Our 321go Kids Team

Diann Nichols

Physical Therapist Assistant

I am privileged to work with children only a few days old to teenagers with a variety of diagnoses. I love the challenge and variety I see daily.

Share more about your role with 321go Kids. I work with kids on large muscle group activities, bilateral co-ordination and balance skills, strengthening, developmental delays, torticollis and vestibular issues, and many other aspects of childhood development.

Who inspires you in your profession? First of all, Brett Fischer’s passion for unleashing potential in children is contagious. I have learned so much from him during my time at 321go Kids. Second, it is inspiring to watch the entire team work together to make sure each child has the very best experience during each session. My biggest inspiration, however, comes from the kids themselves. I am always amazed at how hard they work to overcome obstacles no matter how big or small. When I see a child who has overcome a mountain of obstacles to be able to do the simple things typical kids do every day, and still have a smile on their face, it really grounds me and reminds me why we do what we do. All the kids I work with are special and each one inspires me to be better than I am.

What is your favorite way to engage with kids? It depends on the age of the child, but mostly I like to be silly with the kiddos I work with. With infants, I like to make noises to engage with them. Singing can also be helpful. With toddlers and preschoolers, I like to say or do silly things which makes the child try to correct me. Such as mixing up colors or getting animal sounds wrong. With older kids I like to try to learn what their interests are and connect with them that way.

Tell us about a challenge that you watched a child overcome. We worked with one little girl who was 3 years old and struggling to be mobile. Her hypersensitivity would not allow her to bend her right knee or even put her knees on the floor, so crawling was a huge struggle. Through a slow process, she was eventually able to crawl independently. She is now walking and able to get around for short to medium distances without her walker or wheelchair. It’s always a blessing to see her walk into the clinic and to see the new things she has accomplished.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work? Spending time with my family is what I enjoy doing most. I typically pick up two of my grandchildren on Thursday evening and keep them all day on Fridays. We like to do fun activities and take adventures together. During the school year, I volunteer at our local MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) during their twice monthly meetings. My husband and I love traveling, bicycling and especially camping. At home, I enjoy scrapbooking, gardening and cooking.

Anything else that you’d like to share? My family has always been my biggest support system. My husband and I have 5 children and 11 grandchildren between us. My husband’s two daughters and their nine children live in Texas, so we don’t get to see them as much as we would like. We are fortunate though that we live near our youngest daughter and her family and are able to spend lots of time with our grandchildren here. Our twin sons are in their senior year of college. We are excited to see what the future holds for them.

The Lord has really blessed me throughout my life and has always provided exactly what I needed (even if it wasn’t what I wanted). I feel that God as led me to be where I am, each kiddo brings new challenges and new rewards, and I am loving every minute of it!