Healing for Special Needs
Mission: To provide individuals and families with special needs an integrated approach to wellness for the entire families' needs -- body, mind, and spirit. It is through alternative options such as yoga and reflexology and more formal options such as tutoring and after-school groups that this is accomplished.
Philosophy: It has been our experience that many children with disabilities are not included in regular after-school programming and their parents struggle to find appropriate resources and advocacy for their children. In order for these children to become productive members of society, it is our belief that they must be given the groundwork for success as their same-age peers. The parents must also feel supported and less isolated so that they have more confidence in providing for their child's unique needs. We have developed an "alternative" and interdisciplinary approach to care of families with special needs.
Founder: Karen M. Keptner has been an occupational therapist
(OT) for eight years in various settings including hospital, out-patient
rehab, school system, and home health care. She has always had an
interest in overall health and wellness to help her clients become
better equipped to handle their life roles and enjoy a better quality of
life. Since becoming an OT she has explored many "alternative"
approaches to helping her clients, including yoga, reflexology,
and accupressure. She graduated from Cleveland State University with
a B.S. in occupational therapy, acquired an M.S. in Health Sciences,
and maintains current licensure and registration as an OT. She is
also certified to teach Yoga for the Special Child and is a certified
Reflexologist from the Connecticut Center for Universal Reflexology.
Sue Klein has been an intervention specialist for eight years in the Cleveland Municipal School District. She is state cerfitied to teach Preschool, Elementary K-8, mild/moderate special needs K-12, and moderate/intensive special needs K-12. Her passion has been a focus on children with autism but she has experience in respite, mental health, Head Start, and adults with special needs. She has been tutoring students with special needs for over four years with great success. She has B.A.s in Psychology, Elementary and Special Education, M.Ed. in Curriculum and Development, and Ph.D. in Education with Specialization in Teaching and Learning. Her dissertation focus was on best practices to promote the self-esteem and resiliency in children with autism. She is currently a candidate for the National Board Teaching Certification in the area of Exceptional Needs.
