We are B.U.I.L.D
Build. Understand. Inspire. Learn. Develop.
We are dedicated to helping children reach their highest potential through evidence-based occupational therapy intervention.
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It is our mission to understand and unlock each child's potential while creating a playful, engaging, and positive environment that fosters growth, confidence, and happy childhoods.
Our Story
Meet the dynamic minds behind BUILD! Their passion for pediatric occupational therapy and personal experiences as parents inspired them to create a platform that equips parents with tools and confidence to nurture their child's development through play.
BUILD began as a dream intertwined with family. After a decade of nurturing children in hospital and school settings, Stephanie found herself at a crossroads, craving a healthier balance between motherhood and her passion for working with kids. With a flourishing side hustle of private clients, she realized the potential: why not turn this into her full-time job? Why not share her expertise with families across the city that's always been home? Alas, BUILD was born. With unwavering support from her husband and loved ones, Stephanie embarked on a journey to bring her vision to life. Enter Brianne, whose experience in the school setting, coupled with her desire to spend more time with her preemie son, ignited a newfound focus on occupational needs. Their collaboration felt like fate, and together, they set out to make BUILD a reality.
Meet Our Therapists
Stephanie Elwell, OTR-L
Founder
My name is Stephanie & I am the founder of BUILD! I am a licensed pediatric occupational therapist and have been for 10 years. I am married and have three little kids, a girl and two boys, who I love and adore so very much! I have always loved working with children; they bring so much joy, energy, laughter, and pure happiness to my life. When I became a new mom 5 years ago, I couldn't wait to intertwine the knowledge I gained as an OT into motherhood. After having my second child, life became a little more chaotic & time became limited, but engaging both of my children with activities that were age appropriate was still very important to me. It was about that time I started dreaming about how I could help other children and parents BUILD their knowledge, skills, and confidence with fun, informative, and developmentally appropriate activities while strengthening that parent/child connection through play.
Brianne Dexter, OTR-L
Co-Founder
Hi, I’m Brianne, the other half of BUILD! I have been working as a pediatric occupational therapist with Stephanie ever since I graduated with my masters degree. When my son was born at 29 weeks, I very quickly found my roles as a mom and an OT intertwining in hopes of setting him up to reach his highest potential. I kept returning to resources from OT school and searching through research articles each time I wondered what I could be doing to best support him. Which got me thinking, what do parents who don’t have those resources do?! There are so many gaps in the support parents receive as they fight to promote their child's development, and that’s where BUILD comes in. We truly believe every parent deserves to be confident in their ability to support their child, and that every child deserves a meaningful childhood.