2026 SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES

Wendy Harris Altizer is a physical therapist and Assistive Technology Practitioner (ATP) with 30 years of expertise working with the pediatric medically complex community. Wendy has worked in neurological rehabilitation, early intervention, schools, and outpatient therapy while simultaneously running two clinics and an early intervention agency. She has completed research papers, taught CEU classes and written articles related to the F-words and assistive technology use. She actively works with the Clinician Task Force and the West Virginia Governor’s Early Intervention Coordinating Council, serving as chair of the Assistive Technology Committee. Her passion for training future practitioners from collegiate programs is unparalleled. Previous leader of Camp Gizmo Assistive Technology Camp and current head of the new OnTimeTech mobile assistive technology clinics, Wendy continues to encourage function and participation with children and their families in West Virginia and beyond, starting with early diagnosis and intervention. 

Kelly Cho, MD is a Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine physician at Gillette Children’s who specializes in treating children and adolescents with congenital or childhood onset disabilities with a special interest in caring for individuals with spina bifida. Dr. Cho serves as Medical Director for the Pediatric Spina Bifida program at Gillette Children’s which is recognized as a Clinic Care Partner by the Spina Bifida Association.

Kaley Czech, OTD, OTR/L, BCP, is a school-based occupational therapist and the Manager of Occupational and Physical Therapy Services for Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS). With over two decades of experience supporting children and educational teams, she leads a department of more than 60 therapists and assistants, providing strategic direction, professional development, mentorship, and systems-level leadership across the district. She holds a Post-Professional Doctorate in Occupational Therapy from Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions and is Board Certified in Pediatrics by the American Occupational Therapy Association

Kaley is recognized for her commitment to advancing equitable, evidence-based OT practices in schools. She spearheaded the development of a standardized sensory room process for Minneapolis Public Schools, ensuring that sensory environments across the district are rooted in best practice, aligned with student needs, and accessible to school teams. Her work has strengthened consistency, improved collaboration, and supported meaningful regulation opportunities for students with sensory processing and self-regulation needs.

Kaley’s work reflects her passion for empowering students, families, and educators—and for building school systems where all learners can fully engage, participate, and thrive.

Sarah Edberg, PT, DPT, is a school-based physical therapist with Shakopee Public Schools, where she supports students from early childhood to transition. She specializes in promoting student access, participation, and independence within the natural and educational environments through collaborative, team-based practices. Sarah is actively involved in professional learning and leadership, serving as a contributor to the update of Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy in Educational Settings: A Manual for Minnesota Practitioners, as a co-facilitator of the Brightworks PT Community of Practice, and as a guest lecturer and lab assistant for the University of Minnesota’s pediatric physical therapy course. Her work is grounded in evidence-based practice, interdisciplinary collaboration, and a strong commitment to equity and inclusion. 

Erika (Buckhouse) Hanson has been a school-based physical therapist in Fargo Public Schools for 24 years. Erika has learned much beyond being a school-based physical therapist through acting as a mentor for new school-based OT’s, PT’s and special education teachers. Mentoring new teachers in special education has allowed Erika to see what areas special education teachers require OT and PT’s specialized skills to address the students’ needs. Mentoring OT’s and PT’s new to the school setting, as well as being a clinical instructor for physical therapy students, has allowed Erika to understand components of school-based therapy that are most difficult to implement and perform for therapists. Erika is also an advanced trainer of the Nurtured Heart Approach ® and a coach for the Catalyst Approach to classroom management. Both of these strategies help to connect with students, integrate into the school environment, and address behavioral concerns.

Amy Johnson is an experienced occupational therapist who has been dedicated to serving students at Bemidji Area Schools since 2012. After earning a Master’s degree from the College of St. Scholastica in 2010, she went on to achieve a Doctorate in Occupational Therapy from Shenandoah University in 2020. With over a decade of hands-on experience in the school setting and many years of personal experience with occupational therapy, she is passionate about supporting student success and fostering inclusive learning environments. 

Amanda Jacobus, M.A., CCC-SLP is a speech-language pathologist that has been practicing since graduating from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities in 2019. For the past 5 years, she has worked at Gillette Children’s with a primary focus on outpatient pediatric AAC, motor speech disorders, and dysphagia. In her practice, Amanda prioritizes interdisciplinary and functional approaches to encourage all individuals to be heard.

Kyleen Kriha, DPT, received her degree in physical therapy from Marquette University. She has worked at Gillette Children’s as a physical therapist for 13 years and has been a part of Gillette’s Spina Bifida Clinic for 12 years.

Dr Peter Ladner is an Internal Medicine and Pediatrics physician at Gillette, where he sees children and adults in the Complex Care Clinic. He completed medical education at the University of Chicago and his residency in Medicine and Pediatrics at the University of Minnesota. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his wife, two children and energetic dog. 

Jill Larson, PT is a pediatric physical therapist who earned a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from the University of Minnesota, Jill has worked as a pediatric physical therapist for the past 10 years at Gillette Children’s, where she has treated complex diagnoses using a wide variety of modalities, including aquatic therapy. She is dedicated to professional excellence and the growth of the next generation of therapists through serving as the outpatient mentor to the Gillette PT resident, as well as new staff, and DPT students. Her practice focuses on building trust by adapting to each child’s unique strengths and interests while empowering families with the confidence to support their child’s motor development. 

Bridgette Nicholson is an internationally recognized presenter and professional trainer with more than 38 years of experience as an occupational therapist, assistive technology specialist, and consultant. Her work spans multiple countries and diverse professional environments, addressing complex needs for individuals and groups across educational, therapeutic, and community settings. Throughout her career, she has created and delivered training and solutions that address the many factors influencing learning, development, participation, and human functioning in both real-life and virtual-life environments.

Bridgette brings people together locally and globally based on a simple but essential fact: talking to each other now is more important than ever. In this era of massive information growth, explosive expansion of AI technologies, and an ongoing explosion of information—much of which is inaccurate—talking with real people and learning from real experience has become essential.

Her work brings together perspectives from development, learning environments, technology, and real-world human experience. Through highly interactive workshops and training, Bridgette explores how these factors intersect and how professionals and families can implement practical approaches that support meaningful learning, engagement, and participation.

Her sessions are widely respected for their depth of insight, energetic participation, and engaging atmosphere. Participants actively explore ideas together while examining their practical implications in real-world settings.

Bridgette’s work has consistently emphasized moving beyond functional skills alone, focusing on creative approaches that support children and adults in learning, participating fully, and ultimately thriving.

Lois Lillie is an Occupational Therapist who has been working as a field specialist in the area of school-based therapy under the Low Incidence Projects grant from the MN Department of Education – Special Education Division, since 1999.  She provides statewide support regarding the special education role and responsibilities of OTs and PTs as special education related service providers in the state of Minnesota. With over 40 years of professional experience as an Occupational Therapist, Lois has focused on school-based practice, and has been active in promoting therapist’s professional growth through the development of resources and staff learning opportunities in this area of specialty.  Her efforts include her role as the facilitator/co-author, and workshop presenter of “Occupational and Physical Therapy in Educational Settings: A Manual for Minnesota Practitioners, 2014 Edition.” 

Dr. Kathleen Picard is a retired associate faculty member in the Programs in Physical Therapy at the University of MN and the College of St. Scholastica. Her areas of expertise have been in Ethics and in Regulatory Issues.  

Kathleen is the founder and owner of a health policy and practice management consulting firm after over 35 years of clinical practice in various settings – primarily in an   independently owned multi-site physical therapist practice.

As a volunteer, she has co-chaired APTA MN’s State Government Affairs Committee for the past 25 years, and has served as the APTA-appointed advisor to the AMA’s CPT Editorial process for 15 years. Kathleen remains a policy advisor to Medicare, MN Medicaid and other commercial payers.

Michelle Schluender is a physical therapist and member of the Minnesota School-Based OT/PT Institute since the start in 2015. Michelle is a skilled, compassionate school-based physical therapist dedicated to helping students reach their full potential. She supports children with diverse physical, developmental, and neurological needs from birth to 22 years of age. By collaborating with teachers, families, and care teams, she promotes meaningful participation in daily activities. Michelle also educates staff and caregivers, advocates for accessibility, and fosters inclusive environments, making her a trusted and valued member of her school community. Michelle is a member of the committee that developed the “2026 Companion Manual of Updates for Minnesota Practitioners.” 

Betsy Schultz, BA, PTA, has been a PTA for over 37 years and has worked in the school system for almost 20 years, serving schools in the South Central area of MN. She supports children birth-age 22 as part of their educational team. She is the former Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education at Riverland Community College’s PTA Program in Albert Lea.  She has experience working with the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy along with serving 2 terms on the MN Board of Physical Therapy. Betsy is a member of the committee that developed the “2026 Companion Manual of Updates for Minnesota Practitioners.” She feels honored to help kids meet their milestones and develop independence.

Corri Stuyvenberg is a Board Certified Pediatric Clinical Specialist in Pediatric Physical Therapy and is Endorsed as an Infant Mental Health Specialist.  She completed her PhD in Rehabilitation Science with a minor in Developmental Psychology from the University of Minnesota in May of 2025.  Corri is currently an Assistant Professor in the Division of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science.  Corri also provides physical therapy services in Minneapolis Public Schools.  Her research interests include the impact of parent-child relationship qualities on developmental outcomes and the importance of the timing of early interventions. 

Jennifer Thorsland, OTR/L, has served the Anoka-Hennepin School District for 24 years, providing occupational therapy services to early childhood, elementary, and secondary students. She completed a three-year Assistive Technology (AT) training program through the Minnesota Department of Education with colleagues and currently serves as a co-author of the OT/PT State Guidelines Manual for Minnesota practitioners working in educational settings. She also assisted in developing the Feeding and Swallowing Guidelines Manual for Anoka-Hennepin School District 11.  Before her work in the school district, Jennifer practiced as a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA) in a pediatric outpatient clinic, long-term care facilities serving individuals with physical and cognitive disabilities, and at Gillette Specialty Clinic.  Jennifer reports no financial relationships with any assistive technology product or vendor.  

Allison Weissman is a physical therapist living in South Florida. For over 20 years, she has specialized in working  with children ages 3-22 years in both educational and home settings, focusing on functional gait and balance  rehabilitation. Allison earned her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Florida Gulf Coast University in 2024, later in  her career, after receiving her bachelor’s in physical therapy from Florida International University. Her clinical  passion lies in using therapeutic play to enhance the lives of children with neurological and orthopedic conditions.  Allison developed an adaptive physical education curriculum and trained PE teachers how to effectively modify  movement activities for children with quadriparesis. In addition, she presented a summary of her doctoral thesis to  the Florida PTA, aiming to raise awareness among follow professionals about pediatric maltreatment. Since April  2025, Allison has been providing continuing education to OTs, PTs, SLPs and ATPs on pediatric adaptive standing for  Rifton’s Clinical Education team. She is currently writing additional continuing education courses. Outside of her  professional life, Allison rock climbs (indoors) excessively, enjoys hot Pilates and creates gourmet whole food,  plant-based meals and desserts. She is married, has three young-adult children and includes her Goldendoodle as a member of the family.