Dr. McKinley has been practicing as a licensed physical therapist for almost 9 years, and has been working in the Dunkirk School District for 5 years. She is the Physical Therapist for the school district, and travels across the district to provide physical therapy services. The majority of the time she is at School 5, school 7, and the middle school. She loves her job, and has a passion for working with children and improving the way they move, their posture and body awareness, and their overall gross motor development.

Dr. McKinley graduated with her Doctor of Physical Therapy from Daemen College. In the educational setting, physical therapy addresses the functional physical needs of a child within the school curriculum. Physical therapy targets the gross motor skills, and movements of the large muscle groups. Some examples of functional physical needs in the educational setting include participation in class activities, maintaining positions or changing positions, postural support (for example sitting upright at a desk or sitting on the floor), traveling through the school environment (including emergency evacuations), managing stairs, negotiating the cafeteria, and engaging in play/physical activity. Physical therapists also assist students with breaking down tasks into smaller parts before putting the functional task together. For example, skipping, a child must be able to stand on a single leg, then hop on a single leg before they can master the complex skill known as skipping.

Outside of work, Dr. McKinley loves spending time with her family and friends, especially her husband and their 9-month old son. She also enjoys being outside, cycling, crafting, coffee, exercising, photography, reading, and shopping.