Michelle Hagenbaugh, MS, OTR/L, CHT

Michelle Hagenbaugh, OTR/L, CHT, is an Occupational Therapist and Certified Hand Therapist (CHT).  She completed her undergraduate degrees at Miami University of Ohio in Special Education and her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy at Philadelphia University (now known as Thomas Jefferson University). She has worked in the pediatric outpatient setting at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) for over sixteen years, specializing in treatment and orthosis fabrication for the pediatric hand and upper extremity population, orthopedic conditions including nerve and tendon injuries, brachial plexus injuries, connective tissue disorders, feeding, and aquatic therapy.  She is involved in program development for pediatric hand therapy at CHOP including development of protocols and mentorship to promote evidenced based practice that is consistent across sites and focused on the pediatric population.  She has presented multiple times at the National Down Syndrome Congress Annual Conference on the benefits of aquatic therapy groups for children with Trisomy 21. She has also completed community education to pediatricians to help promote appropriate referrals of patients presenting with connective tissue disorders to occupational and physical therapy.