“SES Feels Like Home”

Meet new occupational therapist, Kaitlyn Tilton

Kaitlyn Tilton standing outside of her warm, cheerful classroom at SES.

Chaimodacy photography

Kaitlyn Tilton standing outside of her warm, cheerful classroom at SES.

After traveling around the country pursuing different aspects of her profession as an  occupational therapist, Kaitlyn Tilton says, “SES feels like home.”

Beginning her career in California, Tilton has worked her way across the country doing a variety of occupational therapy jobs. When she was about to leave for a job in Alaska, recently, a family emergency brought her back to her roots on the East Coast. When she returned to Massachusetts, she spoke with Barbara Oswald coincidentally while getting her nails done. Oswald said there was a job at Salisbury Elementary that she might be good at.

“Barbara told me I should apply for the job, so I did, and here I am!” said Tilton.

On her rollercoaster of a career, Tilton has worked in just about every aspect of occupational therapy and found herself to most enjoy working with kids.

“I spent 12 years in the acute medical field in big hospitals in Boston,” said Tilton. “Then I traveled around the country for eight years working in hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, or people’s homes, and then spent the last four years focusing on pediatric care, acute care, working in homes, and also got to work with premature babies.”

Tilton’s job as an occupational therapist is to make sure those with a 504 plan or an IEP have the services they need in order to help them flourish in the classroom. Whether it be exercises to improve fine motor skills, hand eye coordination, basic tasks, behavioral skills, the list goes on and on. She helps adjust those with disabilities, physically, or mentally, so they can thrive like their peers in class. 

           “I’ve loved it. It’s a profession that’s allowed me to do what I want with myself and now I have a family and it’s allowing  me to have a family,” Tilton said. 

             Tilton’s caring approach with the kids and enthusiastic personality is one of the main reasons she was hired for this job and is such a great fit. SES Principal James Montanari and Tilton’s mentor Angela Curtis both made a point to comment on this when we asked them about Tilton.

             “Mrs. Tilton is upbeat and positive with her students, open to suggestions, flexible with schedule changes or issues and has made herself available to collaborate with other staff,” Curtis said. 

Mrs. Tilton looks at each student individually and uses different approaches with them all depending on their personal preferences and what they need in order to make their school experience the best it can possibly be.

“Based on her interviews, I felt Ms. Tilton would always do what is right for the student.  She is child centered,” Montanari said.