Meet Kathy
Kathleen Berger founded Kris’ Camp in 1995. Kris’ Camp/Therapy Intensive Programs, Inc is an intensive therapy program for children with autism and their families that approaches autism as a cognitive motor sensory processing difference.
Kathleen received her B.S. in physical therapy from Northwestern University in 1984.
In May 2010, she went back to school to better understand the neurologic differences in persons with autism, specifically related to supported typing and other therapeutic supports. She received her M.S. in Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, at the University of Florida.
Her Master’s thesis “Skilled Movements in Autism: A review of the literature and two case studies.” included an extensive review of clinical and neuroanatomical findings of autism related to the sensory motor system. Kathleen then completed her PhD in Rehabilitation Science in August 2013.
She continues her clinical work at Kris’ Camp. Kathleen’s son, Kris, had a rare seizure disorder and autistic like challenges, presenting as an inability to speak with sever regulation challenges. Her passion and direction has been to better understand the sensory and movement differences that are unique to persons with autism.
About Accessing Autism
This website serves two purposes: 1) to inform educators, occupational, physical and speech therapists on the most recent research related to cognitive motor and sensory processing differences in persons with autism, and 2) to foster and promote research in cognitive motor and sensory processing differences in persons with autism, in order to optimize therapeutic interventions.
Historically, cognitive motor and sensory processing differences in persons with autism have been noted. The exact nature and underlying neurology of these differences, however, is an enigma. For example, Kanner’s remarks in his first descriptions of children with autism that all of the eleven parents that their child did not change their posture when the parent came in the room, or reached down to pick them up. In typical development this happens by four months of age.
As a physical therapist, and mother of a boy who had autism and severe regulation issues I began to question the common understanding of autism. To me, it wasn’t that my son, Kris, didn’t seek or want relationships, but rather that he wasn’t able to. He seemed to understand so much more than he could express.
We attended a 5-day intensive sensory motor-based therapy program three months before Kris died. I couldn’t stop puzzling over what program ingredients caused the huge changes I observed in Kris during that time. Eventually, I founded the therapy intensive respite program (www.kriscamp.org) in his memory that incorporated the key therapeutic ingredients I saw at Adam’s camp.
I directed T.I.P. for 15 years and observed gains in the clients we served over similar 5-day sessions. I returned to graduate school in 2006. I hoped to conduct research to answer questions such as
- Why do so many children with autism lead an adult to something they want by taking their hand?
- Why is it that Kanner observed that none of the children in his initial study changed their posture when someone approached, or as an infant, when a parent reached to pick them up?
- Why do persons with autism become prompt dependent after being taught a new skill?
- Why do so many people who know persons with autism say “He knows so much more than he can say.”
- What are the key ingredients of successful therapeutic interventions?
In May 2010 I received my M.S. in psychology, cognitive and behavioral neuroscience, and in August 2013 my PhD in Rehabilitation Science. My work in graduate school, combined with my clinical and parental expertise contribute to the information included on this website. I believe the information I have gathered will inform optimal treatment methods for persons with autism.
Thank you for visiting.