Children’s Therapy Services (CTS) is a community of highly qualified, like-minded, self-employed pediatric therapists who share a harmonious work-space environment and professional culture.
Denise Modolo, MOT, OTR/L became the owner and clinical director of Children’s Therapy Services (CTS) in 2017. Denise is inspired to continue the work and practice of her long-time colleague and mentor, Tona Wheeler, OTR/L. Denise earned a Masters in Occupational Therapy in 2000 from Samuel Merritt University and a Bachelors of Science in Kinesiology from SFSU. Since the start of her career she gained experience in a variety of school-based settings along with 15 solid years at the California Pacific Medical Center, Outpatient Child Development Center in SF and Marin. Denise took lead roles in the OT department during different relocation projects. Denise effectively worked among a multidisciplinary team of Developmental Pediatric Professionals providing OT assessments, individual OT intervention, social motor playgroups, and summer handwriting groups. In conjunction with her position at Cal Pacific Child Development Center, Denise began working in private practice in South San Francisco and then relocated to Marin at CTS. She is a skilled evaluator, administering a number of comprehensive developmental sensorimotor assessments per year since 2000. Careful implementation using a variety of therapeutic techniques is her priority. Denise is dedicated to continued education for highly individualized intervention. Her completed course work includes: SI, HWT’s, PEP, Wilbarger Protocol, Alert Program for Self-Regulation, Therapeutic Listening, MNRI, Mary Kwar Interventions, Bal-A-Vis-X, Zones of Regulation, IM, and S’cool Moves. Denise was born in San Francisco and raised in the Bay Area. She lives in Terra Linda in Marin County with her husband and daughter. Denise enjoys spending time with her family and friends and traveling to Brazil to spend time with her extended family.
Amy Gray, MA, OTR/L, earned her Masters degree in Occupational Therapy from University of Southern California (USC) in 1999, and has been working in pediatrics ever since. She currently works at the Child Development Center at CPMC, a multidisciplinary clinic for children and families, and has been there for 15 years. Amy has worked in a variety of pediatric settings, including several schools, sensory processing clinics, home health, and hospital settings. She has experience with a variety of developmental and behavioral challenges, as well as early intervention (babies to 3 years old). Amy is certified in administering the Sensory Integration and Praxis Test (SIPT), and has taken extensive continuing education in sensory processing. In addition, she has completed coursework in Therapeutic Listening, The Alert Program, Masgutova Neurosensorimotor Reflex Integration (MNRI), Perceptual Enrichment Program (PEP), NDT/Sensory processing, Handwriting without tears (HWT), SOS Approach to Feeding, Astronaut Training, and Social Thinking. Amy lives with her husband and son in San Rafael.
Karen Kovac Norman, OTR/L is a licensed Occupational Therapist. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Occupational Therapy with a minor in Human Development and Family Studies from Colorado State University. She began her career in adult inpatient rehabilitation focusing on neurological injuries, then worked in outpatient rehabilitation where she was also involved with hand therapy. Karen currently works at CPMC’s Kalmanovitz Child Development Center. She enjoys being part of the management team leading the department, supporting the creation of three separate locations with multiple child development professionals and is the OT student facilitator for the program. Program development, fundraising and community outreach continues to be a core value for Karen. Concurrently, she joined the CTS community in private practice to expand her expertise in supporting children with developmental needs. Karen has received training in the Perceptual Enrichment Program (PEP), Handwriting Without Tears, How Does Your Engine Run, Social Thinking with Michelle Garcia Winner, Upper Limb/Manual Skills (MNRI) with Svetlana Masgutova, Visual Rehabilitation for Pediatrics, Bal-A-Vis-Ex, Anxious Eaters with Marcia Dunn Klein and Yoga for the Special Needs Child With Anne Buckley Rein. Karen lives in Corte Madera. She has a daughter who recently graduated from CU Boulder and a daughter who is a junior at the University of Oregon.
Tona Wheeler, M.A., OTR/L, began Children’s Therapy Services, Inc. in 1996 as a way of serving children in Marin. Tona, currently retired and not seeing clients personally, continues to provide mentoring as needed, to support the high quality for care for the children and families at CTS. Tona’s extensive background in advanced trainings include skills in SI; NDT; DIR-Floortime; SOS Feeding Training; IM; MNRI; PEP; various Therapeutic Listening methods; HWT; various Self-Regulation and Social Skills programs; VPPS; Wilbarger Technique; Kawar Interventions; Bal-A-Vis-X, and S’Cool Moves. She graduated from Colorado State University with a BS in Occupational Therapy and from San Francisco State University with an MA in Education of Exceptional Children. She has enjoyed working with children as a Special Education teacher, as a High-Scope trained preschool teacher and as a Pediatric Occupational Therapist. As an OT, she has worked for CCS; for local school districts; Oak Hill School; Marin Head Start; and enjoyed 20 years at CPMC’s Child Development Center. Tona and her husband raised four children in a mini-farm setting in West Marin.