When they first met, Kym and Kevin Hannah had no idea they would one day become what local news writer Allison Carter has called a “a beacon of hope for children in Northwest Arkansas.“

After Kym graduated with a degree in Physical Therapy from Arkansas State University, she returned home to Northwest Arkansas (NWA) in 2000 and discovered a need for more holistic treatment options. In 2001, Kym’s small, fledgling therapy company took root. 

Cindy Watson, a fellow therapist and friend, shared Kym’s vision for care. The two later teamed up and began seeking out other-centered therapists. Their mission was to build a team whose singular focus was on serving the best interests of children and families.

In addition to caring for children locally, Kym felt called to do whatever she could to better the lives of children with disabilities around the globe. After hearing about the great need for therapists and aid at orphanages in Ukraine, the Hannahs joined with fellow Children’s Therapy T.E.A.M. employees to form TEAMworks. They set out to travel the world educating caregivers, providing specialized equipment and offering individualized treatment plans for children with disabilities.

When Kym visited an orphanage in Kramatorisk, Ukraine as a TEAMworks volunteer PT, she encountered children with disabilities remaining in their beds 24 hours a day, often tied down. Their caretakers were ill-equipped and had seemingly given up on the children making any progress.

It was there that Kym first met Myrah, a severely malnourished 4 year old, weighing only 21 pounds. She suffered from traumatic brain injury, periventricular leukomalsia (cerebral palsy), PTSD and autism. Kym immediately felt a connection with Myrah. Eight months later the little girl from Ukraine was at home in Arkansas, having been adopted by the Hannahs. 

Kym’s husband, Kevin, shared, “our passion and committed involvement to reach out to this population of children has always been present, but it soared when my wife met our first daughter.”

It took about a year before Myrah ever made a sound, but her gains in therapy were promising. Through believing in all that Myrah could be, in 2008 the couple founded what would become The Grace School at Children’s ABA T.E.A.M. At the time, intensive ABA treatment options were scarcely available in Northwest Arkansas. The school served as a new model of care in the region for children with developmental disabilities. 

The Hannah family now includes three beautiful daughters from three continents. In addition to multiple therapy clinic locations and The Grace School, the company has expanded to include The Kids Studio by Children’s T.E.A.M.

The parent company, now referred to as Children’s T.E.A.M., includes over 200 professionals throughout NWA serving as early childhood educators, BCBA’s, RBT’s, PT’s, OT’s, DT’s, and SLP’s. Additionally, the TEAMWorks nonprofit is active in multiple countries including Ukraine, Guatemala, Rwanda, and China. 

Following the principals of servant leadership, the company’s original focus on serving the best interests of children and families is still at the heart of the mission of Children’s T.E.A.M.

Reference: “The Family TEAM”  Allison Carter, NWA Media 

Children’s Therapy TEAM Co-Founder Cindy Watson considers helping kids communicate to be one of her greatest passions in life.

Cindy draws from her life experiences as a mother of two beautiful daughters, Hannah and Mary Claire in her work as a Speech Therapist and Chief Operations Officer at TEAM.

With her husband Ray by her side, Cindy has been a vanguard for pediatric speech language pathology treatment in Northwest Arkansas for nearly twenty years.

As a teenager Cindy was initially inspired by her Sunday School teacher who was a speech pathologist. Cindy loved the idea of transforming children’s lives for the better. To this end Cindy went on to receive her Masters in Speech Language Pathology from Northeastern State University.

After graduating Cindy dove into pediatrics while serving as a Speech-Language Pathologist at Thurman G. Smith Elementary in Springdale, Arkansas. At the time the school served as a local epicenter for children with hearing loss. There her proficiency with signing exact English soared.

Cindy later served at the Northwest Arkansas Education Service Cooperative before opening her own practice, Watson Speech and Hearing Specialists, Inc. Providing even more extensive services to children and families, Cindy’s company eventually became Children’s Therapy T.E.A.M.

Cindy Waston’s international work with TEAMworks was featured the Arkansas Speech Language Hearing Association publication, Sounds Expressions, Serving Around the Globe with Cindy Watson.

Photo credit: Andrew & Connie Photography

When they first met, Kym and Kevin Hannah had no idea they would one day become what local news writer Allison Carter has called a “a beacon of hope for children in Northwest Arkansas.“

After Kym graduated with a degree in Physical Therapy from Arkansas State University, she returned home to Northwest Arkansas (NWA) in 2000 and discovered a need for more holistic treatment options. In 2001, Kym’s small, fledgling therapy company took root. 

Cindy Watson, a fellow therapist and friend, shared Kym’s vision for care. The two later teamed up and began seeking out other-centered therapists. Their mission was to build a team whose singular focus was on serving the best interests of children and families.

In addition to caring for children locally, Kym felt called to do whatever she could to better the lives of children with disabilities around the globe. After hearing about the great need for therapists and aid at orphanages in Ukraine, the Hannahs joined with fellow Children’s Therapy T.E.A.M. employees to form TEAMworks. They set out to travel the world educating caregivers, providing specialized equipment and offering individualized treatment plans for children with disabilities.

When Kym visited an orphanage in Kramatorisk, Ukraine as a TEAMworks volunteer PT, she encountered children with disabilities remaining in their beds 24 hours a day, often tied down. Their caretakers were ill-equipped and had seemingly given up on the children making any progress.

It was there that Kym first met Myrah, a severely malnourished 4 year old, weighing only 21 pounds. She suffered from traumatic brain injury, periventricular leukomalsia (cerebral palsy), PTSD and autism. Kym immediately felt a connection with Myrah. Eight months later the little girl from Ukraine was at home in Arkansas, having been adopted by the Hannahs. 

Kym’s husband, Kevin, shared, “our passion and committed involvement to reach out to this population of children has always been present, but it soared when my wife met our first daughter.”

It took about a year before Myrah ever made a sound, but her gains in therapy were promising. Through believing in all that Myrah could be, in 2008 the couple founded what would become The Grace School at Children’s ABA T.E.A.M. At the time, intensive ABA treatment options were scarcely available in Northwest Arkansas. The school served as a new model of care in the region for children with developmental disabilities. 

The Hannah family now includes four beautiful daughters from three continents. In addition to multiple therapy clinic locations and The Grace School, the company has expanded to include The Kids Studio by Children’s T.E.A.M.

The parent company, now referred to as Children’s T.E.A.M., includes over 200 professionals throughout NWA serving as early childhood educators, BCBA’s, RBT’s, PT’s, OT’s, DT’s, and SLP’s. Additionally, the TEAMWorks nonprofit is active in multiple countries including Ukraine, Guatemala, Rwanda, and China. 

Following the principals of servant leadership, the company’s original focus on serving the best interests of children and families is still at the heart of the mission of Children’s T.E.A.M.

Reference: “The Family TEAM”  Allison Carter, NWA Media 

Children’s Therapy TEAM Co-Founder Cindy Watson considers helping kids communicate to be one of her greatest passions in life.

Cindy draws from her life experiences as a mother of two beautiful daughters, Hannah and Mary Claire in her work as a Speech Therapist and Chief Operations Officer at TEAM.

With her husband Ray by her side, Cindy has been a vanguard for pediatric speech language pathology treatment in Northwest Arkansas for nearly twenty years.

As a teenager Cindy was initially inspired by her Sunday School teacher who was a speech pathologist. Cindy loved the idea of transforming children’s lives for the better. To this end Cindy went on to receive her Masters in Speech Language Pathology from Northeastern State University.

After graduating Cindy dove into pediatrics while serving as a Speech-Language Pathologist at Thurman G. Smith Elementary in Springdale, Arkansas. At the time the school served as a local epicenter for children with hearing loss. There her proficiency with signing exact English soared.

Cindy later served at the Northwest Arkansas Education Service Cooperative before opening her own practice, Watson Speech and Hearing Specialists, Inc. Providing even more extensive services to children and families, Cindy’s company eventually became Children’s Therapy T.E.A.M.

Cindy Waston’s international work with TEAMworks was featured the Arkansas Speech Language Hearing Association publication, Sounds Expressions, Serving Around the Globe with Cindy Watson.

Photo credit: Andrew & Connie Photography