Welcome to my website! Here, you will find helpful resources to engage your young child with disabilities in early STEAM learning to highlight their strengths and honor their curiosity of the world around them.
I designed this site to start a community of practice between families, teachers, occupational therapists, and other professionals collaborating to create opportunities for all young children to explore, learn, and develop through inclusive STEAM learning.
My new book published by
Teachers College Press,
Inclusive STEAM Education
in Early Childhood:
Strengths-Based Strategies
for Supporting Children with
Disabilities, offers practical
ways to engage all young
learners in early STEAM
learning within inclusive classrooms. This website includes supplementary resources from this book and resources for families, teachers, and occupational therapists looking to address fine motor development, social participation, and sensory preferences as children engage in early STEAM learning within their everyday activities at home and school. Please check out my Weekly Wonder Time Post for an activity of the week.
Education
May 2016
Doctorate in Special Education
University of San Francisco
School of Education
January 1999
Masters in Occupational Therapy
Boston University
Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences
May 1994
Human Biodynamics
University of California, Berkeley
Certifications
National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy
#1032699
January 1999 - current
May 2022 - current
California Board of Occupational Therapy
License #OT 47
June 1998
Sensory Integration and Praxis Tests, SIPT Certified: #7229
Sensory Integration International
Topic Areas for Professional Development and Workshops
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Embedding early STEAM Learning within inclusive home and educational environments:
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A multi-week in-person workshop tailored to specific audience needs: families, early childhood educators teaching in inclusive environments, and occupational therapists seeking a more strengths-based approach for young learners.
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Sensory regulation strategies for home, school, and community settings:
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Online or in-person workshops for transforming spaces to sensory responsive places where all young learners thrive.
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Learning to Write with the Whole Body:
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A multi-week online and interactive fine motor group for all young learners and their families to strengthen fine motor and visual motor foundations for future handwriting.
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Dr. Mere-Cook specializes in inclusive early childhood special education and embedding early STEAM learning within home, school, and community based settings. Through emphasizing expressions of curiosity and exploration, Dr. Mere-Cook collaborates with families, educators, and young children to address important developmental needs including sensory processing, fine motor development, social emotional learning through STEAM-based activities.
Contact Me
Please reach out to me for any inquiries and collaborations.I conduct workshops and trainings
on ways to embed early STEAM learning within inclusive settings to a variety of audiences. Additionally, I can share ways to design curriculum and classrooms for a variety of sensory preferences. Lastly, given my background as an occupational therapist, I love to partner with families on addressing fine motor development in everyday activities and play.
