Michaela earned her Doctorate of Physical Therapy from the University of Kansas Medical Center. Michaela has clinical experience working with the pediatric population during her school-based clinical rotation in the Lawrence School District, outpatient pediatric clinical rotation at Ability KC Therapeutic Learning Center, and throughout her acute rehabilitation clinical at Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital in Omaha. She had the opportunity to work with children aged 0-18 years old with a variety of developmental diagnoses including down syndrome, cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorder, as well as traumatic brain injuries, traumas, and orthopedic injuries.
During her time at KUMC, Michaela completed training through the LEND (Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities) Program. LEND consisted of experiencing clinical treatment, research, interdisciplinary class discussions, community experiences, family immersion, and advocacy within the government and community. Michaela collaborated on advancing and advocating for ABLE Fitness which was created to promote health and improve access to adaptive sports in the greater KC area.
Angela earned her Master of Physical Therapy degree from Rockhurst University in Kansas City in 2004. She also has her Bachelor of Science in Biology from Rockhurst University. Angela is a licensed therapist in both Kansas and Missouri.
Angela brings nearly 20 years of experience to the Playabilities team. Angela previously worked for a local school district and in a developmental preschool. She has experience working with a wide variety of medical conditions and levels of motor function in children from birth through 18 years of age. Angela has worked in a variety of pediatric settings and is excited to bring this experience and knowledge to Playabilities. Her pediatric experiences have included aquatic therapy, early intervention services, treadmill training, and kinesiotaping.
Angela has a passion for working with kids and helping them reach their greatest potential. She focuses on making therapy fun and strives to make functional home programs that are embedded within the child and family’s day. Angela firmly believes that parents, caregivers, and other family members are integral members of the therapy team. Her favorite part of working with kids is developing individualized treatment plans and celebrating a child’s successes – big or small along their journey.
Outside of work, Angela spends time with her husband and three boys. You will most likely find her cheering on her boys at their various sports and the hometown favorite – the KC Chiefs. In her free time, she enjoys exercising, traveling with her family, and reading.
Briauna (Bri) Bearned her Doctorate of Physical Therapy from the University of Kansas Medical Center. She was an intern at Playabilities her last semester of her undergrad and later was a tech as well. She found her passion for working with the pediatric population and in an interprofessional environment. Bri has clinical experience working with the pediatric population from her 12 week clinical rotation at a Children’s Mercy outpatient clinic. She had the opportunity to work with children aged 0-18 years old with a variety of developmental diagnoses, orthopedic conditions, Amplified Pain Syndrome, EDS, and more. She looks forward to growing her experiences and finding her areas of interest. During her time at KUMC, Bri completed training through the LEND (Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities) program. This consisted of experiencing clinical treatment, research, interdisciplinary class discussions, community experiences, family immersion, and advocacy in the government and community. With her classmate, Anna Hegarty, they continued to develop and promote “ablefitness.org”, previously developed by Adam Schnacker and Mackenzie Moore, a website used to promote health and improve access to adaptive sports in the greater KC area.
Bri was also a swim instructor with the Sensory Enhanced Aquatics program, a swimming and water safety program for children with autism spectrum disorders, and continues to sub when needed. Bri looks forward to building long term relationships with her patients and their families. She believes that family involvement in care is important and helps promote long term success.
In her free time, Bri enjoys walking her dogs, planning her wedding, playing pickle ball, playing yard games and board games with her family and friends, hosting dinner parties, playing golf with her fiancé, and cheering on the KC Chiefs and Royals and Kansas Jayhawks.
Katie earned her Doctorate of Physical Therapy degree from the University of Saint Mary. She attended the University of Kansas for her undergraduate degree where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science. Her pediatric clinical experiences consist of multiple pediatric settings including home health, early childhood intervention, and in outpatient pediatrics where she has treated a wide variety of medical conditions and levels of motor function. To further expand on her clinical knowledge, Katie has experience working with neurological injuries such as strokes, spinal cord injuries, and brain injuries in adults. Katie has a strong passion for working with children of all ages and abilities. Communicating success with their families is her favorite part!
Katie was born and raised in Kansas City. Outside of the clinic, you will most likely find her cheering on her Jayhawks and Chiefs, spending time with her dogs, or baking yummy treats to share with her family and colleagues!
Jenny earned her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree at Rockhurst University in Kansas City in 2013. After she received her degree, she moved to St. Louis, where she worked as a pediatric physical therapist in early intervention and in a pediatric outpatient clinic. Jenny and her husband moved to Kansas City in April 2017 and she has been with the Playabilities team since summer 2017. Jenny has experience with a wide variety of diagnoses including Autism, spina bifida, cerebral palsy, hemiplegia, hypotonia, torticollis, genetic duplications/deletions, and global developmental delay.
She specializes in infant and toddler development, but works with kids through 18 years. She enjoys working with children and helping them feel stronger and more confident in their bodies as they make progress with their gross motor skills. She focuses on integrating play into therapy. She believes that therapy continues beyond the clinic and works hard to involve the whole family, making it as functional and achievable as possible.
Outside of work, Jenny spends time with her husband, daughter and golden retriever. They enjoy traveling, taking walks, visiting family and playing outside.
Luke holds his Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from the University of Kansas School of Medicine in Kansas City, KS. He is a licensed physical therapist in both Kansas and Missouri. His areas of expertise include pediatric rehabilitation including NDT facilitation, manual therapy techniques, primitive reflexes, balance rehabilitation, and young athlete rehabilitation. Luke also works at Infant Toddler Services of Johnson Co., specializing in infants to 3-year olds.
He has served an autism diagnostic team administering ADOS (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule) and CARS (Child Autism Rating Scale) testing, while also providing therapies to children with autism. Luke has received training in family centered care, vision rehabilitation, torticollis therapy, NDT muscle facilitation, orthopedic rehab, feeding techniques, and orthotic implementation. He knows the importance of providing parents with knowledge and home treatment strategies for best success. Luke has always enjoyed the enthusiasm of children and feels lucky to help all kids achieve their best ability in order to play and interact with their peers.
He is a husband and father of 2 young children. He enjoys taking trips to the mountains or lake with his family, exploring Kansas City, and going to sporting events. He keeps active by biking, golfing, visiting friends, and going to parks with the family.
