Vicki Olson, OTA
Vicki graduated from Anoka in 1969. Her interest in OT began in 1967 when she worked as an OT aide at St. John’s Hospital. She then moved to Missouri where she worked at the Rehab Institute with a primary focus working with adults. Vicki returned to the University of Minnesota in Peds Rehab and found making adaptive equipment and splints was very rewarding. In 1976, Vicki started employment with the St. Paul Public Schools where she continues to work in five different schools ranging from kindergarten through high school. Vicki also has worked at Special Children Center since 1989. Vicki’s outside interests include gardening, cooking, reading, and spending time with her 3 grandchildren.
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Terry Strodthoff, OTA
Terry worked for 10 years in schools in northern Wisconsin through CESA 12 before starting at Special Children Center in July 2003. Terry thoroughly enjoys every child she has the privilege of working with, but seems to have a special connection with children with autism. She also likes working the Interactive Metronome program and believes it really makes a huge difference in coordination and timing.
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Margaret Van Eeckhout, OTR
Margaret graduated from the University of North Dakota with a BS in Occupational Therapy. Her experience includes providing clinical management, supervision, and direct client care for programs serving hospital-based inpatient and outpatient programs and corrections. These programs served adults, pediatrics, long-term care, and school-based programs. Margaret started with Special Children Center in September 2006. Her previous training includes: cranio sacral therapy, critical incident debrief, protocol training in chemical dependency and mental health issues and Wilbarger Deep Pressure Protocol. Margaret’s special interests are in autism, sensory integration, and long-term care.
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Cari Williamson, OTR
Cari graduated from the College of St. Catherine in June 1988. Her first work experience was in a large rehabilitation hospital in South Carolina. Cari set-up rehab clinics in smaller facilities in Seneca, South Carolina and Stillwater, Minnesota. Cari worked with children and adults in Appleton and Madison, Wisconsin for 5 years where she saw clients in their homes, schools, hospitals, and nursing homes. Cari spent 6 years as a stay-at-home mom with 3 children before returning to the OT field within the St. Croix County Birth to 3 program. Cari started with Special Children Center in November 2006. Cari has had training in myofacial release through John F Barnes & Feldenkrais training. She is excited about her involvement with the TheraSuit and Universal Exercise unit because of the excellent changes children are making.
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Physical Therapy Staff
Kathleen (Kiki) Dickinson, PT
Kiki received her Masters in Physical Therapy from the College of St. Catherine in 1995. She started working at Special Children Center in 1995. She has worked with children of all ages and many diagnoses. Kiki works with the county’s Birth-to-Three Program as well as in the school system with Early Childhood. She has been using kinesiotape since 1999 with great success and often assists with trainings in Pediatric Kinesiotaping with Deanna Wanzek, PT. Kiki is certified in the Universal Exercise Unit/TheraSuit Method, cranial sacral and has attended a number of courses relating to motor development, atypical development, sensory processing and oral motor. Kiki teaches Introductory Concepts in Pediatric Physical Therapy as an adjunct professor for the PTA program at the College of St. Catherine. She also works on-call at the University of Minnesota Hospital with acute patients, both children and adults.
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Jill Gruber Downing, PT
Jill holds a Bachelor of Science degree from St. Cloud State University and a BS in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation from the University of Minnesota. Prior to starting at Special Children Center in September 2001, Jill worked at the Bay Area Medical Center in Marinette, Wisconsin, where she provided Birth to Three services through a contract with Marinette County, Wisconsin, and Menominee County, Michigan. She also worked in an Early Childhood preschool environment in Menominee County. Jill has special training in NDT for pediatrics populations and cranio sacral. She is also a certified spencer pilates instructor.
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Ed Leitze, PTA
Ed started working at Special Children Center the summer of 1990 after graduating from the College of St. Catherine’s Physical Therapist Assistant program. Ed’s areas of expertise include hydrotherapy, cranial sacral therapy, kinesiotaping, and use of respiration techniques.
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Speech and Language Pathology Staff
Katherine Chamberlain, CCC-SLP
Katie went to undergraduate and graduate school at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. She graduated from graduate school in 2003 and came to work at Special Children Center. Katie has professional experience with children with motor speech disorders, cleft palate, apraxia, language disorders and autism among other speech and language disorders. She enjoys working at Special Children Center as the environment and resources available make it an ideal setting to help children reach their full potential. She has led feeding and social groups at Special Children Center.
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Amanda Bell, CCC-SLP
Amanda Bell received her Bachelor's degree in Communication Disorders from Western Illinois University in 1999 and her Master's degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Northern Colorado in 2001. Amanda has worked in public school settings providing services to children and adolescents. Amanda has also worked with children and adolescents in a residential treatment center. Amanda has worked as a part of multidisciplinary teams to assess augmentative and alternative communication needs. Amanda's professional experiences include augmentative communication, autism spectrum disorders, apraxia, articulation disorders, cleft palate, stuttering, and language disorders.
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Jeanne Pratt, CCC-SLP
Jeanne graduated from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls in 1989 with a Master of Science degree in teaching-communication disorders. Jeanne’s experience includes working in a day treatment center for developmental delayed adults and children, nursing homes, mental health facility, group homes, work site for developmentally delayed adults, and pediatric clinics. She started at Special Children Center in May 2001. Jeanne’s special interest is in articulation.
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