Meet the ESU 10 Special Education Staff

Margie Kimball
Speech/Language Pathologist

My name is Margie Kimball. I am a speech/language pathologist living in Callaway. I provide services to the students in Arnold two days each week and in Callaway the other three days of the week. My present caseload includes children ranging in age from 17 months through high school and with a variety of disabilities and abilities. No day is ever the same. That keeps my job interesting and full of surprises!!

I have been an employee of ESU 10 since my graduation from what was then Kearney State College. (WOW!!!!! That was a loooooooooooong time ago!) My husband operates Progressive Fertilizer in Callaway, and we have three grown daughters and one granddaughter.

The Special Education field has been an ever-changing one, but has provided a very rewarding career for me.

Amy Schnacker, OTR/L
Occupational Therapist

Occupational therapy (OT) helps individuals engage in everyday activities or “occupations.” The role of school-based service is to support student learning and appropriate behavior that leads to student achievement and school success. In addition to working directly with students, occupational therapists collaborate with teachers, administrators, and parents.

Below is a summary of some of what I have done in the schools to which I provide services (Amherst, SEM, Overton, Cozad, Elm Creek, and Arnold) this year.

Consultation
Consult with the educational team to prevent disability or assist in creating, modifying, and maintaining a child’s skills. Collaborate with members of the team to:
• Demonstrate lifting techniques to use with non-ambulatory children
• Provide information about fine motor developmental skills, handwriting strategies, visual motor skills, sensory motor skills, and accommodations for an optimal learning environment

Early Intervention Services and Supports
Promote a variety of experiences that can benefit all students, not just those with disabilities, and which may assist in early identification and prevention of difficulties:
• Proper pencil grasp
• Handwriting techniques and strategies
• Organization of desk and materials for easy accessibility
• Adapting activities
• Social skills/problem solving

Assistance with Classroom Modifications
Adapt environments and materials so they are more accessible to students:
• Designing environments that promote attention and decrease sensory distractions
• Assisting teachers in choosing age-appropriate materials and adapting them to increase accessibility
• Providing suggestions for appropriate instructional and testing accommodations

Direct Services
• Evaluation of postural control, ocular motor control, motor planning, sensory processing, bilateral motor coordination, fine motor control/strength, and visual perceptual skills to identify a student’s strengths and needs in order to develop educationally relevant goals and objectives for a student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP)
• Direct services with the child either within the classroom, in small groups/pairs, or in individual sessions

I am married to Layne Schnacker, owner of LST trucking. We have a dog named, Lucky, and have recently completed the building of our new house on 15 acres outside of Amherst. I enjoy walking, snow skiing, water skiing, deer hunting, and camping. I am an active member of the Nebraska OT Association, on the advisory board for Nebraska Equine Assisted Therapy, and enjoy spending time with children, family, and friends.

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