dogs!

TAYLER@LEAFPEDIATRIC.ORG

Lorna Hartman

occupational Therapist
 

Hi! My name is Lorna Hartman. I was born and raised in the heart of Montana on a small Hutterite colony. I grew up in a large, loving, and supportive family. My love for the medical field came at a young age after watching my brother, who had special needs, receive wonderful care from our home health aides including an OT. I obtained my Masters degree at the age of 23 from the University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota. Upon graduating I began working in acute-care under a team of phenomenal, experienced therapists where I remained for six years. In those short years I came to know and love the complexity of the human body. I have gained experience in working with trach’s, ventilators, multiple styles of feeding tubes, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, strokes, and many other complex medical diagnoses. 

I joined Leaf Pediatric Therapy to continue to grow as a therapist and be apart of an all- inclusive team that is truly client-centered and enriches a child’s life. I have a passion for working with medically complex children across a wide spectrum of diagnoses. My goal as an OT is to help a child gain their independence through the occupation of play. I love my job because it is incredibly rewarding. 

My life outside of work is also extremely fulfilling. I am a wife, mother, foster mom, and dog mom. Together with my husband, we enjoy family, church, coffee, camping, boating, cards, motorcycles, paddle boarding, traveling, and great food. 

lorna@LEAFPEDIATRIC.ORG

Alicea Burnaugh

occupational Therapist
 

Hi, I’m Alicea! I attended University of Wyoming (GO POKES!) where I received my Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology and Health Promotion. I went on to receive my Master’s of Occupational Therapy degree at the University of North Dakota - Casper College Campus in 2016. I have always had a passion for working in pediatrics and have worked in a variety of pediatric settings including outpatient, school-based and tele therapy. 

I have experience with treating children with a wide range of abilities including, but not limited to, fine and visual motor delays and sensory processing, self-regulation/behavior and feeding difficulties, with a certification in SOS Approach to Feeding. I strive to be continually learning and growing as a therapist to provide the best, individualized care for each child and am excited to expand my skill set by learning and implementing aquatic and equine therapy techniques here at LEAF. 

When not treating patients at LEAF, I enjoy spending time outdoors, up in the mountains or outside in my garden, with my husband, daughter and two mini-goldendoodles.   

alicea@LEAFPEDIATRIC.ORG

Elizabeth Elgie

Speech Language Pathologist
 

Coming soon!

liz@LEAFPEDIATRIC.ORG

Corrie Fredericks

physical Therapist

Team lead

Hello! My name is Dr. Corrie Fredericks. Physical therapy became a part of my life at a young age. While playing sports in high school, I received a couple of knee injuries and was able to come back to sports and functional activities by completing physical therapy. I started to pursue my dream of becoming a physical therapist after high school, receiving my degree in Health and Human Performance at Montana State University Billings in 2015. I decided to venture out of Montana to receive my Doctor of Physical Therapy degree at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, ND. Throughout my time in the physical therapy program, I became interested in pediatrics, orthopedics, and neurological disorders. After graduating in 2018, I moved to Williston, ND starting up in an outpatient, orthopedic private practice where I worked with a multitude of patients ranging in age, injury, or disorder. I am trained in Dry Needling and Graston Technique Therapy which helps with musculoskeletal disorders. Being in an outpatient orthopedic setting, these skills came in handy.

This past fall in 2021 my family decided to move back home to Montana. I decided to take a different route in my physical therapy career and started working in pediatrics. I am excited to start here at LEAF Pediatric Therapy working with kids of all ages ranging from 0-21. During my pediatric clinical rotation in PT school, I spent most of my time working with infants with plagiocephaly and torticollis, young kids with cerebral palsy, and kids with unspecified developmental delays, impaired motor planning and coordination. I am happy to start assisting infants and kids develop the skills and strengths they need to be involved in their community. I am hoping to become trained in neuro-developmental treatment and serial casting and furthering my training in manual therapy techniques and aquatic therapy with the pediatric population. 

When I am not providing services at LEAF, I am enjoying being a wife and a mommy to my two little cutie-pies. We are enjoying being back in Billings and getting to spend so much time with family and friends. We are excited for the summer months where we can hike, camp, and play outside!  

corrie@LEAFPEDIATRIC.ORG

Rachel Maggard

Occupational therapist

Hi, I’m Rachel! I was born and raised in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and attended the University of Wyoming, GO POKES! I went on to receive my Doctorate of Occupational Therapy at the College of Saint Mary in Omaha, Nebraska. I have always loved working with kids for as long as I can remember, however, it wasn’t until a quick Google search of what to do with a psychology degree led me to occupational therapy. While shadowing in an outpatient facility, the NICU, and schools in Kentucky, I fell in love with occupational therapy.

I moved to Billings to complete my final rotation and my capstone project. I was lucky enough to complete my Doctoral Capstone here at LEAF, where I developed a vision toolkit to allow therapists to better address visual deficits. After the completion of my capstone, I stuck around LEAF as an aide until I officially joined the team in the summer of 2023! I am beyond excited to be a part of a clinical team 
that is so passionate about making a difference in these children's lives, all while making it fun and functional. I look forward to mentorship and continuing education opportunities to expand my knowledge and continue to grow as an occupational therapist.

In my free time, I enjoy working out, reading a good book, and spending time outside. My fiance and I love to go golfing in the summer, watch college sports, eat great food, and play fetch with our dog Oakley! 

Rachel@LEAFPEDIATRIC.ORG

Lisa Kness

Speech Language Pathologist

Hello!

My name is Lisa Kness and I am Speech-Language Pathologist.  I graduated from the University of Texas at Dallas in 1988, with a Masters of Science in Communication Disorders. In my 36 year career as a Speech-Language Pathologist I have had the opportunity to work in a variety of settings but I always find my way home to pediatrics!  I enjoy working with a variety of ages.  However, my area of focus over the past 10 years has been working for children exposed to trauma and working on Social Pragmatic Skills, the social use of language.  Wondering what Social Pragmatics is?  Please ask me!!

I consider myself a play-based therapist who believes the ability to communicate and make friends is the key to a child's future success.  Speech therapy should be fun, full of movement and play, and ultimately lead a child to do what they want to do with their lives.  Dreaming big for your future starts young.  You will hear me say, a lot!, "Repetition is the Key to Learning."  It is true!  Repetition allows practice and exploration for a child to find their way to success.  You may also hear me say "y'all" and "oh my stars" as my Mississippi roots show from time to time.

Interesting fun fact.  I work in Billings, I live in Wyoming, and I moved down south from a remote island in Alaska.  I am a long distance runner, and run marathons to raise awareness and funding for childhood cancer, specifically a rare brain stem cancer called DIPG.  I am madly in love with my husband and my dog!  And on any given day off you will find one or all three of us on the golf course, hiking in the mountains or fishing.

Lisa@LEAFPEDIATRIC.ORG

Jamie Buechler

Family Support Advocate

My name is Jamie – I am a mom to 3 boys, two with special needs and I have been a stay at home for almost 13 years. My youngest son Eli started having challenges at a very young age and after 6 years, we finally received a rare diagnosis that only 90 kids in the world have. While searching for a couple years and doing multiple therapies, my middle son was diagnosed with Autism at 18 months.

The journey has been long and hard on many levels, but would not trade them for the world. This walk through special needs has presented many trials as I have walked through grief, loneliness, anger, sadness, tears and frustration. But I have also learned patience, unconditional love, joy, advocacy and acceptance. It has been a long journey, but that has led me to wanting to help other families in the community and to help them understand that they are never alone.

My passion for helping others has led me to partner with LEAF Pediatric Therapy as a Family Support Advocate. My role is to help with events in the community, to make sure families get the support and therapies that they need, as well as helping families navigate this hard journey.

For fun, we love swimming during the summer and family camping.

JAMIE@LEAFPEDIATRIC.ORG

Zoie Marsh

Therapy Tech

Bio coming soon!