Shorkey Center

Dr. Robin Pearson, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

• Dr. Pearson comes to the Shorkey Center with a myriad of experiences. She brings leadership and programming through management of multi-facility gymnastics program in Austin which provided preschool and afterschool learning opportunities in addition to gymnastics. She is a Special Education teach with over 10 years of experience working in El Paso, Lubbock and California. Most recently, she was the Intake Director at a pediatric therapy clinic in California working with an interdisciplinary team of therapists. Robin completed her Doctorate from Creighton University. Her dissertation project investigated understanding and facilitation of social emotional development at a diverse socio-economic status preschool. She is a 2020 Fellow Graduate in Leadership Education in Neurodevelopment and Related Disabilities Interdisciplinary Training Program from University of Southern California, LA Children’s Hospital. Collaborative interdisciplinary training focused on improving the health of children through the Association of University Centers on Disabilities. Policy Project: Access to evidence-based mental health treatment for infant and toddlers.​

Dr. Christie O'Neal - PT, DPT, ATRIC, PHYSICAL THERAPIST, THERAPY MANAGER

• Dr. O’Neal has worked for the Shorkey Center since 2019. She graduated from San Diego State University with a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology in 2003 before attending Western University of Health Science’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program in Pomona, CA. She moved to Texas in 2007, in her last year of graduate school after meeting the love of her life, a born and raised Southeast Texan. She brings over 13 years of experience in a multitude of therapy settings in the Southeast Texas area, including hospital acute care, outpatient, and home health. She has spent the past 11 years working as a pediatric physical therapist in early intervention, school systems, and outpatient settings. In 2019, just prior to accepting her position at Shorkey, Christie traveled to Sanibel, FL to become aquatic therapy certified by the ATRI group. She believes that by combining both land and water approaches it will help her client’s achieve greater therapeutic benefits and clinical outcomes than land techniques alone.

Raquel Emery, BS, CTRS

• Raquel graduated from the University of Toledo with her Bachelor’s Degree in Therapeutic Recreation in 2021 where she played Division 1 softball throughout her time in Toledo. Upon graduation, she completed her clinical internship at a Veterans Hospital in Augusta, GA where she led sports therapy, tai chi, mixed martial arts as well as created and implemented Beekeeping Therapy Recreation Program for PTSD and stress symptoms. Shortly after completing her clinical internship, she sat for the national exam to become a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS). Coming from a military family, Raquel has lived in a multitude of states but is a former Texas resident as she lived in Austin, TX in her youth. She is excited to be back in Texas and introduce Recreation Therapy to Southeast Texas.

Mercedes Lee, MA, BCBA, LBA, BOARD CERTIFIED BEHAVIOR ANALYST

• Mercedes Lee is happy to be serving the children of Southeast Texas, her hometown area. She graduated from The University of Texas at Dallas in 2017 with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology before attending Arizona State University to receive her Master of Arts in Special Education with an emphasis in Applied Behavior Analysis. Mercedes has been in the Applied Behavior Analysis Therapy (ABA Therapy) field for a total of 6 years in both the DFW Metroplex and Southeast Texas, providing both clinic-based services and in-home services. During her 8 years spent in the Dallas area, she met the love of her life and roped him back home to be closer to family. Mercedes loves spending time with her husband, large family, and two cats named Tesla and Bentley. Her special interests and experience in the field include Functional Communication Training, Augmentative and Alternative Communication and Speech Generating devices, Preschool Skills, Parent Training, Practical Functional Assessment & Skill-Based Treatment (PFA/SBT), Naturalistic Teaching methods, Interdisciplinary treatment, Social Skills groups, Staff training, and much more.
  

Kaitlyn Ebner, BA, GRADUATE LEVEL INTERN IN APPLIED BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS

• Kaitlyn Ebner joined Shorkey in October of 2021. She graduated from Texas State University with a bachelor’s degree in Family and Child Development in 2019 before attending University of North Texas for her Masters in Applied Behavior Analysis. She graduates in August 2022 and plans to pursue more certifications afterwards. Kaitlyn has about four years of experience working as a Registered Behavior Technician and has worked with a variety of different children aged a year and half to fourteen years old. Kaitlyn also recently got married in August 2021. They live in Beaumont with their two dogs and two cats. Outside of work and graduate school, Kaitlyn is the special needs coordinator for Praise Church and works with special needs children every Sunday while their parents attend church service. Kaitlyn has a huge heart for children with special needs and is dedicated to making a difference in her community.