Tara-Leigh Cain – Occupational Therapy
Tara-Leigh Cain, Occupational Therapist
Tara-Leigh Cain graduated from McMaster University with a Psychology degree in 1996 and after years of working with children and travelling the world, she returned to school for her Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy at UBC. Her love of working with children of all abilities was apparent since she was in high school so it wasn’t hard to make the decision to specialize in Pediatrics when she graduated. It also wasn’t hard to determine where she wanted to pursue her career. Hiking, cycling, camping and triathlons have always been a part of her life so it seemed fitting when she and her husband moved to Squamish in 2006. Life can’t get much better than having the mountains and trails right in their backyard.
Tara works with children ages 2 – 18 who need assistance with reaching their developmental milestones. She focuses on fine motor skills (upper extremity strength, bilateral coordination, in hand manipulation, dexterity and finger isolation), sensory integration, sensory-based motor dysfunction and feeding concerns. She is currently completing her courses to become a Level 1 Certified Handwriting Specialist. With so many expectations placed upon teachers in the classrooms, the amount of detail and attention spent on printing isn’t adequate for many students. As a result, the child struggles with written output. Handwriting isn’t just about the paper/pencil task but it requires a certain level of skill in all fine motor areas and this is pursued in her therapy sessions.
Tara is on the Registry of Autism Service Providers and is registered to provide therapy services through the At Home Program with the Ministry of Children and Family.
Tara will start work with Squamish Therapeutics in July, and will be taking bookings on Thursdays.
Children play for a living and Tara bases her therapy sessions around play: play with a purpose. As a mother of two children, Tara has both the personal and professional knowledge of child development.