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Our Admin Staff & Occupational Therapists

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Marianne Rho

Founder/Owner

Marianne Rho, founder of Connect the Dots, has been a pediatric occupational therapist since 1998. Upon graduating magna cum laude from the University of Southern California with a Bachelors of Science in Occupational Therapy, she has immersed herself in the pediatric world. Her background includes experiences with clinic, home and school based sessions, with children of all ages and diagnoses. To continue her expertise with young children, she obtained a Masters of Arts in Early Childhood Special Education at Teachers College, Columbia University. In 2002, she became SIPT (Sensory Integration Praxis Test) certified from the University of Southern California/Western Psychological Services. In 2005, she became certified as a Chair Yoga Instructor, learning how to adapt and teach yoga to children who have difficulties working on the floor.

Marianne was recently featured in a FOX5 News Television Interview discussing school-aged children wearing masks and also collaborated with Bloom to offer ideas on Things You Can Do With Your Baby in a Bouncer Right Now.

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Kristina Maisonet

Office Maisonet

New York native, Kristina Maisonet, is a graduate of Hunter Community College with a degree in Social Work with a focus in Child Welfare. Kristina is driven by a strong passion to assist others, as well as a love for children.

In accordance with her passion and specialization in Child Welfare, Kristina has spent the past few years working and interning at organizations for children with a wide range of educational and physical needs. Her extensive history in working with Preschool children is what drove her desire to the social work field and gave her the insight into what she hopes to turn into her career.

Outside of school and work, Kristina loves to spend her time relaxing with a good book or with family. She looks forward to continuing her education and applying it to all areas in her life and career. 

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Theresa Schneider

Occupational Therapist

Originally from Seattle, Washington, Theresa Schneider now calls Brooklyn home. After studying documentary photography at Seattle University and Sociology at Hunter College, she earned her Master’s in Occupational Therapy from Columbia University. She has enjoyed working with CTD since 2015 in a variety of settings from charter schools to public pre-k. Theresa is committed to working with children and their families to promote more engaged and independent lifestyles at school and home. In her spare time, Theresa is the vice-president of The World Lens Foundation, an international non-profit, dedicated to arts education.

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Fizza Jaffari

Occupational Therapist

Fizza Jaffari went to undergrad at Stony Brook and also graduated from Stony Brook Universitys Occupational Therapy program in 2015. She is originally from upstate NY in a small town named Newburgh (it is close to the Woodbury Commons). She loves working with kids and am currently working in a pre-school, high-school and a sensory gym all in the NYC area. She also loves different cultural foods which is one of the reasons she loves being in NYC. She loves staying active, trying new foods, and going to museums. She also loves being part of the CTD family and thinks it has truly been a great experience thus far.

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Zoë Makowsky

Occupational Therapist

Zoë Makowsky, originally from New Jersey, is a graduate of Boston University’s combined BS/MSOT program. She has a great deal of experience working with children as a day camp counselor, and currently provides occupational therapy services at a preschool and middle school. Zoë enjoys being active and creative, exploring the city, and trying new foods. She is very happy to be part of the Connect the Dots organization, and looks forward to collaborating with families and helping children seek independence in their lives.

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Sue Sonkin

Occupational Therapist

Sue Sonkin is an occupational therapist with a rich and diverse background. She was an innovator in the field of Early Intervention opening a center offering multidisciplinary services for children and families with special needs. She holds certifications in sensory integration testing and Tomatis, a highly sought listening program for children and adults with sensory processing and other issues. Sue lives in New Jersey.

Sue Sonkin, MS, OTR/L

Tomatis Consultant (Level 4)

Listen For Change

www.listen-for-change.com

New York City, Fort Lee, NJ & Westchester

(914) 714-0112

(914) 268-9478 fax

 

Tomatis® training by itself is not an FDA approved stand-alone program (as is the case with all sound interventions) and is not recognized in the USA as a medical intervention that seeks medical reimbursement. At our center we focus on occupational therapy services in a one to one ratio and we add Tomatis® training as one of our many tools.

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Seema Gulrajani

Occupational Therapist

Seema Gulrajani is a California girl working and living in New York City.  She graduated with a M.S in Occupational Therapy from the California State University, Dominguez Hills in 2013.  Seema has been working with children with special needs since graduating college in 2007, this includes working as an ABA therapist, volunteering in Costa Rica and Russia in special need homes and now as a Pediatric OT with Connect the Dots.  She is currently working as a school OT and an in home therapist for early intervention.

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Lindsey Britt

Occupational Therapist

Lindsey Britt is a pediatric occupational therapist who currently works with children at a medical day care and a long-term care unit for kids.   She received her dual bachelor's degree of early childhood/special education from West Chester University and her master's degree in OT from Salus University.  Lindsey works with babies with various abilities to reach their milestones in all areas of development including gross motor skills, fine motor skills, visual abilities, and sensory processing.   In order to meet all of her patients' diverse needs, Lindsey uses a creative, child-centered approach while incorporating play skills and social engagement.  She treats each child as an individual, finding motivating and exciting play activities while simultaneously challenging them to grow and improve.  Lindsey works closely with parents/guardians to provide strategies for home carry-over and improve child/caregiver bonding.  She is excited to bring her experience and knowledge to the NJ community in the homes of children, as well as leading many enrichment classes at Kidville!

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