Our Story
High Hopes Children’s Therapy is a mother-daughter owned business that offers Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy, and Social Skills Groups. We have highly trained therapists who treat in a fun and loving manner. Children easily learn to trust our guidance in a fun and inviting environment. From the moment our clients and their families enter our office they feel at home and a part of the team. We have their child's best interest at heart and strive to create brighter futures.
Meet the Team
We have highly trained therapists who treat in a fun and loving manner.
Sara Weirich, MS, OTR/L
Co-Owner/Occupational Therapist
Sara Weirich is the co-owner of High Hopes Children’s Therapy. She owns the business with her mother, who shares her passion for helping children. Sara has her Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy and her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. She has worked with children of all ages and all diagnosis. Sara is board certified and licensed occupational therapist in the state of GA. She continues to gain expertise in the field of occupational therapy as she continues her post graduate educational courses in the field of pediatrics. Sara is certified in Interactive Metronome (IM), Primitive Reflex Integration, Astronaut Program, and Integrative Listening System. Sara has a fun and outgoing personality that all children enjoy. Children easily learn to trust her guidance in a fun and inviting environment
Miriam Ahmad
Co-Owner
Miriam Ahmad is the co-owner of High Hopes Children’s Therapy. She owns the business with her daughter, who is a pediatric occupational therapist. Miriam is a retired registered nurse who is educated in billing and coding and handles all managerial aspects for High Hopes Children’s Therapy. Miriam has a passion for helping children and enjoys working closely with her daughter who shares her same passion. Together they hope to make a great difference in many children’s lives.
Susan
Front Desk Receptionist/Client Coordinator
Susan is our fabulous Front Desk/Client Coordinator here at High Hopes Children's Therapy. Susan and her family moved from Upstate New York to Georgia in 2014. Susan has recently joined our practice in November 2022. Susan has been in the Medical Administrative field for over 20 years. She has worked in many different medical office settings, and has found that she has a passion for working with families with special needs children. In her free time Susan likes to garden and spend time with her husband, children and grandchildren.
Beth
Occupational Therapist/Clinical Supervisor
Beth is a graduate from Brenau University where she received a bachelors in Health Science and a Masters of Occupational Therapy. During her time in the OT program she experienced a variety of clinical rotations in multiple practice areas including acute care, community-based programs, and mental health, but her passion has remained in pediatrics. Throughout her time with the company, Beth has worked with children of all ages and conditions including: ASD, Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome, neurological disorders and developmental delays. Beth is certified in the Interactive Metronome (IM) program. She has 4 years of OT experience in the pediatric setting and is trained in a variety of programs and services offered at High Hopes Children’s Therapy including SOS Approach, Astronaut Program and Primitive Reflex Integration. In her spare time, she loves to spend time with her friends and family, travel as much as possible, and watch as many movies as she can!
Sara S.
Occupational Therapist/Lead OT
Sara is a graduate from Brenau University where she received her Bachelor’s in Health Science and Masters of Science in Occupational Therapy. While completing her Master’s, she served as Secretary of the Brenau Occupational Therapy Student Association. Throughout her educational experience Sara experienced a variety of clinical settings including community-based programs, outpatient pediatrics, school system pediatrics, and hand therapy. Growing up Sara always enjoyed her time babysitting for others and playing with her younger cousins. She spent her summers as a camp counselor and director for children and young adults with special needs, which implemented her passion for helping children become the best versions of themselves. Sara has worked with children of all ages and a variety of conditions including ASD, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Developmental Delay, ADHD, Neurological conditions, and Deafblind. She is trained in a variety of programs and services offered at High Hopes Children’s Therapy including Astronaut Program, Primitive Reflex Integration and Interactive Metronome (IM). In her free time Sara enjoys spending quality time with family and friends, exercising, listening to live music, going to the beach, and traveling.
Jamie
Occupational Therapist
Jamie earned her Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy and her Bachelor’s degree in Athletic Training. Jamie is board certified and a licensed occupational therapist in Georgia. She has worked with children of various ages and diagnoses in settings such as outpatient clinics, school systems, hippotherapy, and aquatics. She is certified in Interactive Metronome (IM). On the weekend, she enjoys being on the lake and hiking with her two dogs.
Jennifer
Speech Therapist/ Lead ST
Jennifer attended Valdosta State University where she received both her Bachelor of Science in Education and Master of Education in Communication Sciences and Disorders. She holds a Certificate of Clinical Competency from the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA) and a license in Speech Language Pathology in the state of Georgia. She is also PROMPT trained. Jennifer’s clinical experience includes evaluating, diagnosing and treating both children and adults in the outpatient clinical setting, school system and rehabilitation setting. Jennifer has experience working with a wide range of disorders including Autism Spectrum Disorder, Significant Developmental Delay, Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome and Schizencephaly. She has experience treating children with articulation/phonological, receptive language, expressive language, fluency, pragmatic/communication language disorders and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). She has a passion to work in pediatrics to give each child a voice through a method that best suits them. In her free time, Jennifer enjoys working out, traveling with her husband and enjoying the outdoors with her goldendoodle.
Taylor
Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant
Taylor graduated from Georgia Southern University in 2019 with a Bachelor's degree in Exercise Science and then went on to receive her Occupational Therapy Assistant certification from Middle Georgia State University in 2021. During her time in the COTA program she experienced a variety of clinical rotations in multiple practice areas but always knew her heart belonged to pediatrics. She is trained in a variety of programs and services offered at High Hopes Children’s Therapy including Astronaut Program, Primitive Reflex Integration, Sensory Integration, and Interactive Metronome (IM). In her free time, Taylor enjoys spending time with friends, family, and her two sweet pups. Taylor is very excited to be a part of the High Hope’s Therapy team!
Rachel
Occupational Therapist
Rachel graduated Magna Cum Laude from UGA earning her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology. She graduated with Highest Honors from Nova Southeastern University with her Master of Occupational Therapy degree. She was inducted into Pi Theta Epsilon - The National Occupational Therapy Honor Society - as well as the Alpha Eta Honor Society - a national scholastic honor society for the allied health professions. Rachel was published in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy along with some of her peers for a research study on occupation-centered practice. She has experience in pediatrics, the NICU, and acute care and is trained in the SOS Approach to Feeding. Rachel has always been passionate about working with kids and has treated kids of various ages and diagnoses including ASD, Down Syndrome, developmental delays, developmental coordination disorder, ADHD, and sensory processing difficulties. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, photography, arts and crafts, and spending time with family and friends. Rachel is very excited to be a part of the High Hopes Therapy team.
Kristin
Occupational Therapist
Kristin graduated with her Master’s in Occupational Therapy from Brenau University after previously receiving her Bachelor’s in Communication Sciences and Disorders from the University of Georgia. After being introduced to the field by a close family friend at a young age, Kristin had determined that not only does occupational therapy give her the opportunity to pursue her passion of working with and helping children, but it also allows her to demonstrate her determination, creativity, and problem-solving, a set of skills imperative to the field. Kristin is a Certified Autism Specialist and has also received training in Handwriting Without Tears. Kristin strives to make a difference in others’ lives and desires to give children and their families hope of accomplishment and the opportunity to follow passions in their own lives. In her free time, Kristin enjoys trying new recipes in the kitchen, exploring the area as well as new cities, spending time with her family and friends, and playing with her Golden Retriever.
Fanta
Speech Therapist
Fanta earned her Bachelor's degree in Linguistics from the University of California, Riverside and her Master of Science degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Jacksonville University. She holds a License of Speech-Language Pathology in the State of Georgia. Fanta has diverse experiences working with populations and disorders including both pediatrics and adults in outpatient, acute care, and telehealth settings. She particularly has experience working with a variety of pediatric populations including autism, down syndrome, early intervention, articulation/phonological disorders, developmental disorders, and social skills. Fanta is also PROMPT trained through the PROMPT Institute and works with Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). Fanta developed her passion in working with children with autism while treating them in both the school and home settings. She truly enjoys working with other therapists to enhance the quality of life in children with diverse communicative needs. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, reading, and meditating.
Erica
Speech Therapist/ Reading Specialist
Erica Gutzweiler, M.A., CCC-SLP earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Speech-Language Pathology from State University of New York at Buffalo (SUNY Buffalo). She is ASHA certified and licensed in Speech Language Pathology in the State of Georgia. Erica has dedicated her to career working in pediatrics. She specializes in reading disorders and dyslexia and is Orton-Gillingham trained. Other areas of interest include articulation/phonological disorders, receptive-expressive language disorders, apraxia, autism, cleft lip/palate and developmental delays. Erica is also PROMPT trained. In her free time, Erica enjoys spending time with her husband and her two daughters.
Bailey
Speech Therapist
Bailey graduated from the University of West Georgia in 2017 where she earned my Bachelor's Degree in Speech-Language Pathology. Following undergrad, she worked as a school-based SLPA for 2 years before returning to the University of West Georgia in 2019 to obtain my Master's degree in Speech-language Pathology. She enjoys working with the pediatric population where her areas of interest include autism, early intervention, neurological disorders, developmental disorders, AAC, receptive/expressive language disorders and articulation/phonology. She is so excited to join the High Hopes team!
Megan
Speech Therapist
Megan Unger, M.A. CCC-SLP earned her Bachelor’s degree in communication disorders from Cortland State College in New York. She earned her Master’s degree in Speech/Language Pathology and Audiology from New York University, is ASHA certified, holds a License in Speech Language Pathology in the State of Georgia, and a teaching certificate in Speech Language Pathology.Megan has many years of experience working in both the school and clinical settings providing speech/language therapy with a concentration on early intervention, articulation/phonological disorders, language disorders, autism,
Down Syndrome, developmental disorders, and social skills. Megan has also participated in PROMPT training through the PROMPT Institute.
Megan resides in Cumming with her husband, three children, two dogs, two cats, and a menagerie of fish.
Amanda L
Occupational Therapist
Amanda L. graduated from Kennesaw State University earning her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychological Science. She went on to graduate from Brenau University earning her Master of Science degree in Occupational Therapy. She wrote her graduate thesis on sound-based intervention for misophonia. She has experience in outpatient pediatrics, school-based OT, and community-based OT. She has specialized training in Sensory Integration, Primitive Reflex Integration, The Astronaut Program, and Interactive Metronome (IM). Amanda is passionate about working with children and families in the hopes of helping to improve their overall quality of life. She is so happy to be a member of the High Hopes team!
Kamal ( Kam)
Occupational Therapist
Kam is a Miami native who recently moved to the Atlanta area. She received her Bachelor’s of Science in Elementary Education from Nova Southeastern University. After teaching various grade levels for four years, she found her passion for occupational therapy. She obtained her Occupational Therapy Doctorate from Gannon University’s Ruskin Campus. Throughout her program, Kam gained experience in a variety of settings including outpatient pediatrics, acute care, school system pediatrics, outpatient hand therapy, and teletherapy. Kam is trained in a variety of programs and services offered at High Hopes Children’s Therapy including Interactive Metronome (IM) Program, Astronaut Program, and Primitive Reflex Integration. In her free time, Kam enjoys exploring her new city with her fiancé and dog, traveling to new places, spending time with friends and family, and trying new restaurants.
Lauren
Occupational Therapist
Lauren graduated Magna Cum Laude and received her Bachelor’s degree in Rehabilitation and Disability Studies from Auburn University (War Eagle!) which gave her a strong foundation to pursue a career in Occupational Therapy. Lauren graduated Summa Cum Laude and received her Master’s of Occupational Therapy from Georgia State University. Lauren grew up in Roswell, Ga and has a background in working with Pediatric and Neuro Populations. She has specialized training in Sensory Integration, Primitive Reflex Integration, The Astronaut Program, and Interactive Metronome (IM). Lauren loves working with her High Hope’s kiddos and families! When Lauren is not working she enjoys traveling and spending time with friends and family.
Amanda A
Occupational Therapist
Amanda first graduated from Binghamton University, State University of New York, with her Bachelor’s of Arts in Biology. She then moved on to attend graduate school at D’Youville College located in Buffalo, NY where she earned her Master’s of Science in Occupational Therapy. She obtained experience in acute care and the school system through clinical rotations before beginning her career at an outpatient pediatric clinic and is excited to now be a part of the High Hopes team! She has specialized training in Sensory Integration, Primitive Reflex Integration, The Astronaut Program, and Interactive Metronome (IM). In her free time, Amanda enjoys baking and, having grown up in New York, is now enjoying all the warm weather.
Sierra
Speech Therapist
Sierra is from Birmingham, Alabama. She graduated with a Masters degree from the University of Alabama in 2018. Sierra moved to Georgia shortly after and has worked in both the school setting and private practice. Her interest is autism. She has experience with speech and language disorders, early language development, and feeding disorders. In her spare time, Sierra enjoys traveling and being adventurous.
Dustin
Occupational Therapist
Dustin graduated from Georgia State University with a Bachelor's of Exercise Science and went on to get his master's degree from Brenau University. His pediatric experiences include shadowing outpatient equine-assisted therapy, a clinical rotation in a nonprofit clinic, as well as completing a level two rotation at another private outpatient clinic where he has worked with kids of varying diagnosis. Dustin quickly found a passion working with the pediatric population and enjoys the unique experiences of getting to work with the kids as well as formulating and carrying out fun treatments consisting of games and crafts while getting to know each child and their personality. In his free time, he loves to hike, enjoy spending quality time with friends and family, play video games, listen to music, and cook. Dustin is very excited about being a part of the High Hopes team and gaining more knowledge and skills to become a better therapist and to grow as an individual.
Brooke
Occupational Therapist
Brooke is a graduate of Birmingham-Southern College where she received a bachelors in Biology and went on to receive her Masters of Science in Occupational Therapy at Alabama State University. Brooke is from Birmingham, Alabama and has worked in various pediatric settings including a private practice sensory integration clinic as well as the school setting for Pre-K through High School students. She is trained in a variety of programs and services offered at High Hopes Children’s Therapy including Astronaut Program, Primitive Reflex Integration, Sensory Integration, and Interactive Metronome (IM). Brooke lives in Alpharetta with her husband and enjoys being active outdoors by hiking, biking, and kayaking.