Samantha R Hecht, OTR/L

My name is Samantha Hecht, and I am a licensed occupational therapist at UF Health, specializing in pediatric therapy. I earned my Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from Stony Brook University. Now, I work with children to support sensory processing, fine motor skills, visual motor skills, executive functioning and bilateral coordination.

My journey into occupational therapy began when I shadowed therapists at a local veterans' home while living in New York. That experience sparked my passion for OT, and I later realized that working with children was my true calling. Becoming a pediatric therapist has been a dream come true!

My goal as an occupational therapist is to help kids become their best, most independent selves—while having fun in the process! I have a strong interest in improving handwriting skills through strategies like the Handwriting Without Tears curriculum and have also conducted research on efficient ways to deliver teletherapy in pediatric populations. I am also particularly interested in sensory integration and effective sensory strategies for children with ADHD.

Outside of work, I love spending time with my daughter, traveling, hiking, watching movies and reading.