Developmental Therapist

Posted on: 2008-03-26

Brenda R. Atkinson 1905 Rita Avenue St. Charles, IL 60174 630-945-3344 [email protected] Education: Doctoral Coursework in Adolescent Development University of Wisconsin-Madison - 45 hours Master of Science Human Development & Family Studies, Texas Tech University Elementary Teaching Certificate, Eastern Michigan University Bachelor of Arts in Human Relations Judson College, Elgin, Illinois Professional Experience: Developmental Therapist, 2004-current Early Steps Developmental Consulting, St. Charles, IL  Private practice consulting as a Developmental Therapist and Child Development Specialist  Services include developmental screenings with follow-up activity plan, individual consultations on effective discipline techniques, guidelines for early brain stimulation, dealing with family or career transitions Adult Programs Associate, 2005-2007 Christ Community Church, St. Charles, IL  Point-person for Adult Programs and Events.  Directed communication, registration and follow-up procedures for ongoing programs and annual events.  Designed and maintained department Website.  Partnered with Community Outreach Agencies as appropriate  Worked with 100+ volunteer leaders in various positions F.I.R.S.T. Program Director, 1997-2003 Summit Academy, Elgin, Illinois  Researched, developed/implemented program for parents & toddlers.  Responsible for annual Marketing, Publications/Advertising and Budget.  Developed Activities for parents to use as in-class curriculum.  Wrote Monthly Newsletter to supplement parent instruction at home.  Taught monthly community parent lectures on age appropriate topics.  Conducted ongoing evaluations/assessments with parent and child.  Provided counseling service as needed for transition to parenting Assistant Dean of Academic Services, 1993-1997 Judson College, Elgin, Illinois  Supervised all operations of the Registration and Records Office  Directed all Academic Support Services: Academic Testing, Student Advisement, Peer Tutoring, Freshman Year Mentoring, Distance Learning.  Partnered with Career Services to support the transition of graduates.  Conducted Orientations for new Adjunct Faculty  Acted as liaison between department chairpersons and Academic VP  Served as Commencement Chair and Foreign Student Advisor.  Performed the general duties of an Administrative Faculty position via committee and teaching assignments in education and psychology divisions. College Registrar, 1988-1997 Judson College, Elgin, Illinois  Coordinated registration, grading, degree audit and transcript procedures.  Coordinated with Career Services to develop and distribute student referral materials.  Negotiated transfer agreements with area colleges.  Completed ongoing eligibility screening for student Athletes.  Responsible for annual Class Schedule and College Catalog.  Contributed to and implemented Academic Policy Changes.  Transitioned registration, grading procedures to a web-based system.  Began planning process for online coursework.  Began the planning process for online and continuing education coursework Other Professional Activities: Member, Erickson Institute’s Faculty Project on the Brain. Piloted modules developed by the Institute at Judson College. Participated in feedback sessions with other area faculty. Co-author, Grand Victoria Foundation Grant. Grant supported 12 area Early Childhood professionals’ training in Boston at the Brazelton Institute and follow-up workshops in the Fox Valley area. Founder, Fox Valley Area Birth to Three Resource Group, an association of Birth to Three professionals who met to network, share resources and streamline services to families. Certifications: Brazelton Institute Community-Level Touchpoints Trainer NBAS Certified (Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale) Certified to Administer Denver II, Battell and HELP assessments PAT (Parents as Teachers) Administrator Level Training Other Professional Experience: Adjunct Faculty Judson University, Elgin, Illinois Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois  Taught courses on a part-time basis in Child Development, Human Growth and Development, Adolescent Development, Family Relations and Counseling, College Success, Peer Tutoring, Group Process and Personal/Interpersonal Relations. Elementary School Teacher, llinois Park School, Elgin, Illinois  Team-taught fifth and sixth grade students.  Semi-open classroom format, social studies specialist. Director, Child Development Center Department of Human Development and Family Studies Texas Tech University  Day-to-day administration of the university preschool program as well as enrollment and program development.  Responsibilities included, supervision of staff, communications with parents, budgeting, requisition and purchasing, as well as implementation of state requirements Head Teacher, Child Development Center Department of Human Development and Family Studies Texas Tech University  Position involved full responsibility for curriculum development and program implementation for a half-day preschool program for four and five year olds, as well as instruction/modeling for undergraduate child development majors.  Additional responsibilities included developmental assessment of children, parent conferences and evaluation/advisement of undergraduate students. Producer, Psychology Talk Show KSTP AM Radio, St. Paul, Minnesota  Program planning, development and production for an on-air talk show featuring a well-known area psychologist.  Program preparation involved selection of programs, topic research, selection and coordination of guest experts Research Associate, Department of Child and Family Studies University of Wisconsin-Madison  Supervised graduate research associates in data gathering.  Conducted in-depth interviews with early adolescents and their parents.  Developed a coding system for interview data. Other Experience: Restaurant/Hotel Experience Jimmy’s Charhouse, Elgin IL Port Edwards, Algonquin, IL The Registry Hotel, Minneapolis, MN Hyatt Hotels, Minneapolis, MN Giorgios, Lubbock, TX Tara, Lubbock, TX The Newporter Resort, Newport Beach, CA Retail/Sales Experience: Jewel Foods Chef’s Kitchen Deli United Postal Service Houghton Mifflin (Inside Sales) Pampered Chef (Outside Sales) Weekenders (Outside Sales)