To meet a need, Frank and Lindsay Knez expand K1ds Count Therapy in Brownsburg
By Stephanie Dolan
Shannon Denoon’s youngest son has attended K1ds Count Therapy for five years to help with his development as someone with Down syndrome.
“I can’t tell you how hard it is for a family like mine to find a good therapist,” said Denoon who lives in Brownsburg. “We feel blessed to have something like this so close to home. I know for sure my son would not be where he is today without their support.”
Each person her family comes into contact goes above and beyond, making the Brownsburg therapists and staff feel like family
“My son has received therapy from K1ds Count Therapy for over five years now,” Denoon said. “He receives multiple therapies there. Each therapist has been nothing short of amazing.”
In addition to therapy, her family also has attended parent education and events to connect parents and families with each other.
“It really helps build a community,” Denoon said. “That can be so important for parents of kids that have extra needs because sometimes that can be isolating.”
For families like the Denoons, K1ds Count Therapy, owned by Frank and Lindsay Knez, provides essential services for hundreds of Hendricks County kids and their families.
The couple has a heart for children, and they put their passion into their work and founded and opened K1ds Count Therapy in January 2015.
The pediatric therapy center in Brownsburg serves a growing need of children with autism and other diagnoses and needs. They are meeting the need by expanding their Brownsburg footprint.
“We’ve looked in Brownsburg for a long time, and we wanted something that is consistent with our mission, an environment that is inviting and where children and families feel comfortable and at home,” said Frank Knez, noting retail and office space doesn’t serve that purpose. “The land that is right next to our current campus will help us to fully customize the space to the children we serve.”
The Town of Brownsburg also offered incentives for the expansion, and the Knez’s are grateful to have the backing.
“We have a passion for service, which has driven our mission and growth over the past six years,” Knez said. “We focus on the overall client and family experience, providing the best possible employee experience and positively impacting the community as a whole through collaborating with other organizations and serving in any way we can.”
Drive by the facility near U.S. 136 and Northfield Drive on Brownsburg’s east side to see growth in progress with construction of a new 12,000 square foot outpatient services facility and 6,000 square foot administrative building next door to their current offices.
K1ds Count offers speech, occupational and physical therapy along with mental health services and a comprehensive program for children with autism grounded in applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy.
Serving clients from birth to about 15, more than 100 children participate in the autism program, and just over 300 children participate in outpatient services, and they partner with about 35 area schools. The organization has approximately 220 employees, including a second location in Crawfordsville.
“We try to serve through our faith,” he said. “We know that K1ds Count Therapy is a mission to serve children, families and the whole community in and outside of therapy. We feel humbled and blessed to be given the resources to provide these services and give back in any way that we can.”
Well before knowing the impact her career would have on so many families, in high school Lindsay Knez worked with children with autism in a group home in Bloomington, which fueled her passion to pursue speech therapy, Frank Knez said. He started his career in operations and supply chain management, becoming passionate about helping kids thanks to Lindsay.
“After that, she worked at a residential facility for children with autism as a speech therapist and then became a behavior analyst,” he said. “She opened up my eyes and heart to children with special needs and got me volunteering early on.”
Part of the expansion of K1ds Count services includes a new mental health program.
“The program is serving about 60 families, and we are hiring additional professionals to support the need in our community,” Knez said. “This expansion project is going to provide ample space that is allocated specifically for the outpatient and mental health services program, and it will also provide additional space for our autism program on our current campus.”
Knez is excited about the future and continuing their mission to provide quality and comprehensive services for children and families as well as an engaging and meaningful employment experience.
Hillary Ott, director of occupational and physical therapies, has worked at K1ds Count for four years and grown her understanding truly serving others and leading with empathy, understanding and flexibility.
“K1ds Count Therapy is much more than a pediatric therapy provider or place of employment,” she said. “KCT is a place to find hope, see and experience measurable growth, learn with and from others and feel the framework of servitude embodied. As an OT, not only have I assisted in and seen the incredible progress and changes made in every one of our clients, but I’ve experienced personal growth as a professional that I never would have imagined was possible.”
Many organizations who serve pediatric patients don’t provide services across as many disciplines, and the therapists respect, encourage and share information with each other, said Taylor Helton, director of clinical operations.
“When discussing K1ds Count Therapy with others, I often joke about it feeling like a ‘utopia’ for collaborative therapy services,” Helton said. “It’s pretty amazing to see how this collaboration and interdisciplinary training and support can holistically serve our clients. The expansion of K1ds Count Therapy will provide more services to our clients and families, not only through direct therapy but also through increased space and opportunity for this training, support and collaboration.”
K1ds Count Therapy
Services offered: Speech therapy, occupational therapy and physical therapy, mental health services and autism grounded in applied behavior analysis
Hours: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday
Phone: (317) 520-4748
Address: 1353 E. Main St., Brownsburg
Website: kctherapy.com
Email: info@kidscounttherapy.com
Personality box:
Getting to know Frank Knez
Do you have pets? We have two very cute lionhead bunnies named Red and Snowball.
What have you most recently read? “Core 52” by Mark E. Moore.
Who or what inspires you? I’m inspired by people that truly care for and lift up other people.
Do you have any travel plans? Our family enjoys traveling to the Gatlinburg, Tenn., and the Charleston, S.C. areas.
What is your favorite Hendricks County charity? The Brownsburg Education Foundation or BEF. Please visit their website and support. The quality and health of our school is critical to the future of our community.
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