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.
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Lori Duran
Wellness and Community Outreach Director,
Co-Founder of Stepping Stones Therapy Center
Lori Duran holds a Master of Arts degree in Athletic Administration / Wellness Management from Ball State University. After obtaining her MA, she was the Director of Wellness and Head Women’s Soccer Coach at North Adams State College, where she organized and facilitated a variety of community-based wellness programs. Lori later taught physical education and coached intercollegiate teams for Cornell University, Springfield College and Bentley College. Because of her intercollegiate coaching and teaching positions, Lori has an enormous amount of experience in teaching community-based programming. As her family grew, Lori decided to step out of the intercollegiate environment and focus her energies on her children’s activities. Currently, she is the Director of Education for Woburn Youth Soccer. Lori is a certified USA Gymnastics KAT and MELP (Kinder Accreditation and Movement Education & Lesson Plan) instructor and currently coaches children under 10 years old. She also holds a Level 1 Radiant Child Yoga certification. Lori’s professional goal is to create a community-based, family friendly, wellness center that educates the “whole” person, from infant to adult, reinforcing the mind/body connection.
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Lynn Queenan
Behavioral Counselor
Lynn has a B.S. degree in psychology and sociology from Salem State College. She worked at Boys and Girl’s Mental Health facilities in California, as well as two different child psychiatric hospitals in the northeast. She also supervised an adult E.D.M.R. group house, and has also worked in other agencies for this population from Salem to Amesbury. Lynn currently works for the special education department in Amesbury. She ran a tactic team that coordinated the state educational guidelines to research and implement “creativity, skills, and knowledge” which was presented to the school committee and then adopted by the school. Having taken many courses in art education, she incorporates a therapeutic art component to her work with students. Lynn also has worked in after-school programs and enjoys working in the creative realm with children.
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Dee Vachon
Special Education Teacher
Dee holds two Master degrees from Lesley University in Cambridge with an emphasis in reading and writing. She also holds certifications in early childhood education and special education from Salem State College. Dee has been a special education teacher in Amesbury for the past 16 years. In her first six years in education she worked with intensive special needs students with autism and pervasive developmental disorder. For the past ten years she has been a lead teacher for a social / emotional and behavioral program. In addition to being a lead teacher, for the past two years she has been splitting her time as building coordinator for over 500 students and 80 staff. She coordinates 504 plans, develops behavioral intervention plans, coordinates individualized educational plans, conducts functional behavioral assessments and evaluates teachers and paraprofessionals. She was one of three staff members who trained all teachers in her building to use a violence prevention curriculum called Second Steps. She runs 16 weeks social skills group for students in kindergarten through fourth grade. Dee is also trained in Nonviolent Crisis Intervention (CPI) in order to provide for the safety of an individual in crisis.
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Susanne Murphy
MS, CCC-SLP
Susanne is a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) with 10 years experience working as a direct service provider for children with a wide range of disabilities. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Bridgewater State College and then continued on to receive her Master of Science degree from the University of Vermont. While in graduate school, Susanne received specialized training in the field of augmentative communication. She was part of a grant offering augmentative communication assessment throughout the state of Vermont. It was during this time that she developed her love of working with children with significant communication impairments. Over the past 10 years, Susanne has worked as an SLP in the public school setting, collaborative schools, private clinics and as an augmentative communication consultant. She has vast experience working with children diagnosed with a wide variety of communication disabilities including Autism, PDD, Cerebral Palsy, Down syndrome and other developmental disabilities. Susanne is certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). She is licensed to practice in the states of Massachusetts and New Hampshire and she has her teaching certification through the Department of Education in Massachusetts.
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Lauren Murphy
Intensive Special Needs Teacher
Lauren is a certified teacher of children with intensive special needs. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Bridgewater State College and her Master of Education from Fitchburg State College. Lauren has over 9 years experience working primarily with preschool children on the Autism/PDD spectrum. She has worked in both the collaborative and public school settings. Lauren is a dynamic teacher in the field of special education and highly respected by colleagues and experts in the field of Autism. Depending on the learning style of the child, Lauren’s teaching style incorporates principles of Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA), Floor Time or she effortlessly integrates principles from both therapeutic models in order to best meet the needs of the children she teaches. Children and parents are drawn to Lauren’s high energy and charismatic personality.
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Melissa Ward
M.S. CF/SLP
Melissa earned her bachelor of Science degree in communication disorders from Worcester State college in 2001. She worked as a speech-language therapy assistant with children in grades pre-k through fifth in the Lawrence Public school system for a number of years before returning to graduate school. She received her Masters degree from WSC in Speech-language Pathology in 2007. She is also employed by Tyngsborough Public Schools. In addition to the years she worked as a therapy assistant, Melissa has worked as a developmental specialist for Thom Anne Sullivan Early Intervention Center. Through these experiences, Melissa has gained much knowledge in working with children with a wide variety of communication disorders. She has worked with a number of children on the Autism spectrum as well. Melissa is completing her requirements for certification by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). She also has her teaching certification through the Department of Education in Massachusetts.
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Diana Gintner
School Psychologist/Clinical Social Worker
Diana has diverse experiences in school psychology, social work, education, human services practice, psychosocial evaluations, group work, teaching and counseling. She presently works as a School Psychologist/Special Educator in the Amesbury Public School system where she administers and interprets psycho-educational assessments and provides treatment planning, education, and recommendations to parents and teachers. She develops individual student goals, provides classroom modifications and /or behavior plans, conducts social skills groups, and counsels individual students. She simultaneously works as Psychiatric Crisis Clinician on the Lexington Crisis Team. Diana provides crisis counseling, psychological evaluations, and urgent care planning to individuals who are in psychiatric crisis. She also coordinates community-based placements with hospitals, mental health agencies, residential facilities and alternative school programs. Diana is presenting working on her Doctorate Degree in Psychology. She earned a Masters Degree in Social Welfare/Psychology from Salem State College, a Masters Degree in Social Education and Counseling from Boston University, and earned a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study School Psychology.
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Lynne Moulton
LICSW and Professional Actress
Lynne Moulton is an actor and acting teacher, who has over 20 years' of theatrical experience. She has taught acting privately and is the resident acting coach at the Salem Witch Dungeon Museum. Her acting credits include Rosalind in 'As You Like it' and Queen Elizabeth in Richard III at the Vanburgh Theatre in London. She was critically-acclaimed for her performance as Paulina Salas in 'Death and the Maiden' for the REC Theatre at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. She won the Maine State Theatre Best Actress award in 1990 for per portrayal of Blanche DuBois in Streetcar Named Desire and she was nominated for the Independent Reviewers of New England Award for her performance as Martha in 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? She is artistic director of Delvena Theatre Company for which she has designed and performed shows based on the lives of Eugene O'Neill, Tennessee Williams, Louisa May Alcott, Lizzie Borden, Margaret Rutherford and Ma Moulton (Her grandmother). Lynne also works counseling children and adults with developmental disabilities at the Edinburg Center in Lexington. She received her professional acting training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London under the direction of Sir Robert Palmer and at Trinity Rep Conservatory in Providence, RI. She also is a Registered Nurse and has a Master's in Social Work from Boston University.
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Joanna Ostrander
Music Therapist
Joanna received her Master of Music in Music Therapy degree from Colorado State University and completed training in Neurologic Music Therapy at the Center for Biomedical Research in Music. During her internship with the Boston Institute for Arts Therapy, now the Arts Therapy department of the Whittier Street Health Center, Joanna planned and led Music Therapy groups as well as individual sessions with children and adults in schools, after-school programs, and mental health facilities. Joanna has worked with several different populations, including children with Autism and Autism Spectrum disorders, children and adults with special needs and mental health disorders, children and adults with physical difficulties, and adults with dementia. Since her internship, Joanna has been leading Music Therapy groups for children with Autism in collaboration with the Whittier Street Health Center Arts Therapy Department and the Autism Resource Centers in the Greater Boston Area, and as a Mental Health counselor for adults at Wild Acre Inns, where she fills in on a relief basis and leads music therapy groups for adults. Joanna enjoys tailoring each music therapy session to the needs of the individual participants, and based on several goal areas including Social Skills, Emotional Expression, Motor Control and Coordination, Cognitive and Executive Functioning, Attention Control, Sensory Integration, and Language and Verbal Skills.
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Tammie Heartquist
MEd., CAGS
Tammie obtained her BS in Psychology in 1992 from North Adams State College. She earned her MEd. in the School Psychology program from UMASS Boston in 1997 and subsequently completed a 1 year, full time internship in the Wellesley Public Schools, working with students from K-12. She then earned her CAGS from UMASS Boston in 1998. Tammie practiced as an elementary school psychologist from 1998-2003, working first in the Avon Public Schools, then in the Plymouth Public Schools. In both school systems, Tammie served not only as school psychologist, but also as Team Leader and Chairperson. She was responsible for conducting psychological evaluations, counseling children (individually and in groups), scheduling and chairing team meetings, assisting in behavior management, and consulting (with parents, school staff and outside agencies). In addition, she taught social skills lessons in the classroom, served on the pre-referral and crisis teams, trained school staff to use a violence prevention curriculum called Second Step, and trained school administrators and teachers to use crisis prevention techniques using the Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI) program. Tammie is currently taking time off from her school psychology profession to stay home with her two young children.
Some of Tammie’s previous related work experiences include supervisor and official for an intramural college sports program at NASC, tutor for middle school students in an alternative school for behaviorally challenged children, case manager in a work training program for adults with autism, MR and a variety of other DSM disorders, and residential/community supervisor for women with traumatic brain injuries.
Through Tammie’s experiences as a school psychologist, she recognizes the need for students to receive guidance and coaching in the areas of homework and studying, and so she is extremely excited to be given the opportunity to work with students in these areas at Stepping Stones, and to once again be involved in the education of children!
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Robert Stier
Ph.D.
Dr. Stier
holds his doctorate in Clinical-Child Psychology from Ohio State University. He maintained a successful private practice for the treatment of children and adults over twenty-five years, developed effective, hospital-based clinical programs and taught clinical psychology courses at the university level.
Dr. Stier is currently engaged in practice as Special Education Consultant and Advocate working collaboratively with schools and the parents of children who have educational disabilities requiring specialized intervention.
In addition, Dr. Stier works with an interdisciplinary team of professionals at Stepping Stones who are providing training for parents and their children around the critically important tasks required for successful study skills and homework management. |
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