Erica Matthews
​Hello!
My name is Erica Matthews, and I'm the owner and lead instructor of the Autism and Movement Project in Pana, IL. The whole reason why I started AAMP/AMT was for Connor, he was diagnosed with autism when he was 2 1/2 years old. I first met Connor when my mother was his aide in Early Childhood. Connor had little to no speech, many behaviors, and TONS of sensory issues that left him trapped in his own world.
Over the years, Connor's speech turned to echoing and he developed more OCD behaviors. I heard about a program in Charleston, IL called Dragonflies. I talked his mom into taking him every Saturday to the class. After two months we noticed some changes, mostly him being calmer after class. I bought the DVD Aut-erobics that was created by Joanne Lara. We started doing the DVD every day after school. After two weeks of fighting and constant positive reinforcement finally started to a pay-off. I walked into their house and Connor was sitting at the table. I asked, "where's mom?". Only to expect him to echo me, but instead, Connor looked at me, pointed up, and said "she's upstairs." I stood in disbelief. For the first time in 8 years, he FINALLY spoke his first sentence!!! At that moment I knew I had to do this program.
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I attended Millikin University for Sociology and I am licensed and certified in Autism Movement Therapy. Over the years I have gained certifications in cognitive behavioral therapy, ABA certification, Midline certification, epilepsy training, and vestibular motion certification. My goal is to give our clients a well-rounded therapy that offers more than just the traditional therapy. We want our kids to experience art, science, new friendships, field trips, and movement in a safe and fun place!
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Amanda Taylor
Hello!
My name is Amanda Taylor and I am an instructor at the Autism and Movement Project in Pana, Il. My son Connor was diagnosed with Moderate Autism at the age of 2 ½. We tried many things, including therapies that helped his progress along the way. At the age of 7 we tried Autism Movement Therapy at Dragonflies in Charleston, Il, and started to see subtle changes in him. Erica bought the DVD Aut-erobics and started working with Connor every day, after two weeks he said his first sentence! Erica went to California to become certified, after she came back and started her business I knew I wanted to be a part of it. I became certified in Autism Movement Therapy in March of 2014 and trained in ABA.
I graduated in 1995 from Nokomis High School and The University Of Spa and Cosmetology Arts in 2002. Along with being an AAMP instructor, I am also on the board as treasurer. I am lucky that I can combine all my interests into one job, being a past dance instructor allows me to connect with our clients through movement all while learning and having fun!
Brenna Dameris
Hello!
My name is Brenna Dameris and I am an instructor at the Autism and Movement Project. I started tutoring at AAMP when I was 15 years old and fell in love immediately. I have had the opportunity to volunteer at AAMP throughout high school and college. In the summer of 2021, I began working under Erica and Amanda to gain further experience and knowledge on Autism Movement Therapy. After that summer, I knew that I wanted to continue working at A.A.M.P after I graduated college. I became certified in Autism Movement Therapy in January of 2022 and have received ABA therapy training.
I graduated from Illinois College with a bachelor's degree in business administration with a concentration in marketing and a minor in art. I have always loved being creative and continuously working to solve new problems. Along with being an instructor at AAMP, I am also responsible for our marketing and other business-related affairs. I love being able to combine both of my passions into a single job.
Contact
I'm always looking for new and exciting opportunities. Let's connect.
123-456-7890