Resources - Staff

Heartspring's greatest resources and assets are the wonderful staff dedicated to our students. Some of our professionals have maintained their commitment to helping children with special needs for over 25 years. Each day our teachers, paraprofessionals, and therapists demonstrate the professional competence and treatment outcomes that make Heartspring a “first choice” school for children with special needs.

	Connie Coulter is the Director of CARE and Autism Outreach. Connie will be establishing the Community of Autism Resources and Education (CARE) Program at Heartspring. The focus of this program will be to provide parents with a foundation with which to build appropriate resources and interventions for their child and family as well. Learn more about Connie.
		Heartspring audiologists, Linda Parmiter-Jacobs and Carol Jared-Brown, recently authored the article, Making critical connections, published in the Advance for Audiologists magazine September/October issue.

Steve has dedicated half of his life to the mission at Heartspring. In 1982, he joined the staff as a home paraeducator. Since beginning his career, he transitioned to Crisis/Assessment Unit Counselor, Psychological Services Assistant, and is currently the Management Information Systems Manager (MIS). Learn more about Steve.

Deb Harr had a desire to work with children with special needs. That desire brought to her Heartspring over 25 years ago. In 1981, Deb joined the staff at Heartspring working with hearing impaired children in a preschool classroom. It was there that she learned how to help children learn to listen and to speak. Learn more about Deb.

Travis Grover, Heartspring’s adapted physical education teacher, collaborated in a research study with Wichita State University professors Ken Pitetti, and Andrew Rendoff, and Oregon State University professor Michael Beets. The study, The Efficacy of a 9-Month Treadmill Walking Program on the Exercise Capacity and Weight Reduction for Adolescents with Severe Autism, was published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disabilities, July 2007 issue. Exceptional Parent Magazine recognized Heartspring teacher Travis Grover as a Model of Excellence in the September 2007 issue.

Denise Begnoche, Heartspring physical therapist, conducted a pilot study in collaboration with Wichita State University and Ken Pitetti, PhD. The study, Effects of Traditional Treatment and Partial Body Weight Treadmill Training on the Motor Skills of Children with Spastic Cerebral Palsy, was published in the Pediatric Physical Therapy Journal, Spring 2007 issue.

Verlene Warner has helped children with special needs experience music for almost 30 years at Heartspring. She was recognized by Exceptional Parent Magazine as a Model of Excellence. Verlene was also named Professional of the Year by the Kansas Association of Special Education Administrators; an award that is highly deserved by a woman whose insight and commitment has been a benefit to Heartspring students, employees and parents for almost 30 years.

Heartspring professional staff provides technical expertise and management for the organization. Heartspring professional staff includes experienced and highly-trained special education teachers, a developmental pediatrician, pediatric nurse practitioners (one of which is on call 24 hrs/day), behavioral psychologists, staff trainers, behavior specialists, occupational and physical therapists, speech/language pathologists and para educators. We also have a dietician, pediatric neurologist and pediatric psychiatrist as consultants.

We also invite you to meet our executive staff.