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Facilitators
Tania Ferrandino received her BS/Diploma in Occupational therapy from St. Loye’s school of Occupational Therapy in Exeter, England. Tania has worked extensively with…
Tania Ferrandino received her BS/Diploma in Occupational therapy from St. Loye’s school of Occupational Therapy in Exeter, England. Tania has worked extensively with children of all ages and abilities for more than 20 years. Her passion is sharing with educators and others who work with young children how they can most effectively prepare children for written production skills, including handwriting. She currently serves as a Senior National Learning Producer for Learning Without Tears, where she is considered a subject matter expert and has worked on creating content for teacher guides, student workbooks and hands-on products. Tania has also created content for multiple professional learning formats.
*Receives a salary from Learning Without Tears where she is an employee*
Roxanne Thompson received her Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy from Texas Woman’s University in 1998. She has practiced OT in the public schools, early…
Roxanne Thompson received her Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy from Texas Woman’s University in 1998. She has practiced OT in the public schools, early intervention, and currently a private pediatric out-patient clinic. She also provides handwriting tutoring services to children in pre-school through middle school. She completed her Level 1 certification in March 2007 and has been presenting for Learning Without Tears since 2009. Roxanne lives in Frisco with her husband and 2 children.
*Receives a salary from Learning Without Tears where she is an employee*
Paula Heinricher received her Masters of Occupational Therapy from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA, and is certified in Sensory Integration Therapy. As an OT…
Paula Heinricher received her Masters of Occupational Therapy from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA, and is certified in Sensory Integration Therapy. As an OT she has worked in the schools (PreK though middle school levels), early intervention, and out-patient settings. She has extensive experience using the Learning Without Tears curriculums with children of all ability levels. Paula began working for Learning Without Tears in 2005 and is currently a National Presenter and Content Support Specialist. She also tutors children who have fine motor, sensory motor, and handwriting concerns.
*Receives a speaking fee from Learning Without Tears*
Diane Eldridge, RN, COTA is a registered nurse and received her Associate’s Degree in Occupational Therapy from Madison Area Technical College. She also has a B.S. in…
Diane Eldridge, RN, COTA is a registered nurse and received her Associate’s Degree in Occupational Therapy from Madison Area Technical College. She also has a B.S. in Communications from South Carolina State College. Diane worked in Prince William County Schools as a COTA with children from Pre-K to high school for 14 years incorporating Handwriting Without Tears® techniques. Her extensive experience using the Handwriting Without Tears® curriculum also includes more than 15 years pediatric private tutoring to successfully help children of all ability levels with their writing readiness, printing and cursive handwriting skills in their homes, as well as various educational settings. In January 2000 Diane started her career with Handwriting Without Tears®, now known as Learning Without Tears, as a national presenter and represents the company at numerous national and local trade shows. She is currently working PRN as a Registered Nurse for Kaiser Permanente.
*Receives a speaking fee from Learning Without Tears and receives a salary from Kaiser Permanente where she is an employee*
Cathy Van Haute has been a national presenter for Learning Without Tears since 2003. She obtained a Bachelors of Science in Occupational Therapy from the University…
Cathy Van Haute has been a national presenter for Learning Without Tears since 2003. She obtained a Bachelors of Science in Occupational Therapy from the University of Kansas, and a Masters degree in Child Development from the University of Nebraska. She is also Level One Certified Handwriting Specialist and Neurodevelopmental Treatment Certified. Cathy has been a pediatric occupational therapist for over 35 years. She operates her own therapy business, which provides therapy strategies in both school and home based settings. Through her energy and engagement, she makes Learning Without Tears® an amazing educational experience. Her passion for helping children fuels her dedication to providing top notch training for all attendees.
*Receives a speaking fee from Learning Without Tears and is the owner of Children Succeed Therapy*
Valerie is a National Workshop Presenter and Content Specialist for Learning Without Tears, a profession that came out of her passion as an occupational therapist to…
Valerie is a National Workshop Presenter and Content Specialist for Learning Without Tears, a profession that came out of her passion as an occupational therapist to empower educators and other therapists to help their students succeed at school. Valerie has provided occupational therapy services to children in a variety of settings including schools, clinics, homes, and through teletherapy. She has used the LWT methods and materials with children since 2004, and she became a LWT National Presenter in 2011 alongside her work as an occupational therapist. Valerie lives in Greenville, SC with her husband and two children where they enjoy traveling and all kinds of outdoor adventures, especially those including hiking boots, snow skis, kayaks, and SUPs.
*Receives a salary from Learning Without Tears where she is an employee*
Terri Foster received her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from Tufts University in Medford, MA. She has over 20 years of experience providing…
Terri Foster received her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from Tufts University in Medford, MA. She has over 20 years of experience providing pediatric occupational therapy services in hospitals, schools, and private practice. She lives in Northborough, MA where she provides contracted occupational therapy services to local schools and private handwriting tutoring. Terri is Level 1 Certified and has used the LWT curriculum throughout her years as an OT in a variety of school and private settings. The incredible success she has seen her students achieve using LWT motivated her to become a Certified National Workshop Presenter with Learning Without Tears. She has been enjoying teaching others the LWT curriculum through presenting both school based and national workshops for Learning Without Tears since 2008.
*Receives a speaking fee from Learning Without Tears*
Dr. Suzanne Asherson is a pediatric occupational therapist with a Clinical Doctorate and Masters from the University of Southern California.…
Dr. Suzanne Asherson is a pediatric occupational therapist with a Clinical Doctorate and Masters from the University of Southern California. She co-wrote the chapter “Evidence-Based Practice and Accountability” in the Guidelines for Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy in the California Public Schools published by the California Department of Education and is SIPT certified (Sensory Integration and Praxis Tests). Suzanne has been prominently featured in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times and appears in on-air news segments around the country regarding handwriting in today’s world. Suzanne spent eight years at the Beverly Hills Unified School District practicing as a school based OT, has been a National Presenter for Learning Without Tears since 2008 and currently has a private pediatric OT practice in Beverly Hills and the surrounding neighborhoods.
*Receives a speaking fee from Learning Without Tears*
Dr. Peter Giroux is a full time tenured Professor of Occupational Therapy at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, Mississippi. He graduated with a…
Dr. Peter Giroux is a full time tenured Professor of Occupational Therapy at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, Mississippi. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Occupational Therapy from Northeast Louisiana University in 1987. He has a Master of Science degree in Health Sciences (MHS) from Mississippi College and a Doctoral degree (PhD) in Clinical Health Sciences from the University of Mississippi Medical Center. He is also a Fellow of the American Occupational Therapy Association (FAOTA). He holds certifications in Neurodevelopmental Treatment (NDT) and LWT. He has numerous presentations, publications and research projects in the areas of: occupational therapy; handwriting evaluation, intervention and instruction; keyboarding evaluation, intervention and instruction; play based instruction, assessment and intervention; universal design and environmental adaptations; vision, visual perception and visual motor skills in the classroom and clinic; executive functioning and universal design for learning; and assistive technology. In addition to academic responsibilities, he remains an active practitioner by providing occupational therapy services and assistive technology services in a school-based setting in his hometown of Madison, MS. He has all-encompassing experience serving students with special and exceptional needs in addition to typically developing students. He has utilized LWT programs since 1995 with children of all ages in both public and private schools as well as with children in both regular and special education settings. Peter has been a National Workshop Presenter and consultant for LWT since March of 2000 providing training throughout the United States as well as international presentations and educational workshops.
*Receives a speaking fee from Learning Without Tears and receives a salary from the University of Mississippi Medical Center where he is an employee*