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Dr. Sarah King, Ed.D., BCBA

Practice Experience:

Dr. King spent several years teaching special education and holds teaching certifications in special education and general education. Her 8 years in the K-12 classroom include serving students with a variety of mild to severe disabilities, with an emphasis on autism. Working as an early interventionist with the birth to three population has given her a valuable perspective, as well. She has been working as a developmental education and behavior specialist since 2012. In that time, Dr. King has provided ABA therapy, social skills training, parent education, and behavior consultations to children and families with autism, ADHD, processing disorders, and other disabilities and challenges. Starting the TEACH Group in 2015 has enabled her to follow her dream of making a difference in the lives of children and families.

Education:

  • University of Tennessee, Bachelor’s Degree in Education with a concentration in Special Education
  • University of Tennessee, Master’s Degree in Education
  • Trevecca Nazarene University, Ed.D in Educational Leadership and Professional Practice
  • Cal State University San Marco, Certificate of Applied Behavior Analysis

Certifications/Licensure:

  • Certified by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board

Personal:

Dr. King is married and has three children. She enjoys supporting her children in their extra curricular activities. She also enjoys cooking and reading.

Kathy Boling OTR/L

Practice Experience:

Kathy has practiced in the field of Occupational Therapy for 40 years in the Knoxville community. She worked at Patricia Neal Rehabilitation Center for 7 years as an in-patient and out-patient staff therapist and eventually became the Occupational Therapy Coordinator for the out-patient program, as well as beginning a Pediatric program. She was the Therapy Coordinator  and charter member for the Kid’s and Nurses program in Knoxville. She joined the Parent-Child Services therapy practice in 1996, where she served as co-director until the center closed in 2015. She has been at the TEACH group since 2017 and currently serves as the Clinic Director. 

Education:

  • Eastern Kentucky University, Bachelor of Science degree in Occupational Therapy

Certifications/Licensure:

  • Tennessee State License in Occupational Therapy #OT185 (1983 to Present)
  • Certified by National Board for Certification of Occupational Therapists #AA72290 (1983 to present)
  • Certified in the administration of the S.I.P.T. #8162

Personal:

Kathy has been happily married to her husband for 41 years and has 3 daughters and 5 grandchildren. She enjoys spending time with family and doing crafts.

Vickie Barnes, CCC-SLP.

Practice Experience:

Vickie has been practicing in the field of Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) since 1985. In 2019, Vickie retired from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHCS) Pediatric Language Clinic (PLC), an early intervention program in conjunction with Tennessee’s Early Intervention System (TEIS), after almost 32 years of service. She provided early intervention/speech-language therapy services for children with a variety of disabilities. She served as the Program Director for 2009 until her retirement, during which time PLC became a speciality center for children at risk for Autism. Vickie was also an Associate Clinical Professor within UTHSC Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology and provided clinical education to university students completing their Master’s of Science degree in Speech Pathlogy. After retirement, Vickie began working as a Clinical Supervisor for Clinical Fellowship (CF) Speech-Language Pathologists at eh TEACH Group beginning in May 2022. Areas of interest include Child Language Disorders, Pediatric Speech Sound Disorders/Apraxia, Autism. And Augmentative Communication.

Education:

  • East Tennessee State University, Bachelor of Science in Speech and Hearing (1983)
  • University of Tennessee, Master’s of Arts in Speech Pathology (1985)

Licensure/Certifications:

  • Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) in Speech Pathology, American
  • Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)
  • Speech Pathology State of Tennessee License, SP689. 1986-present

Trainings include:

The ‘SCERTS’ Model, Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS), TRIAD Early Intervention Academy, TEACCH Preschool Summer Training Institute, Hanen Programs “It Takes Two to Talk” & “More Than Words”, PROMPT Level I Training, The Sequential-Oral-Sensory (SOS) Approach to Feeding, and multiple courses on Childhood Apraxia of Speech, Visual Strategies, and Sensory Processing Disorders.

Organizations:

  • American Speech=Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)
  • Tennessee Associations of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists (TAASLP)

Personal:

Vickie and her husband Carl, live in Maryville, TN. She is active in her church and enjoys traveling

Dr. Phoebe McLaughlin, OTD, OTR/L

Practice Experience:

Phoebe has been practicing occupational therapy at The TEACH Group since September 2024. Her clinical experience induces two level II fieldwork placements completed through her education. One involved working with adults in a general outpatient clinic in Panama City, FL and the other involved working with children at an outpatient pediatric clinic in Southern Pines, NC. 

Education:

Murray State University, Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science 

Lincoln Memorial University, Doctor of Occupational Therapy 

Certifications/Licensure: 

Tennessee State License in Occupational Therapy #8139

National Board of Certification of Occupational Therapy #519122

Organizations:

American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA)

Personal:

Phoebe is originally from western Kentucky though is proud to call east Tennessee home. She enjoys exploring Knoxville and the surrounding areas and loves finding new restaurants or places to hike. She also enjoys spending time with her doodle, Murphy. 

Our Team

Alyssa Sweet M.S.,OTR

Occupational Therapist

Practice Experience:

Alyssa has been practicing Occupational Therapy at the TEACH group since 2021. Her clinical experience includes a Level II fieldwork with adults at a long term  skilled nursing facility in Gainesville, GA. She also completed a Level II fieldwork in Knox County Schools including elementary, middle, and high school

Education:

  • University of Tennessee Chattanooga, Bachelors of Exercise Science (2017)
  • Brenau University, Masters of science in Occupational Therapy (2019)

Certification/Licensure:

  • Tennessee State Licensure in Occupational Therapy #6517
  • National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy #436746

Organizations:

  • Tennessee Occupational Therapy Association (TNOTA)
  • American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA)

Personal:

Alyssa has been married to her husband, Brendan since November of 2019. Alyssa is a loving aunt to two nieces and a nephew that she loves spending time with. In her free time Alyssa enjoys doing jigsaw puzzles, spending time with her dog Taco, and playing board games with her husband.

Kenia Jennings, M.S.,OTR

Occupational Therapist

Practice experience:

Kenia has worked in multiple states and has experience working in various settings including outpatient clinics, home-based, schools, summer camps, and hand clinics. She joined the TEACH group in March 2022. 

Education:

  • Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology and Recreational Therapy
  • Kean University, Master of Science Degree in Occupational Therapy

Certification/Licensure:

  • Tennessee State License in Occupational Therapy #5494
  • National Board of Certification of Occupational Therapy #35687

Organizations:

  • American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA)

Personal: 

  • In her spare time, Kenia can be found outdoors spending time with her wonderful husband and their daughter. They enjoy going for walks, hikes, having picnics/bonfires, traveling to other states and simply enjoying time with family and friends. 

Julia Desmedt M.S.,CCC-SLP

Speech-Language Pathologist

Practice Experience:

Julia has completed internships with Knox County Schools, UTK’s Pediatric Language Clinic, and other pediatric private practices in the Knoxville area. She joined the TEACH Group in June 2022.

Education:

  • James Madison University, Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders
  • University of Tennessee, Master’s Degree in Speech Language Pathology

Certification/Licensure:

  • Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) in Speech Pathology, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)
  • Speech Pathology State of Tennessee License, #7958
  • Trained in SCERTS intervention model for Autism Spectrum Disorders
  • Trained in PROMPT

Organizations:

  • American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)

Personal:

Julia grew up in Virginia and moved to Tennessee to pursue her career in Speech-Language Pathology. She has a cattle dog named Bindi that she enjoys going on runs and hikes with. She also enjoys reading, rock climbing, and exploring Knoxville.

Kristi Weaver

Referral Coordinator

Experience:

Kristi has owned her own business in the fitness industry where she prepared workouts for clients, instructed clients in safety guidelines, provided nutritional advice/meal planning, assisted clients with glucose monitoring, as well as doing all administrative duties. She also owned a business as a home renovator, in which she did real estate, purchased homes to renovate, hired contractors and showed completed homes for sale. She has also worked as a law assistant and a medical records assistant.

Education:

  • University of Memphis, Third year in Education degree
  • Harding University, attended for Speech Pathology

Certifications/Training:

  • Certified Personal Trainer
  • Certified Nutritionist

Personal:

Kristi enjoys spending time with her loved ones, including her 4 children and several pets. She enjoys being physically active with exercise, sports, and hiking. 

Abby Minor, RBT

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Practice Experience:

Abby has completed internships with the Knoxville Center for Autism and the Life Care Center of Blount County. Additionally, she has gained experience through programs offered at UTK, including Camp Koinonia and the TRiPS (Therapeutic Recreation in Public Schools) program. She joined The TEACH Group in August of 2024.

Education:

University of Tennessee, Bachelor’s Degree in Recreational Therapy (2023)

Certification/Licensure:

Certified Therapeutic Recreational Specialist, #86630

Personal:

Outside of work, Abby enjoys spending quality time with her family and friends, as well as her corgi, Reese. She also enjoys staying active through exercise, practicing yoga and pilates, and engaging in outdoor activities.

Brianna Wheeler, RBT

Student Analyst

Practice Experience:

Brianna has been a registered behavior technician since October of 2022.  As of August of 2023, Brianna has been studying her Master’s in Special Education with a focus in Applied Behavior Analysis  (ABA therapy).  Brianna plans to eventually become a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) upon completing her degree and fieldwork requirements in 2025.

Education:

Coastal  Carolina University, Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology

Arizona State University Online, working on Master’s of Special Education with a focus in ABA therapy.

Certification/Licensure:

Certified by Behavior Analyst Certification Board

Personal:

Brianna is originally from Upstate New York, but she is very proud to call Tennessee her home.  In her free time, Brianna enjoys being outside and exploring the local gems that Knoxville has to offer.  She enjoys farmer’s markets, hiking, sightseeing, thrifting and kayaking!

Bri Makins, RBT

Student Analyst

Practice Experience:

Prior to working as a Registered Behavior Technician, Bri worked as a preschool teacher for a year.  She has also been a dance teacher for kids ages 2-18 for nearly 4 years.  Bri started working as a Registered Behavior Technician during the summer of 2023 upon moving to Knoxville, and she began her role at The TEACH Group in April 2024.  Bri is currently completing classwork and fieldwork to earn her Master’s Degree in Applied Behavior Analysis with a concentration in Autism Spectrum Disorder.  She hopes to become a Board Certified Behavior Analyst after completing her education requirements.

Education:

University of Iowa, Bachelor’s Degrees in Psychology and Dance

Ball State University online, working on a Master’s Degree in Applied Behavior Analysis, concentration in Autism Spectrum Disorder

Certification/Licensure:

Certified by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board

Personal:

Bri and her husband moved to Knoxville from the Midwest in June 2023.  She loves exploring the beautiful landscape Tennessee has to offer, and has enjoyed finding a new favorite spot for iced coffee.  Bri enjoys taking dance classes in her free time, and has performed with local community dance organization Circle Modern Dance.

Nicole Falkenstein, OYR/L

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EXPERIENCE:

Nicole began working in pediatrics in 2019 with experience in outpatient and school settings in Florida and North Carolina. She enjoys working with children through play on sensory processing/self regulation, executive function, oculomotor skills, handwriting, social skills, and more. She joined the TEACH Group in May 2024.

EDUCATION:

Biola University,  Bachelors of Science in Kinesiology (2016)

East Carolina University, Masters of Science in Occupational Therapy (2018)

 

Certification/Licensure:

Tennessee State License in Occupational Therapy

Certified by National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT)

Personal:

Nicole enjoys spending her free time on the lake, walking/hiking, drinking coffee, playing games, and being with friends and family.

Tiffany Perry, ODT, OTR/L

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Practice Experience:

Tiffany has been practicing Occupational Therapy at the TEACH group since July 2024. Her clinical experience includes two Level II fieldworks completed through her education. One involved working with adults in an outpatient hand therapy clinic at UT and the other involved working with kids at an outpatient pediatric clinic in Johnson City, TN.

Education:

• Carson-Newman University, Bachelor of Arts in Psychology
• Lincoln Memorial University, Doctor of Occupational Therapy

Certification/Licensure:

• Tennessee State License in Occupational Therapy: #8010
• National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy: #512729

Organizations:

•American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA)

Personal:

Tiffany has been an East Tennessee native her whole life. She enjoys spending time with her family and being involved in her church. She also loves to bake homemade treats.

Liz Palmer, MACCC-SLP

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Practice Experience:

Liz has been using her Speech Language Pathologist Degree for the past 25 years in a variety of settings.  Throughout this time, Liz has spent time as a Speech Pathologist in public schools, private practices, and with her own practice.  The last 10 years, she has spent much of her time working with students with dyslexia in the school setting.  During this time, she has also served as the Director of the Elementary program for dyslexia at Berean Christian School, which has given her opportunities to work not only with students, but also with families, teachers, specialists, and administrators.  Prior to becoming a specialist in dyslexia, Liz worked closely with the Birth to Three population and specifically specialized in feeding.  She had opportunities to work with children in the home, as well as the clinic setting, and worked with individuals with a variety of disabilities.  She finds joy in serving others and helping individuals become all that God has called them to be!  She is excited to be at The TEACH Group and looks forward to growing and learning from such an amazing work community and group of specialists.

Education:

  • Reinhardt University, Associate of Arts in Education (1995)
  • University of Georgia, Bachelor of Education in Communication Science and Disorders (1997)
  • University of Tennessee, Master’s of Arts in Speech Pathology (1999)
  • Licensure/Certifications:
  • Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) in Speech Pathology, American
  • Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)
  • Speech Pathology State of Tennessee License, #2744
  • Trained in the Orton-Gillingham Literacy Program for Intervention
  • Trained in Framing Your Thoughts for Grammar Intervention
  • Trained in The Sequential-Oral-Sensory (SOS) Approach to Feeding

Personal:

Liz has been married to her husband, Eric, for 25 years.  They have two amazing children- Gracie who is 20 and Matthew who is starting his senior year at Berean Christian School.  They also have a large chocolate lab named Jeter, who is often mistaken as a horse or bear, because of his large size, but who is a joy to all of the family!  Eric and Liz have enjoyed coaching basketball together for the last 25 years.  Together, they also enjoy running, hiking, attending softball games, and traveling.  Liz thanks God for giving her a passion for children, for families, and for sports!

Amanda Butcher

Billing Specialist

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