Owner and Occupational Therapist
I earned my Bachelors of Science degree in Health Science in 2003 and my Master of Occupational Therapy degree in 2004- both from St. Francis University. I have been working as a Pediatric OT since the spring of 2005. I dreamed of working with children for as long as I can remember. During my teenage years, my parents fostered children and one of the little ones in our care had been diagnosed with Spina Bifida. She received weekly Early Intervention Services, including PT and OT. It was at that point in time I realized what my calling was and I have used the gifts given to me to help educate families and promote life skills for young children. It is such a blessing to be able to do what you love every day! I truly enjoy celebrating with families as their children meet goals and achieve milestones.
Kim Troiano
Occupational Therapist
I chose Early Intervention as it gives me the opportunity to help children succeed despite any obstacles that they may be encountering. My journey to OT began when my daughter was born premature and required the aid of an Occupational Therapist. Her OT was wonderful, and the experience convinced me that OT was my calling. I enjoy working with each of my kiddos and their families. They are the reasons that I LOVE being and OT in Early Intervention!
Bridget Williams
Occupational Therapist
Kelly Mallon
Physical Therapist
I earned my Bachelor in Psychology from the Universiy of Pittsburgh in 1992 and Master of Science in Physical Therapy from Beaver College (Arcadia University) in 1994. I have been treating in pediatrics and Early Intervention for 20 years. In 1993, I became a Pediatic Certified Specialist. I enjoy teaching families how to help get their child moving and exploring. The smiles on their faces is the best thank you.
Kate Piper
Physical Therapist
I have a Bachelor degree in Exercise Physiology from Ohio University as well as a Bachelor degree in Nursing from the University of Pittsburgh. I then received my Masters of Science in Physical Therapy in 2001 from Armstrong Atlantic State University. I have always known that I wanted to work with children and have primarily worked in pediatrics since graduating from Physical Therapy school. I have worked in several different settings, but have a true love of Early Intervention and have been involved in Early Intervention for over 10 years. I find such joy working with children and their families, guiding them through the developmental process and seeing children make gains. It is so rewarding when I get to celebrate a milestone like a child taking his or her first step. I am such a strong believer in the positive impact that Early Intervention can have on a family and one of my own children has greatly benefited from Early Intervention, so I have experience not just as a therapist, but as a parent. I feel so fortunate that my “job” is something I truly enjoy doing.
Laurie Albright
Special Instructor
I became interested in Early Intervention eight years ago when I was babysitting a neighbor full time while he was receiving EI services. I saw first-hand what a difference it made in his life and I was inspired to make such a difference in a child’s life. I have been working with children with special needs for the past six years and find it extremely rewarding.
Nancy Lehman
Special Instructor
I decided that I wanted to work in Early Intervention when my own child was receiving services. I was so grateful for the help my son received and the support that I got as a worried and concerned mom. I knew then that I wanted to help children improve their outcomes, and support parents as they learn ways to help their children thrive in their daily lives. I have been working as a developmental specialist for almost 10 years. With a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from IUP and a graduate certificate in Infant Mental Health from Chatham University, I focus on parent/child interactions, play skills and social/emotional development as they relate to cognitive and behavioral milestones of babies and toddlers. I love teaching parents how to find learning opportunities during play. There is no better feeling than watching a child master a skill that they have been working on and sharing that moment with a proud parent.
Lisa Baker
Speech Therapist
I earned my Master of Arts degree in Speech-Language Pathology through Edinboro University in 2003. My clinical fellowship was through a private practice in Erie, where I was also contracted to work in a charter school. Once I was certified through the national board, I worked for a few months in a long-term care facility. Shortly thereafter, my now husband and I moved to Irwin, and I began working at the Children’s Institute. I am still employed there and provide services in both the outpatient and inpatient settings, as well as on the Prader-Willi unit. After I had my daughter, Riley, and my son, Reece – I reduced my status there and worked for two years at a school for students diagnoses with autism. That’s where I met Brianne! While working there, my son started receiving EI services for both OT and nutrition. I realized that the entire team cared about us as a family unit and wanted to see us succeed in meeting our goals. Being a therapist myself, I observed how the interventionists used play and age-appropriate conversation to connect with my son. They valued my input and also taught me how to balance being a therapist with being a parent. The process was a positive one from beginning to end, and I wanted to use that experience as a tool in my profession, as well as in my everyday life. I reconnected with Brianne, and it’s been such a blessing that she welcomed me on board!!
Michelle Csukas
Speech Therapist
I earned my Master in Speech Language Pathology from the University of Pittsburgh in 2004. I began doing Early Intervention in June of 2004 and have loved helping so many children and their families reach their goals along the way! Helping young children and their families is the absolute most rewarding and satisfying career in the world. It is a blessing to work with such amazing therapists and families. I feel so grateful to be a part of this Early Intervention experience.
Kim Smith
Speech Therapist
I have been working as a Speech Language Pathologist for the past 12 years and in Early Intervention specifically for the past 9 years. I have experience working with children with developmental delays, Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome, apraxia of speech, feeding and swallowing, and Autism. I love working with this population because you not only get to work with the child in need of intervention but their family as well. Helping caretakers and siblings work with their child and helping them communicate what they want and need and in some cases their very first words- that is truly priceless!
Amy Wentzel
Speech Therapist
I received my B.S. in Speech Pathology from California University of PA and my M.S. from Indiana University of PA. After 9 years working with a variety of age groups, I chose to focus on the Birth to Three population because I find great satisfaction in helping my clients build a strong language base. It is very rewarding to work with a child and their family and witness their progress. It is priceless watching family members’ faces light up when they hear their child’s first word!
Lisa Williams
Speech Therapist
I have experience with feeding/swallowing problems, Autism Spectrum Disorders, The Picture Exchange Communication System, speech-generating devices, Beckman Oral Motor Approach and a variety of
syndromes. I have also played the role of supervising graduate students in completing their practicums.
After graduating from Clarion University of Pennsylvania, I worked in a private practice treating both children and adults. I have always enjoyed working with children the most, and then worked in the Easter Seals School for 16 years. I found myself working in early intervention initially because it allowed much flexibility in scheduling having three children myself. I found it rewarding to see the huge impact I could make in helping parents and family play the key role in their child’s speech, language and feeding development.
Bridget W.
Occupational Therapist
I have been in EI about 11+ years now. I love EI because I get to go into homes and work with the entire family–the very core and foundation of the child’s life, and I feel blessed to be able to do that. I also enjoy seeing and being a part of all of the amazing and exciting progress that happens at this young age. I don’t feel like EI is just a “job” or a “career” for me, but rather one of my many passions in life. When I came to EI I finally felt like it was exactly where God wanted me to be.
