Program Coordinator & Early Childhood Special Education Teacher

Experience/Field of Interest:
Jessica is a highly experienced Early Childhood Educator with a career spanning over 20 years.  She has had comprehensive training in all areas of child development and has a profound understanding of Early Childhood Special Education.

Personal Information:
Jessica has lived in Douglas County more than 20 years and enjoys its proximity to a larger city.  She likes being active and prefers the outdoors where she can bike or walk her dog.

Occupational Therapist

Experience/Field of Interest:
Aña has worked in early intervention for over 15 years, with experience in a clinical and hospital setting as well.  She has extensive training in vision and feeding and is a Certified Lactation Counselor.  Aña has completed the Learn Play Thrive Approach to Autism course and uses neurodiversity-affirming practices.

Personal Information:
Aña moved to Lawrence to attend KU and ended up loving it so much she never left.  She spends her free time working out, crafting, and shuttling her kids around to various activites

Speech-Language Pathology

Experience/Field of Interest:

Personal Information:
Kristin lives with her husband and three young sons in Lawrence with their dog. They enjoy traveling, eating out, riding bikes, and running.

Early Childhood Special Education Teacher

Experience/Field of Interest:
Bre received her Master's of Science in Early Childhood Unified from the University of Kansas.  Bre has worked in early intervention for over 5 years, and worked in the early childhood field for over 15 years experience as a classroom teacher.  Bre has a broad range of knowledge in autism, sensory regulation, and behavior managment.  Bre also serves on the board of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library and the Children's Learning Center.  Bre is very passionate about early intervention and advocating for the families of young children.

Personal Information:
Bre moved to Lawrence in 2006 to attend college - and she never left! She loves living in Lawrence with her family and two dogs. She enjoys reading, running, traveling, watching Netflix, and spending time with her family.

Board-Certified Specialist in Pediatric Physical Therapy

Jade (she/her) has worked for Infant/Toddler Services of Douglas County since 2015.  Prior to that she worked in NICU, pediatric inpatient hospital, and pediatric outpatient clinic settings in Illinois and Nebraska, where she also served as resident faculty for the Creighton University Physical Therapy program.  She also completed additional credentialing to become Board-Certified in Pediatric Physical Therapy.  She enjoys the opportunities she gets to work with and learn from families from a variety of backgrounds. She is passionate about increasing the participation of children in their daily routines and about empowering parents and caregivers to support and advocate for their children.

Outside of work, Jade serves on the leadership team of the Dolly Parton's Imagination Library of Douglas County.  She enjoys reading, gardening, thrifting, and cheering on the Kansas City Current.  She is also the proud aunt to 13 nieces and nephews.

Speech/Language Pathologist

Experience:

Ruth has worked in early childhood intervention for over 15 years, helping support children and their families with developmental needs.  She is licensed to practice in the state of Kansas and holds a certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech Pathology.  Ruth has experience working in clinical and hospital settings and has supported children of all ages from birth to 21.  Ruth enjoys collaborating with families to problem solve and assist them in navigating through their child's developmental needs.

OTD, OTR/L

Experience:

Eleanor began her career in early intervention shortly after receiving her Doctorate of Occupational Therapy from the Universiy of Kansas Medical Center.  She has experience in the neonatal intensive care unit as well as pediatric outpatient therapy clinics.  Eleanor has a passion for working with medically complex infants and toddlers, and has training in feeding and motor interventions

Eleanor lives with her husband and crazy rescue pup.  She loves spontaneous weekend road trips, running, and doing house projects on their fixer-upper.

Early Childhood Education Teacher

Experience: 

Christine (she/her) has over 10 years experience in the field of early childhood education serving children and families in a variety of service models and settings.  Her interests include infant/toddler mental health, positive behavioral supports, and holistic service provision for families and children from under-resources communities.

Administrative Assistant and Intake Coordinator

Experience:

Annie was a teacher and paraprofessional in early childhood education for over 15 years in both public and private care settings.  She attended the University of Kansas for Early Childhood Education with a minor in American Sign Language.  With her extensive experience in special education, she also understands what it means to advocate for her own children who have special needs.  She believes while empowering yourself, you will empower others.  She now welcomes families into our program with a friendly smile and calm understanding.  Annie enjoys reading, walking her labs and working on her side hustle, Octopus Bakery, in her spare time.