Chelsey Hernandez, OTD, OTR
Occupational Therapist at Temple Memorial Pediatric Center
Owner/Founder of Fostering Hands OT
Chelsey Hernandez has a love for creativity, children, and the medical field. Born and raised in Texarkana, Chelsey grew up playing sports, singing, playing piano, and participating in Pleasant Grove’s marching band, including being the drum major her senior year. However, it was her parent’s occupations that inspired Chelsey in the medical field. “My parents moved from the Philippines to the United States for their physical therapy jobs. When I was able to go with them for the ‘Take your Child to Work Day,’ it sparked an interest in me for becoming a health professional,” Chelsey says. “I looked into being a nurse and a pediatrician, and it wasn’t until I attended the University of Central Arkansas (UCA) that I wanted to be an occupational therapist. I started volunteering with Community Connections, a program for kids with disabilities. This led me to the field of Pediatric Occupational Therapy.” Before graduating from the program at UCA, Chelsey spent three months at Temple Memorial Pediatric Center during a clinical rotation. “During my college time, while observing other Occupational Therapists, I fell in love with this field. I realized I could use my creativity in treatment sessions, catering each session to meet my patients’ needs. I had no idea I would return to Texarkana after graduation, but I love working at Temple,” Chelsey says.
Chelsey finished her undergraduate and graduate schooling at UCA. “During my final year of grad school, we had a capstone project to complete. I created a website called Fostering Hands of OT, which focused on occupational therapy within the foster care system. I chose this project because the foster care system is not a well-known area for occupational therapists to treat, but it is an underserved community,” Chelsey explains. The project did not end with her schooling, Chelsey still maintains the website as well as a Facebook and Instagram page offering free worksheets, activities, and workbooks for therapists, parents, teachers and anyone looking for resources to use for children with or without disabilities.
Chelsey’s primary focus and time are at Temple, where she uses her creativity and experience to assist patients in occupational therapy. Most of Chelsey’s patients range in the two- to three-year-old range, but she does have a handful of babies and school-aged children. “With babies, I am on the floor working in different positions, strengthening, working on grasping skills and visual motor skills. Once they reach school age, I work with them on more fine motor skills they need for handwriting, teaching them to get dressed, feed themselves, and help them meet their sensory needs. With my older kids, we work on emotional regulation, social skills, and life skills, including house chores and job placement. It’s really cool to see the different areas of life we can treat within the pediatric world,” Chelsey says. “Here, the smallest bit of progress is a huge victory. I like to do a lot of play-based learning, allow my kids to find something they enjoy doing, and build my treatment sessions off different activities that motivate them to work hard and learn. This allows them to trust me and challenge them further in future sessions.”
Chelsey’s future professional goals include the desire to partner with local foster organizations and provide workbooks to give to families in need. Chelsey is currently certified in ADHD and is hoping to achieve more certifications in the near future.
Chelsey met her husband, Daniel, in 2021, and they married in 2022. The couple is expecting their first child, a son, in February 2025. “Daniel is super great with kids, and I am looking forward to seeing how we will raise our kids together,” Chelsey says.
Chelsey is most proud of being where she is today as an occupational therapist and as a woman of God. She explains, “I could not have gotten this far in life without God, my family, and my husband.”
Website: https://fosteringhandsot.wixsite.com/fosteringhands
Facebook: Fostering Hands of Occupational Therapy
Instagram: @fosteringhandsot
TpT (Free Worksheets): “fosteringhandsOT” https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/fosteringhandsot
Tidbits about Chelsey:
She loves that Texarkana is growing and starting to offer more activities. “I love that Spring Lake Park has added inclusive playground equipment,” Chelsey says.
Her very first job in life was at Old Navy in Texarkana. Although she was pretty reserved as a teenager, the job taught her to communicate with everyone and get out of her shell.
Her favorite advice to pass onto parents whose children are in occupational therapy includes encouragement to be on the floor playing and interacting with their children. She advises them to model what they want the child to learn.
Chelsey stays motivated by her strong relationship with Christ. This allows her to relate to her husband, family, and friends. At work, the small victories with each patient motivate her to work harder and persevere.
During her free time, Chelsey loves the visual art form of calligraphy. In 2015, she began teaching herself and using it to express her creativity. Her original intent was to spread God’s word, and she continues that today while taking on custom customer pieces.