CFCE Founders

CFCE was founded in 2008 by Roxanne and Jim Waechter. Roxanne and Jim are grandparents of twins with cerebral palsy. When the twins were 6 years old Roxanne traveled with the twins and her daughter-in-law to Tucson, Arizona to a Conductive Education (CE) summer camp. Observing the twins at the camp, Roxanne saw them make considerable progress. She was then determined to bring CE to Colorado. Roxanne worked tirelessly developing the program and ensuring CE would be available for children in Colorado and the surrounding states. Starting with eight children, CFCE currently serves over 50 children from within and outside of Colorado. The twins, now adults, still attend CFCE programs. Roxanne and Jim, although retired, remain as members of the Board of Directors and contribute to CFCE through fundraising and visioning. Roxanne continues to help with the newsletters and administrative functions when needed.

CFCE Therapists

Jennifer Doyle - Executive Director and Conductive Therapist

Jennifer trained as a physical therapist in England before working at a specialized Conductive Education school. During her time at the school she received intensive training in Conductive Education and worked as part of a team of therapists delivering intervention using the method of CE. In 2010 she moved to Colorado and began working as a conductive therapist at CFCE. She became the lead therapist in 2011 and worked as the Program Director until 2015 when she became Executive Directer. Jennifer has a gift of seeing potential in every child she meets, no matter their ability. She has worked tirelessly to ensure CFCE programs are available to as many children as possible while maintaining incredible quality of care. 

When she isn't working, Jennifer enjoys exploring Colorado with her husband, son, and daughter.

Jalyss Zapfletts – Program Director and Lead Conductor

Jalyss first encountered Conductive Education and discovered her love for working with individuals with disabilities when her youngest brother, who has cerebral palsy, began attending Conductive Education sessions. After volunteering as a class assistant she decided, at 12 years old, that she wanted to become a conductive therapist. For the next several summers she volunteered during the summer at CE camps in Canada and began working at a local CE center. After finishing her bachelors in psychology, Jalyss trained in Birmingham, England, at the National Institute for Conductive Education to complete her degree in Conductive Education. She has experience working with young children as young as 5 months old, youth, and adults. She began working with CFCE as Lead Conductor in June 2017 and became Program Director in mid-2018. Jalyss has increased her therapeutic scope by becoming an Introductory level A trained DMI therapist. She is excited to continue with DMI courses and use the complementing methods of CE and DMI in CFCE programming.                                                                                                                                               When not working, Jalyss enjoys indoor climbing, hiking, and spending time with her family.

Laura Watkins - Conductive Therapist

We are so excited to welcome Laura Watkins as a full time conductor at CFCE!  Laura completed her bachelor's degree in Conductive Education in 2017 from Birmingham City University, England. In 2018, Laura decided to move to the United States and worked in two Conductive Education centers in the US before joining CFCE in 2023 as a full time conductor. Laura has experience working with children, adolescents and adults and enjoys working with individuals of many different abilities. Laura loves to work in a multidisciplinary team where there are different perspectives and a team can collaborate and share ideas and expertise to ensure each individual receives the best therapy program possible.  This approach enables individuals to attain uniquely suitable goals and lead a more independent lifestyle. 
When Laura's not working, she enjoys skiing, hiking with her dog, reading, paddle boarding and kayaking.

Maddie Peters - Occupational Therapist

I became interested in OT because of my brothers. Both were born with disabilities and started receiving services early in life. I knew I wanted to help people and luckily had enough exposure to a variety of therapies to realize OT was the best fit. I started my OT program knowing I wanted to work in pediatrics but then also developed a love for OTs role in mental health. I have worked as an OT in schools, home health, and now get to join the incredible team at CFCE. After my first exposure to Conductive Ed, I knew OT could pair so well with what the excellent therapists were already doing with this population. I have a passion for working with an interdisciplinary team to best serve the people trusting us to care for them and help them grow.

I utilize a trauma-informed care approach with all of my work and have a special interest in behavior, sensory processing, and autism. Additionally, I have just completed training in oral motor assessment and intervention and will be attending reflex integration training later this semester. These are trainings I’ve been interested in completing for years and utilizing to help people with skills that are often overlooked or not prioritized. I now get the wonderful opportunity to utilize my skills through an OT lens to work alongside other skilled therapists to help the participants at CFCE live a happier and better life. I’m beyond grateful for this opportunity and am looking forward to the experience.

Courtney Morgan - Music Therapist

Courtney completed her Bachelor of Music in Music Therapy in 2018 from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX. After completing her music therapy internship with Hospice of Michigan, where she had a caseload of children and adults receiving hospice services, she moved to Colorado and began seeing kids and adults with developmental disorders. She started her work with CFCE in the summer of 2021 and immediately saw how music therapy could be incorporated into Conductive Education’s holistic approach. Recently, Courtney completed training for Neurologic Music Therapy and is excited to integrate NMT into CFCE's existing music therapy programming. Since March 2022, CFCE has been able to offer music therapy services in both individual and group settings. Courtney has a passion for working with children, which began with her babysitting her younger siblings, and has loved being a part of CFCE's growing adult program! She is currently enrolled in CU Boulder's MA-SLP program for Speech-Language Pathology. In her free time, she likes reading, crocheting, and playing board games with her husband and their cats.

CFCE Administrators

Chelsea Arenas - Office Manager

Chleo "Taz" Bales-Heisterkamp - Outreach & Fundraising Coordinator, Medicaid Administrator

CFCE Board of Directors

Roxanne Waechter

Jim Waechter

Peter Doyle

Jennifer Doyle

Shaun Shahmardian

Warren Baker

Nathan Charlan

CFCE provides programs in both Northern Colorado and the Denver Metro area.  Please visit our programs page to find more details about our program options to see what might work best for your child.