Dr. Rachel Timmons OTD, OTR/L is an Indiana native who attended Ball State University, in Muncie, for her undergraduate education and completed her doctorate of occupational therapy at Belmont University in Nashville, TN. Since graduating, she has worked in pediatrics with an emphasis on children with autism and early intervention.

In 2012, Dr. Timmons became certified in sensory integration and praxis intervention, which is a focus of the therapy she provides. She has assisted in the diagnosis of children with autism as well as specialized in oral motor protocols and handwriting intervention. Dr. Timmons has increased training on behavior intervention, specifically applied behavior analysis intervention. She has worked in early intervention, school settings, home therapy, pediatric clinics, autism centers, and has worked on an as needed basis with adult populations in rehab centers. Research interests include pediatric practice, new mom role transitions, and parent perspectives (of children who receive therapy service). Dr. Timmons has been a supervisor and director of therapy services at various clinics and she has served as a fieldwork educator in the past and very much enjoys her role to educating future OTs. Most recently, she became a Credentialed Leader in Occupational Therapy, through AOTA’s Academic Leadership Institute in 2020.

Dr. Timmons has a passion for missions, as she organized and planned a rehabilitative based trip to Ecuador for OT's and PT's during her graduate education, and has traveled to Guatemala several times for medical missions trips. She wishes to expand on this passion while at IWU to help facilitate missions with the OTD students during their global perspectives course as well as possible doctoral residency placements. Dr. Timmons' favorite thing about occupational therapy is the ability to help a client and their families best achieve those functional goals that are important to them. To further encourage clients and provide opportunities for them that they may have thought impossible prior to receiving therapy. Dr. Timmons is excited to have the opportunity to educate students on the fulfilling and rewarding field of occupational therapy. Her spare time is spent with her husband, four kids, and family dog Eve. She works as a pediatric therapist in early intervention and an outpatient clinic.

INTERESTS

Pediatric interventions

Autism

New mom role transition and education

Sensory Processing and Integration

OT- Global perspective

Parent and caregiver quality of life satisfaction