New Board Members

Easterseals Crossroads is honored to announce the engagement of two new members to our Board of Directors. Our Board members are leaders in our community who share our purpose and passion to improve the lives of children and adults with special needs and disabilities.
This group of forward-thinking, innovative men and women help us advance our message to promote inclusion, independence and dignity for everyone living in our community.
We welcome Julie K. Keck, MD, and Stacey McCreery and we look forward to our partnerships with you both.
photo of Julie Keck MDJulie K. Keck, MD, Anthem, Inc.
Julie has been a Medical Director for Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield’s Indiana Medicaid Plan since 2013.  She is double boarded in pediatrics and neurodevelopmental disabilities.  She spent 10 years at Riley Children’s Hospital in the Section of Developmental Pediatrics taking care of children and youth with special health care needs and directing the Neurodevelopmental Disabilities Residency Program.

She is married to John Champley who is a pediatrician at Northpoint Pediatrics. They have 2 children and live on a family farm in Noblesville.


photo of Stacey McCreeryStacey McCreery, ROI Search Group
Stacey is Founder and President for ROI Search Group, an executive search and consulting firm, who focuses on specialized recruitment of top talent. With more than 20 years in finance, operations, and leading teams, she has a strong passion for people. Previously Stacey had an extensive tenure as Executive Director of Indiana University Health. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University and received her MBA from Keller Graduate School.

Stacey is active in the community with various committee, board and leadership roles with Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church, IU Alumni Association Central Indiana Chapter, Health Financial Management Association (HFMA), Commissioner’s Tax Advisory Council for the Indiana Department of Revenue, and Anna’s Celebration of Life Foundation. Stacey lives in Fishers with her husband, son and their three dogs and loves to travel in her spare time as well as teach at Indiana University.

2021-06-29T12:51:49-04:00July 23, 2018|Our Blog|

Expressing Emotions

Emmaleigh Badeaux, MA, and Tracy Gale, PsyD, HSPP, Easterseals Crossroads
Every parent wants their child to be able to express their emotions in a healthy manner. Children are not born with an understanding of feelings, and one of our jobs, as parents, is to teach them how to appropriately identify, express, and manage their emotions. Here are some everyday strategies to improve your child’s emotional intelligence:
Teach your child to label emotions. Children need to learn a “feelings vocabulary” in order to identify and express their feelings. Teach this by explaining how actions or experiences may cause certain feelings, such as, “When your brother takes your toy, you feel angry. I can tell that you are angry because your eyebrows are pushed together and you are yelling.” It may be helpful to make a list of words that describe emotions to help your child express their feelings.
Consistently use “feeling” words. Integrate “feeling” words into your day, using yourself and others as examples. Express your feelings aloud, saying for example, “Traffic bothers me. When I am sitting in traffic, I feel nervous about being late. When I am nervous, it helps if I take deep breaths.” When reading books together, have your child label the emotions of the characters based on their words or facial expressions. Make it a game by acting out different feelings. Show happiness by smiling, or fear by widening your eyes, and then have your child guess your feelings.
Rewind and re-try. If your child experienced a strong emotion and could not label it, refer to it later. Such experiences are “teachable moments.” Coach your child through the appropriate vocabulary they could have used and discuss more appropriate ways to manage emotions, such as asking for help, asking for a turn, or counting to 10. Try to catch your child while they are feeling strongly and guide them through labeling, expressing, and managing their feeling.
When children feel confident about acknowledging and managing their feelings, they are more likely to do so and can be better equipped in emotionally-laden situations. Children who have such skills are more likely to succeed academically, behaviorally, and socially.

2021-06-29T12:51:49-04:00July 12, 2018|Our Blog|

Highlighting our Partners

Easterseals Crossroads is fortunate to have some AMAZING community partners. We were happy to hear what they have to say about us in this short video that we prepared last spring. Our partners work with us as sponsors for events and programs and they volunteer with us for days of service.
We would love to work with your group or with you individually! Contact us to see how you can become involved and help us take on disability together!
image of Tracy Hutton CEO Century 21 Scheetz

2021-06-29T12:51:49-04:00July 3, 2018|Our Blog|

Summer Enrichment Strategies for your Child

Emmaleigh Badeaux, MA, and Tracy Gale, PsyD, HSPP, Easterseals Crossroads
School might not be in session, but your children still have access to their favorite teacher – you! As a parent, you are uniquely qualified to teach your child in ways that he/she will enjoy. You can use your extensive knowledge of your child’s interests to maintain and strengthen academic skills.
Consider incorporating the following strategies into your summer plans to prevent summer learning loss:

  • Toward the end of the year, pay attention to the work that is coming home. Ask the teacher about your child’s present level of performance and what content would be helpful for you to review. You will be better able to build upon your child’s current skills if you know what concepts he/she was beginning to learn and those skills that have already been mastered.
  • Summer is a time to review the basics and gain confidence in applying them. Be sure to limit the presentation of new material that may be frustrating or overwhelming for your child.
  • Seize learning opportunities as they arise. Emphasize the math in daily activities, such as calculating the cost of the items on your grocery list, how long the family road trip will take or how the measured ingredients will change if a recipe is doubled. Math is more than calculation; it relies on counting, sorting, pattern recognition and other elements of spatial reasoning. Try similar activities to practice reading skills.
  • Keep it fun! Children spend the entire school year learning in a more structured manner. Use summer to provide opportunities to learn in messy, creative and unusual ways.

After your child has put effort into their learning, be sure to reward him/her with something fun. After all, it is summer!

2021-06-29T12:51:49-04:00June 27, 2018|Our Blog|

Meet our CampAbility Staff

Our CampAbility campers enjoy all the fun of summer with themed activities, field trips, horseback riding, outdoor play and more.
Our counselors are the BEST and we could not offer all of this fun for our campers without their experience, creativity and leadership!

Maggie Bill • Counselor

photo of Maggie BillMaggie is excited to be working at camp this summer! She just graduated from Saint Louis University whose mascot is the Billiken. The Billiken is supposed to be a fierce-looking creature who (she thinks) looks more like a goblin made of marshmallows!
She studied speech-language pathology and will go to Purdue next year for graduate school. When not at camp this summer, Maggie will be traveling to her family’s lake where she loves to canoe, water ski and swim. She also loves to read and spend time with her dog Buddy. Maggie is excited to meet all the campers!

Maggie Campbell • Counselor

photo of Maggie CampbellMaggie just graduated from Hamilton Southeastern high school and she will attend Indiana University in the fall to study occupational therapy. Maggie loves spending time with her friends and family. Maggie enjoyed unified track during high school and she was part of the school’s peer tutoring program. Maggie loves meeting new people; she is so excited to be part of CampAbility!

Jodi Churchill • Behavior Specialist

photo of Jodi ChurchillThis is Jodi’s fourth year at camp as the behavior specialist and she is so excited to be back! Jodi graduated in 2008 from Indiana University with degrees in psychology and criminal justice.
She has been working with kids with various emotional and developmental disabilities for 9 years; it is truly her passion! During the school year she works in the PACES program at Nora Elementary School. In her free time, Jodi loves being with friends and family laughing and having fun!

Courtney King • Assistant Lead Counselor

photo of Courtney KingThis is Courtney’s second year with CampAbility. She just graduated from Anderson University where she studied elementary education, special education and nonprofit leadership.
Next year, she will begin graduate school for speech-language pathology at Purdue University. Courtney is one of four kids; she is a triplet born on Leap Day (February 29)! Some of her favorite things to do are hiking, reading, playing sports and almost anything outside. Courtney is excited to work with CampAbility again and meet all the campers!

Jennifer King • Counselor

photo of Jennifer KingThis is Jennifer’s first year working at CampAbility. She is a sophomore at Belmont University in Nashville (TN) where she is studying neuroscience and pre-occupational therapy. Some of her favorite hobbies are hiking, listening to music, reading, baking and exploring outside. She is excited to be working with CampAbility and is thrilled to spend the summer with y’all!

Amanda Laughland • Counselor

photo of Amanda LaughlandAmanda is a second grade school teacher. When not at school, she is at the gym teaching fitness classes. She also enjoys running races or running just for fun with her fiance or the Speedway Running Club. Amanda is looking forward to making memories with the kids at camp this year!

Jessica MacLean • Assistant Lead Counselor

photo of Jessica MacLeanJessica is a graduate of Indiana University where she studied violin performance and neuroscience. She is now pursuing a master’s degree in music therapy with undergraduate equivalency at the University of Miami. This is her second summer at CampAbility, and she could not be more excited to return! Jessica is a classroom assistant and will also be leading music activities during the week. She is most looking forward to meeting the campers and having fun with them! In her free time, Jessica enjoys yoga, running, spending time with family and all sorts of food-related adventures (especially baking).

Sarah Satterfield • Counselor

photo of Sarah SatterfieldSarah is a sophomore at Miami University (the Miami in Ohio; unfortunately not the Miami with the beach!). In her free time, she loves to paint, paddleboard and hike with her four dogs. Sarah volunteers and works at both a hippotherapy and ABA therapy center, and she is a peer aide in her high school’s life skills classroom and Best Buddies Club. This is Sarah’s first summer at camp and she cannot wait to meet everyone!

Megan Saunders • Assistant Lead Counselor

photo of Megan SaundersMegan is a senior psychology and Spanish major at Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois. Her hobbies include drinking copious amounts of coffee and reading. Megan has been involved with CampAbility for the past three years and she can’t wait to be a part of this incredible experience this summer as well!

Alexa Susemichel • Assistant Lead Counselor

photo of Alexa SusemichelAlexa is a junior at Ball State University majoring in exercise science with a minor in the psychology of human development and a concentration in occupational therapy. This is her second year at CampAbility and she is so happy to be back. She cannot wait to see returning campers and meeting many more; she is very excited about all of the fun adventures and experiences we will have creating friendships with all of the campers.

Jenn Switalski • Counselor

photo of Jenn SwitalskiJenn is super excited to work her first year at camp. She loves working with the kids and staff at Parents Night Out and she couldn’t wait to discover another way to be involved with Easterseals Crossroads! During the school year, she is an English as a new language teacher at Spring Mill Elementary in Washington Township, and she has over 10 years classroom teaching experience. Jenn loves being outside, playing volleyball, camping and hiking. She has two dogs and two cats at home, and she loves reading, binging Netflix series and watching live music.

2021-06-29T12:51:49-04:00June 20, 2018|Our Blog|

Meet our CampAbility Lead Counselor Staff

CampAbility is a day camp for children with disabilities who are ages 4 – 10. Campers enjoy many of the traditional camp experiences, which include horseback riding, outdoor play, crafts, games, field trips and more.
CampAbility relies heavily on the skills and creativity of our counselors – individuals who dedicate themselves to providing experiences that will someday become fun summer memories for our campers.
Meet our Lead Counselors this year:

Tim Blanusa • Lead Counselor

photo of Tim BlanusaThis is Tim’s fourth year at CampAbility. During the school year, Tim is a 4th grade resource teacher. He is so excited to have the opportunity to work with your campers this summer! In his free time, Tim loves to cook and is currently raising a puppy.

Hannah Fogo • Lead Counselor

photo of Hannah FogoThis is Hannah’s fourth year at CampAbility and her first year as a lead counselor. She just graduated from the University of Indianapolis with a degree in elementary and special education and will be a resource teacher next school year in MSD Lawrence Township.
Hannah is extremely excited for all of the fun, new things that we will be doing at camp this year.

Tim Keating • Lead Counselor

photo of Tim KeatingThis is Tim’s fifth year of camp. He has his bachelor’s degree in social work and his master’s degree in special education and currently works for Washington Township as a special education teacher and at Easterseals Crossroads Parents Night Out program.
In the past, Tim has worked at a camp for adults with disabilities, his college’s student disability services office, in home and community based hours with adults with autism and ABA therapy. Tim is excited to see returning campers and meet all the new ones. He is ready for a summer filled with fun!

2021-06-29T12:51:49-04:00June 14, 2018|Our Blog|

Meet our Camp FUEL Staff

Camp FUEL is a camp for adolescents with disabilities and special needs who are ages 11 – 17 years old. Campers enjoy full days consisting of field trips, peer interaction, peer mentoring, special guests and more!
We are revved up for summer fun this year with our campers and our counselors!

FUEL Counselors

Meghan Doyle • Lead Counselor

photo of Meghan DoyleMeghan is a six-year middle school resource teacher in Indianapolis. In 2017, she taught in Thailand for the year. In her free time, she likes to coach cheerleading, go to Orange Theory Fitness, read books in her hammock and eat lots of different types of food. She loves her dogs Willow (a pug) and Mowgli (a Rottweiler), her husband Joe, and Purdue University (Boiler Up)! Meghan is SO excited to be at camp where she hopes to bring positivity, friendships, growth and lots of fun!

Katie Lawless • Counselor

photo of Katie LawlessKatie works at North Central High School doing job training with seniors during the school year, and she can’t wait to have fun with your kids at camp FUEL this summer!
Katie really likes to stay busy, and when she is not working or keeping up with her busy teenage daughter, she likes to travel! So far she has been to Mexico, Ireland and Italy. Planning the trip is half the fun!

Joe Mattingly • Counselor

photo of Joe MattinglyJoe is excited to be a camp counselor for Camp FUEL this summer! He was born and raised in Indianapolis and he attended Little Flower for grade school and later Cathedral High School.
He has a degree in education from Indiana University and has spent the past several years working in Beech Grove City Schools working with students with special needs.
His hobbies include watching movies (lots of them!), being a huge Cubs fan and watching lots of IU basketball and college football. He is excited to work with everyone at Camp FUEL this summer!

Sydnee Piercefield • Counselor

photo of Sydnee PiercefieldSydnee is a senior at Taylor University studying elementary and special education. Her hobbies include binge watching Netflix with friends, drinking coffee, being outside and reading a good book.
She is passionate about education, disability and service — especially with students in transitional stages. Sydnee is so excited to be part of Easterseals Crossroads and Camp FUEL this summer!

2021-06-29T12:51:50-04:00June 11, 2018|Our Blog|

Sounds of Summer and Cool Hands

Sounds of Summer

This summer, don’t let your child lose ground with his/her speech progress. Keep the momentum going with our six- week summer articulation program starting June 11, 2018!
Who is Eligible to Attend
Children who are preschool through incoming third grade will benefit from this six-week program. Students must have a current IEP with articulation goals; please send copy of a current IEP with registration form.

Program Structure
The program involves six 30-minute sessions with no more than two children per group. All sessions are conducted by licensed speech-language pathologists.

When and Where
June 11 through July 20, 2018 | Various times
The class will take place once a week for six weeks at Easterseals Crossroads main location (52nd and Keystone) at 4740 Kingsway Drive, Indianapolis, IN 46205.

Parents/caregivers must state preferred times to attend from the lists below; actual class times will then be assigned based on preferences stated.
Session Times
Mondays | 8:30 – 9:00 | 9:00 – 9:30 | 9:30 – 10:00
Wednesdays | 9:30 – 10:00 | 10:00 – 10:30 | 10:30 – 11:00
Thursdays | 2:00 – 2:30 | 2:30 – 3:00 | 3:00 – 3:30 | 3:30 – 4:00

Other Details
All sessions are provided by licensed speech-language pathologists. Cost of the six-week class is $150 per student; $50 deposit is required with completed registration form and balance is due the week of June 11, 2018.

Cool Hands

Give your child a helping hand on his/her pre-writing skills with our fun, six-session summer program starting June 13, 2018!
Who is Eligible to Attend
The group will be held for children ages 5 through 7 who will be entering kindergarten or first grade in August 2018. A copy of the child’s IEP/ISP will be required (if applicable) with completed registration form.

Program Cool Hands is designed to provide intervention by occupational therapists to small groups in order to develop the underlying or foundational skills needed for learning to write. While the therapists do work on printing of letters, this program is not meant to teach handwriting. Some of the skills that will be addressed may include hand strength, finger and hand dexterity, eye-hand coordination, motor planning and visual scanning. Activities may include games, crafts and small group instruction.
When and Where
June 13 through July 25, 2018 | Wednesdays | 8:30 a.m. – 10 a.m. (no session July 4)

Sessions will take place once a week for six weeks, at Easterseals Crossroads main location (52nd and Keystone) at 4740 Kingsway Drive, Indianapolis, IN 46205.
Other Details
All sessions are provided by occupational therapists. Cost of the six-session series is $169 per child; $50 deposit is required with completed registration form and balance is due on June 13, 2018.

Contact Karen Kelley at kkelley@eastersealscrossroads.org or 317.479.3236 to register or learn more about Sounds of Summer or Cool Hands.

2021-06-29T12:51:50-04:00June 5, 2018|Our Blog|

This is Audrey

We provide physical, occupational and speech-language therapy services for children. Our therapists make therapy as fun as possible to ensure that children have the best environment to learn and gain independence. Play is a huge part of a child’s life and 5-year-old Audrey loves to watch movies, do puzzles, play games and (not) eat what her parents want her to eat!

Audrey was born with arthrogryposis multiplex congenital, which affects her muscles and her joints. She uses a walker and leg braces to walk and she is “just starting to realize that she is different and not like other kids at her school,” according to mom Ashley.
“Being in kindergarten has made Audrey want to work harder in therapy. I think she is getting a deeper understanding that she is not like other children she sees every day. One of Audrey’s goals is to walk more independently with her walker instead of using her wheelchair,” said Ashley.
Our physical therapists work with children to help them maximize ability. “Part of being independent is realizing what you need to make your independent. Audrey’s braces allow her to be independent. It’s priceless for me to see a child achieve more and do more because of therapy,” said Audrey’s physical therapist.
“What Audrey has done in therapy is helping her gain more confidence and want to do things on her own. Easterseals Crossroads is like an extended part of our family. I don’t know what we would do without them,” said dad Chris.
Easterseals Crossroads is dedicated to providing quality therapy services for children with disabilities and their families. We know the importance of working hard and playing often to achieve milestones and maximize independence.

2021-06-29T12:51:50-04:00May 18, 2018|Our Blog|

Career Expo 2018

Are you seeking a career that matches your skills? If you are, join us for 

Career Expo 2018 | Wednesday, May 16 | 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Easterseals Crossroads has partnered with the State of Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services and Sycamore Services to bring employers and qualified candidates together for our fifth, one-day career event.
You must be a job seeker with a disability to attend Career Expo 2018. You can attend during the morning between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. or during the afternoon between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. You will have the opportunity to attend a special workshop Networking and Making the Best Impression offered at 9:30 a.m. Limited space available for workshop.
Registration deadline is May 14, 2018. Come dressed to impress — just as though you were preparing for an interview — and discover job opportunities at Career Expo!

Businesses attending Career Expo 2018

SPONSORS: Corporate Cleaning Systems, FedEx Express and Huntington Bank
Andy Frain Services | Benchmark Human Services | Cintas | Community Health Network | Crossroads Industrial Services | Enterprise Holdings | Fastenal | Goodwill Industries | Huser SpecialCare | Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis | Kroger | Southeastrans | Teachers Credit Union | Towne Park | UPS | YMCA of Greater Indianapolis | and more!
Career Expo is free, but please register by May 14 to attend.

2021-06-29T12:51:50-04:00April 27, 2018|Our Blog|
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