Sawdust Occupational Therapy

03/13/2026

🐝🔨 The Bees Are Back… and So Are the Sawdust OT Carpenter Bee Traps! 🔨🐝

Spring is here, which means carpenter bee season has officially begun! Our apprentices at Sawdust Occupational Therapy are excited to announce the return of our Annual Carpenter Bee Trap Build, and we’ll be accepting orders starting March 16th through April 20th.

Each trap is handcrafted in our workshop by our apprentices, giving them the opportunity to practice real woodworking skills, build confidence, and create something truly useful for the community. These traps are not only effective at protecting your decks, fences, and homes from carpenter bees, they also represent the hard work and craftsmanship of the amazing individuals in our program.

💛 Even better, every purchase directly supports the Able Hands nonprofit, helping provide vocational training, life-skills programs, and social opportunities for teens and adults with special needs. When you purchase a trap, you’re not just solving a bee problem… you’re helping build brighter futures.

📅 Orders Open: March 16
📅 Last Day to Order: April 20

Get ready to protect your wood and support a great cause at the same time!

Stay tuned for ordering details and photos of this year’s builds, our apprentices are already fired up and ready to start creating. 🛠️🐝

03/10/2026

🌿 Sawdust Moms Craft Night – Build & Give Back 🌿

Join us for a fun evening of building your own wooden planter box while enjoying light snacks, great conversation, and fellowship with other Sawdust moms.

This special event is exclusively for Sawdust Moms and their friends, giving us a chance to connect, create, and spend time together outside of the clinic.

Even better, all proceeds from this event will benefit the Able Hands Nonprofit, an organization dedicated to providing vocational training, social programs, and life skills opportunities for teens and adults with special needs. Your participation helps support programs that empower individuals to build independence, develop meaningful skills, and strengthen community connections.

✨ Spots are limited to 15 participants, so be sure to register early to reserve your seat.

🗓 Registration closes April 15.

Please review the available slots below and click the button to sign up and submit payment to secure your spot.

We hope you’ll join us for a wonderful evening of creativity, community, and supporting an incredible cause. 🪴🛠️💛

Join us for a fun-filled evening of crafting your own wooden planter boxes while enjoying light snacks, great conversation, and fellowship. This event is exclusively for Sawdust Moms and their friends.Space is limited to just 15 participants, so be sure to register early to save your spot. Registrat...

03/06/2026

📣 Katie Beckett Waiver Information Session – Hosted by Sawdust OT

We’re excited to offer a Katie Beckett Waiver informational and assistance session for families who want to better understand this important program and how to apply.

This session will cover:
✔️ What the Katie Beckett Waiver is
✔️ How to apply
✔️ Common pitfalls and hurdles families encounter
✔️ Tips to help navigate the approval process

👩‍🏫 The session will be led by Jami Stocks, Application Director of Together We Care, a nonprofit disability agency dedicated to supporting disabled Georgians. Jami brings both professional expertise and personal experience as the mother of three autistic children, helping families access critical resources and services.

📅 Session Dates:
📍 Marietta Location – April 7 | 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM
📍 Roswell Location – April 10 | 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM

This event is open to Sawdust OT families and members of the community.

⚠️ Spots are limited, so please sign up early!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0449ABAA2EA5F5C25-62804773-katie

We look forward to helping more families access the supports they deserve.

02/24/2026

Big smiles and even bigger effort at SawDust OT!

Carrying, organizing, and working with materials like this isn’t just part of the project, it’s part of the therapy. This kind of hands-on work helps build strength, coordination, confidence, and independence, all while having fun in the shop.

We are proud of the hard work, determination, and positive attitude we see every day!

02/17/2026

🏛️ Sawdust OT at Legislative Day – Advocating for Access & Fair Reimbursement

Today we were proud to be at the Georgia Capitol for Legislative Day, advocating alongside colleagues in support of the Georgia Speech-Language-Hearing Association (GSHA).

The focus:
✔️ Necessary coding updates and evaluation standards
✔️ Protecting and improving access to patient care
✔️ Increasing awareness among lawmakers about the real challenges providers and families are facing

These conversations matter. Coding structures and reimbursement policies directly impact whether clinics like ours can continue delivering high-quality, hands-on, community-based services to the families who rely on them. When providers are supported, families are supported.

We are committed not only to serving our apprentices in the clinic, but also to standing up for them at the Capitol. Advocacy is part of our responsibility as healthcare providers and as business owners in Georgia.

Thank you to GSHA and all the professionals who showed up today to ensure our patients’ voices are heard.

02/14/2026

This Valentine’s Day, we’re reminded that what we build at Sawdust isn’t just projects: it’s confidence, independence, friendships, and futures.

From the very first cut of wood to the final coat of paint, our apprentices pour their hearts into everything they create. And just like these hearts in our clinic, every day here is layered with patience, growth, and a whole lot of love.

To our families, thank you for trusting us with your children.
To our staff, thank you for leading with heart.
To our apprentices, you are the reason we do what we do.

Happy Valentine’s Day from all of us at Sawdust OT. ❤️🛠️

02/03/2026

Attention Sawdust OT Families: Here is the latest update to Katie Beckett Issue in Georgia.

Please read and if you have any questions please email or reach out to Ben or James regarding verification and status updates and we will do our best to help you in anyway we can.

Over the weekend, an IT issue has caused certain Katie Beckett cases to be flagged incorrectly during a routine update

02/02/2026

⚠️ Important Medicaid Update for Families ⚠️

We want to make our Sawdust OT families aware of a statewide Medicaid issue that is currently impacting many households across Georgia.

During our routine monthly insurance verifications, we have identified that a number of Medicaid plans are showing as inactive. This is not due to any action or error on Sawdust Occupational Therapy’s end, but appears to be related to Medicaid renewal or eligibility redetermination processes.

At this time, approximately 100,000 individuals in Georgia have been removed from Medicaid, often without families realizing action was required.

👉 We are actively contacting affected families directly to discuss next steps and how this may impact scheduled appointments.

If your child is enrolled in Medicaid, we strongly encourage you to:
• Check your Medicaid status
• Contact Georgia Medicaid promptly if coverage shows inactive
• Respond to any communication from our office as soon as possible

In some cases, Medicaid may reinstate coverage and backdate it—but this is not guaranteed and is determined solely by Medicaid.

Our goal is to ensure continuity of care while navigating this unexpected statewide issue, and we appreciate your prompt attention and cooperation as we work through this together.

If you have questions or concerns, please reach out to our office directly. We’re here to help. 💙

02/02/2026

The Clinical Value of Woodworking in Occupational Therapy

At Sawdust OT, woodworking is not simply a leisure activity, it is a meaningful, evidence-informed therapeutic intervention used to support functional performance and skill development.

Creative activities used in occupational therapy engage both cognitive and physical systems, promote participation in meaningful occupations, and support the development of transferable life skills. Research identifies key characteristics of creative activities as intervention, including engagement of mind and body, personal meaning, a structured creative process, adaptability, and skill development that enhances occupational performance (Hansen et al., 2020).

Woodworking-based interventions may address:
• Fine and gross motor coordination
• Bilateral integration and sequencing
• Executive functioning and problem-solving
• Sustained attention and task completion
• Emotional regulation and self-efficacy

Each phase of a woodworking project—from planning and measuring to assembling and finishing—targets skills that translate into daily activities. The tangible outcome further supports motivation, confidence, and a sense of purpose.

At Sawdust OT, we integrate woodworking into goal-directed therapy to promote meaningful engagement and functional outcomes.

To learn more about our programs,
Please contact us at 470-550-1166
Email intake@sawdustot.com

References:
Hansen, B. W., Erlandsson, L. K., & Leufstadius, C. (2020). A concept analysis of creative activities as intervention in occupational therapy. Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 28(1), 63–77. https://doi.org/10.1080/11038128.2020.1775884

01/26/2026

Due to the winter weather and advisories, Sawdust OT will be CLOSED on Monday, January 26, 2026 to keep our apprentices, families, and staff safe and cozy.

While we love sawdust, tools, and projects… we don’t love icy roads 🧊🚗. Take the day to stay warm, sip some hot cocoa, build something fun at home, and maybe practice a few life skills like cooking, organizing, or creative problem-solving!

We’ll be back in the shop soon and ready to build, create, and get back to work. Stay safe out there and enjoy your snow day! ☃️🪵

The Sawdust OT Team

01/23/2026

🏠 Did you know our Marietta location has a fully functional apartment dedicated to life skills training?

Through our H.A.B.I.T. Program, apprentices build real-world independence by practicing everyday skills that matter. From Cooking, cleaning, laundry, hosting friends, and so much more! These hands-on experiences help support meaningful transitions and empower our apprentices to live life to the fullest.

Today’s lesson? 🍕 Homemade pizza from scratch and a cup of very much-needed coffee ☕😂—because life skills should be practical and fun.

Interested in learning more about our life skills program or seeing the apartment in action?

Reach out to schedule a tour today! SawdustOT@gmail.com

VocationalTherapy OccupationalTherapy SpecialNeedsSupport BuildingIndependence RealWorldSkills MariettaGA GeorgiaOT

12/30/2025

Now Enrolling for 2026: New Apprentices Welcome!

Sawdust Occupational Therapy is excited to announce that we are now accepting new apprentices for 2026 at both our Roswell and Marietta locations!

We offer hands-on, purpose-driven programming in Occupational Therapy and Speech Therapy, designed to build confidence, independence, and real-world skills through meaningful work and creativity.

🛠️ What’s New for 2026?
• Expanded Life Skills Programming
• NEW Cooking & Kitchen Skills Courses
• Continued hands-on learning through woodworking, small engine repair, mechanics, technology, and creative trades
• Supportive, community-based environment focused on independence and growth

Whether your son/daughter is working toward employment, independence, or stronger communication and social skills, Sawdust OT provides a unique, engaging path forward.

📍 Locations: Roswell & Marietta
📅 Limited openings available for 2026
📩 SawdustOT@gmail.com