Nicole Thawley

Nicole graduated with a Master’s Degree in Occupational Therapy from Columbia University in 2019. She has extensive expertise in the area of pediatrics (ages 0-21), with additional experience working in traumatic brain injury, as well as acute and long-term rehabilitation. Having worked with people with special needs for over 15 years, Nicole has a wealth of knowledge and experience that set her life path. Nicole’s uncle was born with Down Syndrome and as a child she volunteered at his Special Olympics activities. This led to years of work with the Bleshman School Special Olympics Program as a teenager, and work as a substitute teacher and teachers assistant in the Bleshman School and other schools in the Bergen County Special Services School District. This sparked Nicole’s desire to help other’s find their way through life by reaching their true potential in independence and community participation. With a legacy of Occupational Therapists in the family, Nicole began shadowing OT’s and found her true calling. She has continued to grow her knowledge in the field with advanced training in Autism, Sensory Processing, ADHD, neuromuscular disorders, visual rehabilitation, Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, and Dysgraphia, Executive Dysfunction, and handwriting.  On the personal side, Nicole is married and has three young boys of her own. She volunteers as vice president on the PTO if her children’s school and coaches soccer. In her spare time, she enjoys photography, running, hiking, and spending time with family.ing, and spending time with family.