Erin K. Nealy, MT-BC (above-left)

     Erin K. (Higginbotham) Nealy is the Director of Student and Employee Services at Helping Hands Center, and serves as the President of the Board of Directors. She is a board certified music therapist and was the founder and executive director of Hugs and Harmony Music Therapy, LLC in 2001, before helping to found Helping Hands Center. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Music Therapy from the University of Dayton, where she was trained in voice, piano, guitar, and flute.

     Erin’s clinical experience includes extensive treatment of children with Autism Spectrum disorder, as well as individual and group work with children ages 0-19 years in typical and special education settings, with physical and developmental disabilities; adults in psychiatric treatment facilities; and older adults in community and skilled nursing care facilities. She has served in such settings as the Children’s Medical Center (Dayton, OH), and Fairfax County Public Schools (Fairfax, VA).

     Erin has presented on Autism, Music Therapy, Special Education and a variety of other topics at various locations around the Central Ohio area. She has also worked with several different school districts as a clinician and consultant before founding Helping Hands Center for Special Needs.

Abigail S. David, M.S. CCC/SLP (above-right)

     Abigail S. David is the Director of Therapy Services at Helping Hands Center, and serves as the Vice President of the Board of Directors. She has been employed in the state of Ohio as a Speech Language Pathologist since 1998. She has extensive experience treating children with Autism in the areas of speech and language development focusing on social/pragmatic language skills, receptive and expressive language development, and articulation.

     Abby worked for the Wisconsin Early Autism Program as a lead therapist from 1994 to 1998, while completing her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Education and Speech Pathology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Abby worked in the public schools as a Speech Language Pathologist for students from pre-k to fifth grade. She worked with students with fluency issues, voice disorders, articulation/phonological disorders, receptive and expressive language delays, Down Syndrome, and Autism Spectrum Disorder.

     Abby has also had a wide range of experience working in private practice with children from 10 months to 12 years old with a range of disabilities. Abby enjoys incorporating oral motor, sensory integration, augmentative communication, picture boards, sign language, play therapy, and high energy and enthusiasm to best meet the needs of her clients.

♥ Individual and Group Instruction Classrooms Pre K through 5th Grade
♥ Speech Therapy
♥ Music Therapy
♥ Occupational Therapy
♥ Educational Consultation
♥ Psychological Services
♥ Social Skills Groups
♥ Summer Programs
♥ Parent Trainings
♥ Opportunities for Typical Peer Buddies

     Helping Hands Center for Special Needs is an education and therapy center for children with developmental disabilities. Our goal is to offer an integrated approach to meet your child’s individual needs. This collaborative effort combines professionals in the fields of music therapy, speech therapy, and occupational therapy, psychological, behavioral, and educational services.

     The board certified therapists and classroom teachers use principles of Applied Behavior Analysis and follow state and developmental standards to target individual language, social-emotional, motor, behavioral, and academic goals. Social interaction is targeted through the use of typical peer models.