Carey McKay, OTD, OTR/L, has been an occupational therapist at the ACCESS Early Childhood campus since October 2023. Carey has always had a deep passion for advocating for and helping children with special needs grow. From a young age, she has been actively involved in the special needs community, most recently working as a supervisor at Camp Aldersgate, volunteering for the Down Syndrome Association, teaching tennis lessons, and serving as a member of the UAMS Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities program.
Though Carey enjoys working with individuals of all ages, she is particularly passionate about supporting young children in functional ways that enhance their participation in daily life. She especially enjoys working with children with autism. Carey earned her Doctorate in Occupational Therapy from the University of Central Arkansas in August 2023, completing her doctoral capstone in nature-based therapy and the universal design of outdoor spaces. She is deeply committed to connecting children to nature through purposeful outdoor play.
One of Carey's favorite aspects of working at ACCESS is having the opportunity to design and implement the new outdoor space, as well as using this space to provide occupational therapy services in nature on a daily basis. She also runs a social media account, roOTs Nature-Based OT, where she educates caregivers and therapists about the importance of outdoor play and shares low-prep outdoor activity ideas to promote developmental milestones.
Carey has two dogs and two parakeets. In her free time, she enjoys rock climbing, hiking, playing pickleball, spending time with friends and family, and gardening. She especially loves sunshine and warm days. At ACCESS, you will most likely find Carey and her kids outside playing in the garden!
