Meet the Team

Charity Higgins, MOT, OTR/L, ASDCS

Occupational Therapist, Owner

Charity has been working in the pediatric OT field since 2007. Since getting her Masters in Occupational Therapy from Nova Southeastern University in Ft. Lauderdale, she has worked in a variety of pediatric settings including private practice, daycare’s, public and private schools, and homes. Puttential, Inc. was created in 2009 with the vision of integrating Occupational Therapy and the game of golf. Later, in 2013, Kidz Therapy Zone was established to better serve clients sensory and developmental needs. The therapy clinic allows for greater Sensory Integration interventions and co treating with Speech and Language therapists. KTZ offers services in a warm, friendly, and positive environment. With continuing education in Sensory Processing and Regulation, Therapeutic Listening, Interactive Metronome, Handwriting Without Tears, Vision Therapy and Reflex Integration principles, Charity and her colleagues treat children of all ages and skill levels with a holistic approach to maximize learning and development. Charity and her staff have a passion for helping children reach their highest potential.

Outside of KTZ, Charity enjoys watching her son play baseball, and helping her daughter make slime (she is a slime guru!).

Mariela Rivera, COTA/L

Mariela completed her studies at Keiser University and became a COTA/L in 2011. Since earning her certification, she has worked solely with the pediatric population, providing services in an outpatient clinic, home health and in school settings. She is trained in Interactive Metronome, and the Handwriting Without Tears programs. Other continuing education courses have focused on Sensory Processing Disorders and Sensory Integration.

She has a passion for the profession and for helping children make improvements that will undoubtedly change their life. During her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and the outdoors.

Kristy Gillham, OTR/L

Kristy is a national and State of Florida licensed and certified Occupational Therapist. She completed her studies at St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa and became an OTR/L in 1998.  Since certification, she has worked in both the pediatric and adult populations. Kristy has worked with children in a variety of settings including outpatient clinic, schools, daycares, and home health. 

Kristy and her family moved to Florida from Illinois in July 2019.  She was previously early intervention credentialed in Illinois and has recently become credentialed to provide early intervention services in Florida. Kristy has experience and training in Handwriting Without Tears, Sensory Processing Disorders, Sensory Integration, Autism, and ADHD.  Kristy loves helping families and children improve their daily life and achieve their goals.

Kristine Farley MOT, OTR/L

Kristine graduated with a bachelor's degree in Health Science and a master's degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of Florida. Since graduating in 2019, Kristine has worked in private outpatient settings.

Kristine provides play-based, neurodiversity affirming therapy services. She is certified in Sensory Integration therapy through the University of Southern California. She has advanced clinical training in feeding and utilizes the AEIOU approach. Kristine has a passion for serving both the children & their families. She is constantly learning and growing to refine her therapy practice.

Jennifer Green, COTA/L

Jenna is a native Floridian born & raised in Central Florida. She graduated from the Daytona State College OTA program in 2018 with high honors. Since then she has worked with both adult and pediatric patients in a variety of settings, including inpatient rehab, PPEC’s, schools, and homes. Pediatrics has become her passion and she strives in every session to support and promote each child's emotional, physical, and social development so they may grow to their full potential. Her continuing education courses include Handwriting Without Tears, The Zones of Regulation, and The Pediatric Feeding Institutes Mealtime Miseries workshop.

When not in the clinic, Jenna can be found outdoors with her family. They enjoy camping, playing at the beach, and hiking in local state parks. Additional hobbies & interests include yoga, gardening, and kayaking.

Diana J.Goodwin, MA, CCC-SLP

Diana comes to us with a wealth of knowledge with national and international undergraduate/graduate school training and then 30 years of hospital based outpatient clinic experience at Baycare. She has a love for language whether it’s establishing the first few words, exploring preliteracy skills to promote reading proficiency, teaching English to adults or regaining lost language skills following a stroke. She trained with a pioneer in pragmatics and has retained that interest in the importance of social skill development in the ASD population by establishing social skills groups. She likes to use a combination of the latest tech, currently incorporating the use of Forbrain in her therapy, and good old fashioned common sense, such as parent participation, to maximize progress.

To help her daughter with her growing family, Diana and her husband recently moved from the Tampa area to Davenport. She also enjoys aerobic gardening, gourmet cooking, flower designing, biking and caring for her furry babies, including 2 rescue doxies.;

Lynda Christie M.A. CCC/SLPA

Speech Language Pathologist

Lynda completed both her Bachelor's and Master's degrees at the University of Central Florida. Since earning her Masters degree in communicative disorders, she has served clients for over 25 years in various settings including being employed as a rehab manager in a skilled nursing facility, leading continuing education seminars, working as a school SLP and supervising clinical fellows, speech language pathologist assistants and students completing their externships. Lynda is from Pennsylvania but moved to Orlando while attending high school. She is happily raising her son Jacob and is a diehard Florida Gator fan. Go Gators!