Background
Paula Wanzer, MA, CTRS/L. earned a Master's Degree from Lesley University, Cambridge, MA, 1984, a self designed major in Movement and Special Education.
In 1972, she began her career in disability issues as a VISTA volunteer in rural Northwest Iowa. Here she worked with the community to design an adaptive aquatics program which led to educational programs for parents, students and service organizations.
In 1976, she studied with Bonnie Prudden, a physical fitness expert at The Institute for Physical Fitness, Stockbridge, MA. It was through this experience that she learned how to combine music with basic movement and to design aquatic and land based exercise routines that were fun, challenging and motivating.
Between 1976 - 1981, she worked at the Laconia State School, Laconia, NH. Here she developed Funcercise, an exercise program that transformed the campus. As a result of Funcercise, residents with severe developmental disabilities became skilled exercise instructors who traveled throughout New England, teaching children, young adults, college students and professionals about their exercise program.
In addition, she developed an outdoor adventure program where participants learned to paddle, hike, bushwack through the woods and snow shoe.
In 1988, after finishing graduate school and returning to Laconia, Nancy Pleiter-Sadowy, M.Ed., CTRS, joined with her to co-found One Step Further, a recreation consulting business, where play works. In 2006, Paula assumed the sole responsibility for One Step Further. Nancy now lives in Maine and created Choose To Swim, LLC.
Then, in 2005, Paula began working at a residential facility, this time as a consultant for Easter Seals NH. Now working with adolescents with autism and developmental disabilities, she has been challenged again, to adapt Funcercise to meet the needs of students with severe behavioral challenges. At first they acted like 3 year olds on a very, very, bad day. Now, with the help of an updated version of Funcercise, students are once again exceeding expectations, designing their own games, working through team challenges and, like scouting, sharing in the development of each class session.
And, as always, Paula continues to conduct innovative instructional programs, in the community for children and adults.
In 2006, Paula published Surf's Up For Flynn, How a young girl with Autism swims through her fear plus Teaching Strategies that promote successful outcomes.
They include Choose to Move, U Can Canoe and Choose To Swim and Inter Action Workshops.
Philosophy
Paula believes in individuals with disabilities and believes that they can master the skills that will enable them to thrive in community. Because she thinks out of the box and will try anything, she especially enjoys working with those individuals who others find difficult. She is successful because she draws out their individual strengths and as she does so creates environments where children and adults of all ability work together to support each other.
Paula believes that we must construct programs that create incremental challenges, increasing their complexity as her students become more organized. By drawing upon her first hand knowledge of disability and her eclectic background, she utilizes her endless array of educational tools and personal experiences to create those incremental challenges that bring forth the best in individuals with challenging behaviors and disabilities.
Paula believes that change comes when participants have fun and work together. It is then, she believes that they can and will master skills, learn to work as a team member, develop leadership skills, cooperate and learn how to use their creativity.