• Meet the Hillcat Occupational Therapists


    Karen Cota, Stacey Romano, Jill Severino

    Karen Cota, OTA: Karen graduated from River Valley Community College, Summa Cum Laude, with an Associates Degree in Science in the Occupational Therapy Assistant program in May 2014.  She earned her national certificate as an OTA in July 2014. She currently holds licenses in NH, VT, MA and FL. She has worked with pediatrics during her Early Support Services fieldwork and during her School Based fieldwork. She has also worked in Skilled Nursing. Karen continues to pursue educational opportunities to further support her role as a COTA. Along with her knowledge and enthusiasm for Occupational Therapy, she brings experiences as a former school board member for six years and as a mother of three young adult daughters. She enjoys gardening and was the owner of a successful gardening business. 

    Stacey Romano, OTR/L:  Stacey graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a Bachelors of Science in Occupational Therapy.  She is nationally certified and licensed in the state of NH since 2004.  In 2010 she completed the process for certification in Sensory Integration, including Administering and Interpreting the Sensory Integration and Praxis Tests (SIPT). The Certification Program is sponsored by USC/WPS. Her USC/WPS Sensory Integration Certification number is 3518.  She has past experience in skilled nursing, adult in-patient rehabilitation and pediatric outpatient rehabilitation settings.  Outside of work Stacey enjoys reading, tennis, spending time with family & friends and running!  

    Jill M. Severino, OTR/L, ATP : Jill joined Hillsboro-Deering School District in 2001. She is a graduate of Keuka College, NY and brings over fifteen years of experience working as an Occupational Therapist to the school. Her background includes school-based and early intervention settings as well as extensive experience in rehabilitation, acute care, and nursing home settings. She specializes in Sensory Integration Therapy and received her Sensory Integration and Praxis Test certification in 2003. She has extensive training from UNH in the School Version of the Assessment of Motor and Process Skills (School AMPS)- a clinically useful evaluation tool for measuring student's quality of schoolwork task performance in typical classroom settings. She received her certification as an Assistive Technology Professional in March, 2011 which allows for quality intervention of appropriate assistive technology to increase improved outcomes for the students. Jill very much enjoys working for the Hillsboro-Deering School District. Outside of the school, she finds great joy in spending time with her family, playing outdoors with her pets, traveling and reading.