Our Clinic

At Alaska Pediatric Therapy, our mission is to help your child achieve their full potential in a fun and professional atmosphere. We have a large, consistent team of experienced and talented therapists that truly love being part of our family and yours. Each child is not only a client, but also an unique individual. We value being a part of your child’s collaborative team, and we work closely with you and your child to foster the achievement of new goals and milestones. We are focused on family-centered patient care. We collaborate with each family to develop goals specific to child and family needs.

We offer a wide range of pediatric therapy services that can assist your child in overcoming developmental delays and other challenges. We offer physical therapy to improve your child’s muscle control, coordination and gross motor skills. Speech therapy can assist in boosting language, communication and cognitive skills. Occupational therapy focuses on improving the “work” skills a child needs: play, peer interaction, sensory processing of their environment, and development of fine motor skills.

Shelby Wilson, PT, MSPT

Originally from Portland, Oregon, Shelby completed her Master of Physical Therapy degree at the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 1998. She began work at the United Cerebral Palsy Center in Birmingham to serve children and families with complex medical backgrounds and medical diagnoses. She continued her pediatric experience working as a school based therapist and at an outpatient clinic in Columbus, Georgia.

When the opportunity for travel arose, she and her husband worked as traveling physical therapists in various settings including pediatrics, adults and geriatrics. In 2005 they moved to Alaska, where she worked in the pediatric and neonatal intensive care unit, and was part of the NICU follow-up clinic at The Children’s Hospital at Providence. She has attended coursework in NDT for infants and children, Perception Action Theory and techniques, Dynamic Movement Intervention Level A and B, pediatric orthopedics, serial casting and orthotics, plagiocephaly and torticollis and management of cerebral palsy and other neurological disorders. 

Shelby values being part of a multi-disciplinary team that provides comprehensive treatment of the whole child. Her therapy treatments are play-based and individually structured to promote a child’s motor, social and cognitive development. Her focus is to help each child recognize their unique strengths and abilities and to achieve their highest functional potential.

When not at work, Shelby enjoys trail running, skiing, hiking and spending time with her husband and two daughters.

Taylor Adams, PT, DPT

A lifelong Alaskan, Taylor returned to her hometown of Anchorage, after receiving her DPT from the Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions in 2017, and completing her final clinical internship in pediatrics through the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Taylor began her career practicing in the outpatient setting, where she gained experience serving patients across the spectrums of age and ability, with orthopedic, neuromuscular, and cardiovascular concerns.

In the spring of 2020, Taylor made the transition to practicing pediatrics full-time, and couldn’t be happier with the decision.  Taylor is a member of the American Physical Therapy Association, including the Alaska Chapter. Since transitioning to practicing pediatrics full-time, Taylor has completed training in infant handling through the Neurodevelopmental Treatment Association. Taylor is also a Certified Level B Practitioner of Dynamic Movement Intervention. She is experienced in the delivery of aquatic physical therapy, and has advanced training in kinesiotaping. She strives to make her treatments fun, meaningful, and personalized to the child and their family.

Taylor’s first child was born in April, 2023, and spent his first eight days of life in the NICU. Fortunately, he is healthy now, but this experience heightened Taylor’s passion for working with families of pre-term infants and infants at-risk for delay in gross motor development. When not in the clinic, Taylor enjoys spending time with her husband and son, hiking, fishing, and working on projects around their home.

Carrie Gray, PT, MPT, C/NDT, CPST

Carrie was born and raised in Michigan. She attended the University of Evansville and graduated with a Master of Physical Therapy degree in 1998. She started her career as a traveling therapist, working in a variety of settings while exploring different areas of the United States. Carrie moved to Alaska in 2000 and fell in love with the state's beauty and opportunities for adventure.

Carrie has worked in both inpatient and outpatient pediatric settings. She joined Alaska Pediatric Therapy in 2012 and values working as a team to provide individualized, family-centered care. Carrie is certified in the Neurodevelopmental Treatment technique and is a certified child passenger safety technician. She has attended continuing education in respiratory physical therapy, torticollis, perception-action approach, aquatic therapy, and hippotherapy. Carrie is a member of the American Physical Therapy Association, including the Pediatric Section, and the Alaska Physical Therapy Association. 

Carrie and her husband have two daughters and spend their free time exploring the outdoors together.  She enjoys hiking, camping, reading and nordic skiing.

Kristen Moran, PT, DPT

Kristen received her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Mercer University in Atlanta, GA in 2021 and her Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Clemson University in 2013. She worked as an engineer in Alaska for 4 years before pursuing a career in physical therapy. Kristen began her physical therapy career in outpatient pediatrics in Atlanta and moved back to Anchorage in 2022 when she joined the Alaska Pediatric Therapy team. 

Kristen is a member of the American Physical Therapy Association, including the Pediatric Section and the Alaska chapter. She has experience working with children with a variety of orthopedic and neurologic diagnoses and loves continuing to learn as the profession grows.

Kristen enjoys spending time with her daughter, husband and two dogs, exploring the outdoors, traveling, cooking, and spending time with family and friends.

Abigail Kessinger, DPT

Abigail received her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Samford University in Birmingham, AL in 2023. She completed her last clinical rotation in Anchorage prior to graduating and fell in love with Alaska’s beauty and countless opportunities to play outside. She moved from Alabama to Anchorage shortly after graduating to join the Alaska Pediatric Therapy team.

Abigail enjoys working with all ages of patients experiencing neurodevelopmental and/or musculoskeletal concerns, she is also a level C DMI provider. Abigail has always loved working with kids, volunteering with various organizations and serving as a Young Life leader for high school girls in Birmingham throughout PT school. She is grateful for the opportunity to combine her love of kids with her skill set as a Physical Therapist. As a pediatric PT, she strives to make therapy a safe and fun space to play, learn and grow so that each child may achieve their goals.

When not in the clinic Abigail spends as much time as she can outside, usually with her golden retriever Goose tagging along.

Janelle St Pierre, PT, DPT

Janelle was born and raised in Ketchikan, Alaska. She left Ketchikan to attend the University of Idaho where she graduated with a Bachelor in Exercise Science and Health in 2016. She then moved to Potsdam, New York to attend Clarkson University and graduated with her Doctorate in Physical Therapy in 2019. After graduating, she moved to Oregon where she spent 4 years working in the outpatient orthopedic and pediatric settings in Lincoln City and Newport. In 2023, she and her husband made the decision to move back to Alaska to be closer to family. 

Janelle is a member of the American Physical Therapy Association, including the pediatric section and the Alaska Chapter. She has experience working with children of all ages with a variety of neurological and orthopedic conditions. She also has participated in continuing education involving functional electrical stimulation and selective motor control for those with cerebral palsy. 

Janelle enjoys fishing in the summer, hiking, kayaking and snowboarding in the winter. She also enjoys spending time with her husband, her dog Roscoe, and her family now that she is back home in Alaska.

Emma Kenna, PT, DPT

Emma grew up in Bend, Oregon. She received her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Pacific University in 2024. She began her career in outpatient orthopedics, taking continuing education courses for advanced manual therapy techniques of the spine and lower extremities. Early into her career, Emma made the decision to transition to pediatrics and is thrilled to be part of the amazing team at Alaska Pediatric Therapy!

She believes in the power of collaboration and values co-treating with fellow therapists as part of a dynamic, interdisciplinary team. With a child-led, play-centered approach, Emma strives to create meaningful movement experiences that are rooted in each child’s unique strengths, interests, and motivations. Emma loves participating in APT’s garden group, providing nature-based therapy, in the summer. Emma has a passion for adaptive sport. She began volunteering with TOPSoccer as a teenager and had the honor to volunteer for the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic through college. She has been involved with Challenge Alaska since she moved to Alaska in 2023.

In her free time, she loves mountain biking, skiing, rafting and drawing.

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS

Hannah Stice, OTR/L

Hannah is a California native. She graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obsipo in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in child development, and has experience working in early intervention. She spent the last four years in Washington state where she graduated from the University of Washington for OT school. She found her way to Alaska recently, where there is no shortage of natural beauty! She loves working with children, and feels that they have as much to teach us as we can them. Hannah is passionate about sensory processing and integration, and will do her best to support your family and your child as they grow and develop — celebrating differences as part of the natural neurodiversity that exists in our world. 

When not in the clinic, Hannah enjoys traveling, doing puzzles, painting, and exploring all that Anchorage and the surrounding areas have to offer with friends and loved ones.

Jennifer Fleming, OTR/L

Jennifer was born and raised in Miami, Florida. She attended the University of Florida and Florida International University, earning her degree in occupational therapy in 1988. She has 35 years of experience in a multitude of settings. She has worked in the public and private school sector, hospitals, mental health clinics, home health, private practice, and as a university professor teaching specialty topics in pediatrics. She received her Specialty Board Certification in pediatric occupational therapy (BCP) in 1997.

In the South Florida community she has been a volunteer for several nonprofit organizations, a mentor for OT interns and educational presenter for complimentary in-services and workshops. She has volunteered for Special Olympics, American Cancer Society, Dive Heart Foundation, Project AWARE, Unlimited Abilities Foundation, Young Professionals for Covenant House, the McLamore Children’s Center, the Linda Ray Infant Center and Miami Shores Village Advisory Board for Handicapped Services.

Teresa Comer, MOTR/L

Teresa graduated in May, 2009 with a Master in Occupational Therapy from University of Utah in Salt Lake City. She wrote her master's thesis on Social and Occupational Participation in Persons with Spinal Cord Injury and the Effects of Occupation-Based Practice. She graduated from Northern Arizona University in 2002 with her bachelor degree in exercise science.

Her special interests include working on life skills to enhance one’s functional independence, feeding, self-regulation and handwriting. She has received special training in aquatic therapy, therapeutic listening, interactive metronome, and bioness rehabilitation.

Teresa has three children and enjoys spending Alaskan summers camping and hiking.

Alaine Miller, ORT/L

Alaine was born and raised in Homer, and is thrilled to be back in Alaska. She received her Masters in Occupational Therapy from Eastern Michigan University in 2018. She has spent the majority of her OT career working in pediatrics, though she also has experience working with older adults in skilled nursing, independent living, and memory care settings.

Areas of additional training and special interest include trauma-informed practices, emotional regulation, sensory processing, executive functioning skills, ADHD, visual motor and fine motor development. She loves empowering kids to feel confident, regulated, and capable in all the activities they want and need to do!

When she’s not in the clinic, Alaine loves to be outside and in the mountains, creating art of all mediums, learning about sustainable food systems, and spending time with the people she loves.

SPEECH THERAPISTS

Kelly Isaly-Johns, MA, CCC-SLP

Kelly received her Bachelor of Arts from Baldwin Wallace University and her graduate degree from Cleveland State University. Born and raised in Cleveland Ohio, she relocated to Alaska in 2014.  Kelly has 14 years of experience as a speech therapist and has worked in the medical setting, infant learning and pediatric private practice. She has a special interest in working with infants and kids in the areas of feeding, language acquisition, and aquatic therapy.  

When not at work, Kelly enjoys trail running, mountain biking, hiking, snowboarding  and spending time with her husband and two sons.

Keegan Gallagher, SLP-CCC

Keegan has been an SLP and feeding therapist since 2011. She grew up in Arizona, where she worked in schools, clinical and home-health settings with medically fragile children. She has worked both in-person and via telehealth in Arizona, the Navajo Nation, Fairbanks, Kodiak, Cordova and the Mat-Su Valley. Keegan specializes in feeding, and trained for 5 years at Mealtime Connections in Tucson, AZ. She works with children with neurodevelopmental, cardiac and GI challenges, severe allergies, tracheostomy, NG- and G-tubes, craniofacial or severe oral motor differences, and sensory mealtime challenges. She has training in SOS, Get Permission and CAN-EAT approaches to feeding and Vital Stim Plus treatment for swallowing. In 2022, she also became a Certified Lactation Counselor. Additionally, Keegan has specialty training in Kinesiotape for pediatrics, the Perception Action Approach to motor development, and various AAC systems and access modalities.

Keegan moved to Anchorage in 2021 with her husband, 2 kids and 2 rescue dogs. They enjoy hiking, kayaking, gardening, music, camping and wildlife.

Jacyln Harmon, SLP-CCC

Jackie received her master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of North Dakota in her home state in 2020. Since then, she has worked with children with a wide range of communication needs in both the school and outpatient settings in Idaho and Alaska. Jackie finds joy in helping children build connection, confidence, and authentic self-expression through communication. Her special interests include early language and social development, gestalt language processing (scripted language), and supporting the unique communication needs of neurodiverse children.

Jackie is trained in the Natural Language Acquisition (NLA) framework and the SOS Approach to Feeding. She has also received training in DIRFloortime, the SCERTS framework, Language Acquisition through Motor Planning (LAMP), and various treatment approaches for speech and language disorders.

Outside of work, Jackie enjoys spending time with her husband, family, and friends. She values travel, adventure, and all things movement—especially trail running, skiing, and training for triathlons.

Kathyrn “K.C” Zelina, SLP-CCC

K.C. was born and raised in Western Pennsylvania and earned her undergraduate degree in education from Slippery Rock University. She began her career teaching middle and high school English and Social Studies before earning her master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Syracuse University. Since then, she has worked primarily as a school-based speech-language pathologist, serving in the Indian River Area School District, Anchorage School District, and Delta/Greely School District. Her professional interests include articulation, language development, and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC).

K.C. has lived in various places across the United States due to her husband’s military career. They have now settled in Wasilla with their daughter and two dogs. In her free time, K.C. enjoys running, swimming, hiking, and spending time with her family.

Grace McDowell, CFY

Grace earned her Master's degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Eastern Washington University. She has a special interest in Nature-Based Therapy. What drew Grace to pursue speech-language pathology as a second career was her desire to be part of people's growth and development as they build their speech and language skills. She has a particular passion for emergent language development.

When Grace isn't working with clients, you'll find her exploring Alaska's wilderness—though she's admittedly a slow hiker because she can't resist stopping to observe every interesting plant, animal, and natural wonder along the trail. This love of nature extends to her artistic side, where she creates sculptures with nature-inspired themes. Grace's outdoor adventures and academic rigor have taught her valuable lessons about preparation and flexibility—skills that translate seamlessly into her therapy practice.

Administrative Staff

Mikey Hough, Office Manager, Anchorage

Mikey was born in Fairbanks and raised in Anchorage. She's a fourth generation Alaskan and one of eight sisters, which means a lot of nieces and nephews, so she thoroughly enjoys the daily interaction with our patients. Mikey worked at a travel agency for 8 years, and then as an administrator of an in-home daycare for twelve years. She worked as an administrative assistant with Frontier Medical and in the front office for Dr Reinbold for over 10 years prior to joining Alaska Pediatric Therapy.

She loves every homeless animal, Alaska summers, mowing her yard, gardening and spending time with her three grown daughters and especially her three young grandchildren.

Paige MaManus, Office Administrator, Eagle River

Paige grew up in Eagle River, where she discovered her interest in human behavior and mental health early on. She graduated from Montana State University with a bachelor's degree in psychology and sociology. After spending the next two years working as an office coordinator and traveling, she returned to Alaska to support her community. Paige plans on acquiring a master's degree in clinical psychology, with a special emphasis on eating disorders and depression. 

Paige enjoys traveling, writing, reading, hiking, and spending time with loved ones.

Alisha Sasse, Administrative Assistant, Eagle River

Alisha grew up in Washington and moved to Montana as a teenager with her family. She is the oldest of four siblings and has always felt immense love for family and children making her job an absolute joy. With a natural affinity for organization and a friendly, approachable demeanor, Alisha is passionate about making processes as easy and welcoming for patients and their families as possible.

Outside of the office, Alisha is committed to her own health and wellness. She enjoys running, building strength through resistance training and is an advocate for health and wellness across all ages and physical abilities. When not on the move, Alisha enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband and daughter, working on a new DIY or household project, or relaxing with her mini dachshund.