Occupational Therapists

 
north liberty occupational therapist teresa grueter

Teresa Grueter, OTR/L, OTD

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST/ FEEDING SPECIALIST/ CEO

Teresa is the owner and founder of Sensory Kid Iowa and an occupational therapist with over 20 years of experience. She is the captain of the ship, boss lady, CEO, and overall fun person to hang out with. 

Her favorite “F” word is flexibility and that’s not just for the kids. Teresa puts flexibility into action with her positive attitude and ability to go with the flow.

Simply put, Teresa wants kids to do better in the areas where they struggle so their self-esteem and confidence can soar. Not only that, she helps them to feel comfortable when adjusting to things that initially feel difficult. 

  • A Southern Illinois native, Teresa and her family own cattle and a farm in Illinois.  A mom of 3, wife, cancer survivor; the beach is her favorite place. She loves all things Disney and whenever time allows, she makes her way south to Texas to visit friends & family.  

    • Mentoring other therapists

    • Empowering parents

    • Fostering community connections

    • Sensory processing disorders

    • Autism Spectrum Disorders

    • ADHD 

    • Difficulties with self-regulation

    • Sensory Integration therapy

    • Bachelor of Science from Illinois College (1998)  

    • Midwestern University, Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (2000) 

    • Sensory Integration Praxis Testing(SIPT) certified (2008)                

    • Interactive Metronome

    • Therapeutic Listening

    • Yoga for Mindfulness

    • Mary Benbow Developmental Hand Program

    • Floortime/DIR approach

    • S.O.S. Approach to Feeding

    • STAR SPD Intensive training

    • Kelly Mahler The Interoception Curriculum:

    • The Zones of Regulation

    • SAS (Secret Agent Society) social skills provider

    • Ayers Sensory Integration

    • Autism Microcredential

    • 4Cs Community Coordinated Child Care, Iowa City, IA

    • Foundation 2 Youth and Family Services, Cedar Rapids, IA

    • Access for Special Kids – ASK Resource Center, Johnston, IA

    • Purple Bloom School, Coralville, IA

    • Indian Hills Community College, Ottumwa, IA

    • Combining experience, training, and personal touch, Teresa was recognized by the “The Autism Society of Middle Tennessee” in 2004 for the positive impact she offered in the lives of children on the spectrum.

Kathy Barnhart, COTA/L

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY ASSISTANT/CLINIC DIRECTOR

Kathy is instrumental in providing top-tier care for your family at Sensory Kids. Her extensive experience enhances her capacity to develop the unique talents and abilities of each child. Kathy excels not only as a therapist but also utilizes her managerial skills to ensure that the operations behind the scenes function flawlessly.

  • Dogs hold a special place in Kathy's heart. Specifically, Dachshunds. Her fur baby Hank is the best!

    • Mentoring other therapists

    • Empowering parents

    • Fostering community connections

    • Sensory processing disorders

    • Autism Spectrum Disorders

    • ADHD 

    • Difficulties with self-regulation

    • Associate of Applied Science in Occupational Therapy Assistant from Kirkwood University

    • Experience with The Listening Program

    • Handwriting without Tears

In her occupational therapy and management career, Kathy has engaged with a wide variety of clients and locations. She refers to Sensory Kids as "home" due to the positive and significant impact we create, truly making a difference in the lives of the families we support.

Tess Mayer, OTR/L

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST

Tess has always had a passion for sensory processing and play based therapy having first-hand experience with Autism. She loves experiencing the joy, fun, and progress an environment like Sensory Kids provides!

No challenge or obstacle is too great for Tess in her work with children from any background or age.

Her expertise in various areas, including sensory integration and feeding, enables her to collaborate with families in navigating a wide range of situations.

  • I was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska and grew up camping and hiking. I grew up playing a variety of instruments, but the drums were my favorite. My hobbies now include, making sourdough bread, crocheting, and reading.

    • Play-Based Therapy

    • Social Emotional Learning

    • Sensory Processing Disorders 

    • Interoception Curriculum 

    • ADHD

    • Autism Spectrum Disorders

  • Tess received a Bachelor of Science in Psychology at Oregon State University and a Master of Occupational Therapy from University of Southern California.

    • SOS approach to feeding

    • USC Sensory Integration Certification

    • Astronaut Training

    • Primitive Reflex Integration

  • I am a mom of 3 neurodivergent boys with my youngest having his own “medical miracle” story. I also rescue and grow orchids!

    • Mind-body integration

    • The art and science of self-regulation

    • Sensory processing and its impact on ideation, motor planning, and praxis

    • Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from San Francisco State University

    • Masters Degree in Occupational Science/Occupational Therapy from St. Catherine University

Traci knows first-hand the advocacy, education, and acceptance that empowers individuals and families to thrive.

  • I have two dogs, Georgia and Winnie, who keep me busy with endless games of fetch and the occasional stick hunt. I love coffee, houseplants, and listening to live music. Growing up, I was always mixing up chalk paint to cover the neighborhood sidewalks and driveways with art, or playing freeze tag at the park.

    • Autism Spectrum Disorder

    • Sensory Processing Disorders

    • Sensory Integration Therapy

    • Horticulture Interventions

    • Animal Assisted Interventions

    • Social Emotional Learning

    • Bachelors Degree in Psychology with minor in Biology from St. Ambrose University

    • Doctorate of Occupational Therapy from St. Ambrose University

Faith Evans, COTA/L

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY ASSISTANT

The values of Sensory Kids, which include "teamwork, positivity, and excellence," are among the many reasons why Faith is an exceptional part of our occupational therapy team.

Faith's experience with children across various age groups steered her towards a career in pediatric occupational therapy. Her eagerness to expand her knowledge is evident in her pursuit of certifications and ongoing education in domains such as social-emotional learning and sensory integration, among others.

  • Faith is our resident coffee fanatic. She enjoys trying out new coffee shops in pursuit of the best ice coffee around!

    • Social Emotional Learning

    • Play Based Therapy

    • Adaptive Equipment

    • Mental Health

    • Sensory Integration

    • Interoception Curriculum

    • Autism

    • Developmental Delay

    • ADHD

  • Faith gained her occupational therapy assistant certification right here in Cedar Rapids at Kirkwood Community College.

    She prioritizes continuing education by always learning and growing as a therapist to best serve Sensory Kids clients and families. This includes undergoing training in interoception Curriculum, Interactive Metronome, Zones of Regulation. and Super Flex.

Speech Therapists

 

Natalie Taylor, M.A., CCC-SLP

SPEECH THERAPIST/ FEEDING SPECIALIST

Natalie joined Sensory Kids Iowa as the lead speech therapist in 2020. Since then, the speech therapy program has flourished under her skillful direction.

Always ready to jump in and help in any way necessary, she radiates a special combination of expertise and joy. 

“Play is the best way to learn. If a child isn’t having fun during therapy then we are doing something wrong. Being trained in ASI I enjoy incorporating sensory experiences into feeding and speech therapy sessions.”

  • I am an avid crafter, plant lover and boy mom of 2. I enjoy designing and making t-shirts, tumblers and wooden signs. I have over 90 houseplants and am constantly adding more. On the weekends I enjoy going on adventures with my husband and sons Bodie and Blake.

    • Feeding therapy

    • Autism Spectrum Disorders

    • Parent education

    • Incorporating sensory and movement into speech sessions

    • Masters degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Northern Iowa

    • B.A. in Speech and Hearing Science from the University of Iowa.

    • S.O.S. Approach to Feeding

    • The Zones of Regulation

    • Interactive Metronome

    • Beckman Oral Motor Approach

    • Oral Motor Skills in Infants

    • Tongue Ties and Breastfeeding

    • Reflux and Allergies with Breastfeeding

    • Ayers Sensory Integration

Lillian Merchan,

M.A. CCC-SLP

SPEECH THERAPIST

As a part of our speech therapy team, Lillian treats each client and family with great respect and care.

She possesses heart and passion, striving to achieve success daily for each client.

“I enjoy a child-led approach and how it allows children to have fun at speech therapy while also meeting their goals”


  • I love reading and am a big dog lover. As a child, I really enjoyed running around my yard with my brother and making up new games to play on the trampoline Now my favorite activity as an adult is taking my dog for a run/walk and enjoying the outdoors.

  • I have a strong interest in working with children with autism and supporting them by meeting each child where they are. I enjoy learning directly from children, collaborating with parents, and working alongside other professionals, as this helps me continue to grow and broaden my skill set to serve a wide variety of children effectively.

    • Associates from Kirkwood Community college

    • B.A. from The University of Iowa

    • Masters from The University of Maryland

Lizabeth Devereux, M.A., CCC-SLP

SPEECH THERAPIST

Lizzy believes meaningful progress begins with strong relationships and strives to make every client and family feel heard, supported, and respected.

Lizzy’s enthusiasm and positive attitude encourages children to grow in their communication abilities and be their best selves.

“I am compassionate about the children I work with and their families. I find it important to meet the child at their level and build rapport with them and their families. I enjoy incorporating a child-led approach and hands on tasks; thus allowing the children to build their personality and enjoy speech sessions.”

  • Outside of work, I love spending time with my husband, Isaac, and our two labs, Waylon and Honey. I enjoy reading/listening to audiobooks, fishing, and kayaking. I love the outdoors! I enjoy event walks to raise awareness for a variety of diagnosis.

    • Feeding

    • Autism Spectrum Disorder

    • Early Intervention

    • AAC

    • Masters degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Northern Iowa

    • B.A. in Communication Sciences and Disorders and Psychology from the University of Northern Iowa

    • SOS Approach to Feeding

Sonia Leyva, M.A., CCC-SLP

SPEECH THERAPIST

Sonia excels at providing a language-rich play-based environment where kids can learn and grow by playing and doing.

“I enjoy working with early intervention, providing parent education on the importance of accepting all forms of communication. I enjoy helping families navigate the AAC world and helping parents feel comfortable when their child receives a speech-generating device. It's amazing to witness the parent-child bond strengthen when they are able to communicate and understand each other with the assistance of technology.”

  • I'm a proud child of immigrants from Mexico. I was born in El Paso, Texas. I'm bilingual (Spanish-English). My first language was Spanish, I learned English in preschool. I love to travel and have been to 7 different countries. My favorite childhood activity was camping with my family. I enjoy going on nature adventures with my two boys.

    • Early Intervention

    • AAC

    • Parent Education

    • Neurodiversity affirming care

    • Feeding

    • Masters degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Northern Iowa

    • B.A. from the University of Northern Iowa

    • PROMPT

    • SOS

    • HANEN

Katelyn Schissel, M.A. CCC-SLP

SPEECH THERAPIST

Katelyn embraces a flexible, play-based approach to therapy, meeting each child where they are and using their unique strengths and interests to foster meaningful, functional growth.

  • On the day to day, I love to do hot yoga, try new restaurants, shop, and go for walks! I also love iced coffee!

    • Play therapy

    • Early intervention

    • AAC/speech devices

    • Language

    • Autism Spectrum Disorder

    • Bachelors in Communication Sciences & Disorders from The University of Northern Iowa

    • Masters in Speech Language Pathology from The University of Northern Iowa

“Working with kids is my happy place! I love incorporating movement and games into my therapy sessions. My goal is for every child I work with to look forward to speech sessions, build confidence, and have a blast while learning. I am especially passionate about helping children become regulated so they can fully participate in communication and everyday activities”

Support Staff

 

Roly Neuzil

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT AND BILLING MANAGER

As one of the first faces families see, Roly helps create a positive and comforting experience from the moment you walk through the door. Her organization, attentiveness, and genuine kindness help keep our clinic operating efficiently while making every child and family feel valued and supported.

We feel very fortunate to have Roly on our team because she plays such a critical role in making sure each family has a great experience from the initial call to the final bill. Providing care for others is a service from the heart for Roly. She works hard to manage tasks from start to finish with an unmatched joy. 

  • I love spending time outdoors--whether it's hiking, biking, jogging or walking. I enjoy staying active and balancing it with quality time with my family and friends. I like learning new things and am always looking for opportunities to grow both personally and professionally.

    • Bachelors Degree in Sociology from The University of Iowa

    • Associate of Arts Degree from Kirkwood Community College

Laura

THERAPY TECH

Laura brings enthusiasm and compassion to her work each day, helping create a supportive environment for the children we serve. Her heart for service shines when she is at Sensory Kids helping others.

As a therapy tech, she works hard to provide a clean, safe space for children to be themselves. Laura knows how to have fun too and joins in on all the activities happening each day!

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As a therapy tech, Riley gets to enjoy the wins of all sizes with our clients and families. Celebrating and witnessing those wins is her favorite part of working at Sensory Kids.

nash the therapy dog

Nash, the Therapy Dog

Nash is an 9-year-old standard poodle and he is training to become a therapy dog.

He has a special knack for sensing the needs of each child. For some, he’s a calm, reassuring presence. For others, he brings out smiles, giggles, and fun.

  • His favorite thing to do is go for long walks in Auburn Hills park.

    Loves playing and bringing out the best in kids who come to Sensory Kids, Iowa.

    • Completed all shots

    • Hypo-allergenic

    • Certificate in Puppy Training

    • Certificate in Basic obedience

    • Therapy dog in training with over 100 hours of socializing with children