Lynda Gallagher
Director of Therapeutic Programs,
Founder of Stepping Stones Therapy Center

Lynda is an occupational therapist with 22 years of experience working with children in public schools and outpatient clinics. She specializes in treating children with diagnoses that include autism, feeding disorders, sensory integration dysfunction, motor and developmental delays, torticollis, and neurological conditions. She holds a degree in Occupational Therapy from Boston University and earned an Advanced Certification in Pediatrics from College Misericordia in 2006. For the past three years Lynda has helped develop a pediatric outpatient clinic at Winchester Hospital. This clinic successfully services over 100 patients and their families per week. She also manages the Occupational Therapy department at Amesbury Public School, evaluates and treats children with special needs ranging in age from three to twenty-one years old. Prior to this, she worked as an occupational therapist for the Lawrence public school system for nine years. Lynda’s professional goal is to create an integrated, multi-disciplinary, community-based center that provides holistic therapy to children and their families.

Kathleen Bartolini, M.A.

Kathleen has been working with children and their families in clinical, therapeutic and educational forums for almost 20 years. She graduated with honors from Hahnemann University Graduate School in Philadelphia with a degree in Mental Health Sciences. At Terry Children’s Psychiatric Center, in Delaware, she worked for many years with children from a wide range of backgrounds and developmental disabilities, in the dual role of registered movement therapist and licensed mental health counselor. Working with a team of mental health professionals and educators, she was responsible for providing treatment as well as assessments of individuals and families for diagnostic and treatment purposes.

Throughout her career Kathleen has been providing professional training for staff of treatment centers, public schools and colleges as well as family skills workshops for parents and caregivers, on such topics as stress management, handling negative behavior, positive discipline and conflict resolution. She has also supervised the training of graduate students for Hahnemann University Creative Arts in Therapy program and Instructor/Advisor trainees for the National Safety Council.

Currently, she is a certified Instructor/Advisor for the National Safety Council, teaching a responsibility based course for both teen and adult repeat traffic offenders. She is also available on an individual basis as a parent advisor. 
A busy mother of two, she enjoys a variety of activities with her family; rock climbing, kayaking, hiking and skiing- pretty much anything that involves being outdoors.

Shelley Michaud

Shelley is an Early Childhood Educator with 15 years teaching experience.  She received her BS in Early Childhood Education from North Adams State College in 1992.  Shelley taught for 5 years at St. Michael School in North Andover and then in the Lawrence Public School System for 10 years.  In Lawrence she taught at the Early Childhood Centers which are for both Integrated Pre-School and Kindergarten programs.  While teaching in the Lawrence Public Schools she received many years of Professional Development and training in Developmental Approaches as well as integrating many students with individualized education plans into her classroom.

Shelley is also a mother of 3 young children, ages 2, 7 and 9.  As a mother she sees how important the need is for open communication between parents and teachers.  She volunteers at her children’s school as well as holding a position on the PTA executive board.

Through Shelley’s experiences as a teacher and a parent she recognizes the need for a place where the “whole child” can learn and grow.  So she is extremely excited about joining the staff at Stepping Stones to be involved in the education of young children!

Cynthia (Cindy) Reppucci

Cynthia (Cindy) Reppucci is a speech pathologist with 26 years of experience working with children ages pre-k to 22 in the public school setting.

Cindy also works privately with developmentally delayed children and adolescents with articulation/fluency/social pragmatics disorders, as well as with stroke victims, adults with swallowing difficulties and the geriatric population.

Cindy holds an MS degree in Communication Disorders from Northeastern University.  She enjoys keeping current information in her field by participating in a variety of continuing education programs.