Pediatric practice
Pediatric outpatient, school-based, developmental daycare, and pediatric daycare experience since 2019, including service as a lead therapist.
Meet Dr. Kelsey Adcock, OTD, OTR/L
Professional expertise guided by curiosity, participation, and respect for families.
Dr. Kelsey is the occupational therapist and founder of Novel Heights, where the work centers on Nature-Based Pediatric OT, practical family partnership, and meaningful participation in real life.
The person behind the vision
Families should feel heard, not handed a generic plan.
Dr. Kelsey’s approach begins with careful observation, professional reasoning, and respect for the people who know a child best.
She believes support should help children participate more fully in everyday life while helping parents understand the “why,” identify realistic next steps, and feel included in the process.
Expertise should feel personal, practical, and connected to the life a family is actually living.
Professional foundation
Experience across the places children learn, play, and grow.
Leadership & education
Adjunct faculty, guest-lecture, presentation, and leadership experience grounded in clear teaching and thoughtful clinical reasoning.
Family partnership
Caregiver education and practical strategy-building are woven into her approach so support can connect with home, school, and community life.
Focused study
Continuing education that supports individualized care.
Dr. Kelsey continues advanced study in areas that frequently affect a child’s comfort, confidence, and participation.
Functional vision and visual-motor skills
Certified as a Pediatric Functional Vision Rehabilitation Specialist, with emphasis on visual skills used for learning, movement, and daily activity.
Feeding and family routines
Training includes pediatric mealtime challenges and a Food as Medicine certification, supporting a respectful, developmentally informed view of feeding.
Reflex and sensory-motor development
Advanced continuing education includes MNRI dynamic, postural, archetype, and NeuroTactile approaches, along with ongoing study in primitive reflex integration.
The Foundation of Novel Heights
Adaptive outdoor programming has been part of the vision from the beginning.
Dr. Kelsey’s work with children outdoors began long before Novel Heights existed as a program. In 2019, she stepped into the woods with a vision: to explore how camping, hiking, and nature-based experiences could be made accessible for every person. That vision became her doctoral capstone, Novel Heights: Adaptive Camping and Hiking Programming, created in partnership with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Research and Extension. It was a project rooted in curiosity, compassion, and a belief that meaningful participation outdoors should never be limited by ability.
That same year, she completed Wilderness First Responder training through the National Outdoor Leadership School—an experience that deepened her respect for safe, intentional outdoor practice and strengthened her commitment to helping families feel confident in nature.
In 2022, she brought her ideas to life by developing and leading a pediatric outdoor camp. Watching children explore, climb, problem-solve, and connect with one another in nature affirmed what she had always known: the outdoors is a powerful place for growth.
These experiences continue to shape her vision for Novel Heights today—a vision centered on access, healthy challenge, movement, connection, and meaningful participation outdoors. They are the threads woven through every T.H.R.I.V.E. group, every parent coaching session, and every nature-based OT experience she creates.
Leadership and service
A career grounded in learning and contribution.
Professional recognition
Recipient of Huntington University’s OTD Servant Leadership Award and member of Phi Theta Epsilon Occupational Therapy Honor Society.
Teaching and presentations
Adjunct faculty experience and presentations on adaptive hiking and camping, neurological rehabilitation, and doctoral capstone development.
International service
Pediatric interventions and caregiver education in China, along with seating and mobility service through a wheelchair clinic in Guatemala.
The vision in practice
Helping children feel capable—and helping families feel part of the process.
Learn about Nature-Based OT beginning Fall 2026, explore Online Parent Coaching, or start with a general conversation.