BiographyCharlene Young, OTR/L, CEAS, is a licensed Occupational Therapist and a Certified Ergonomic Assessment Specialist with more than 15 years of experience with promoting biological, psychologial and social function to the highest performance level. Char has received national and international notarity for her expertise in behavior issues related to sensory processing difficulties. She was recognized by "Advance Magazine" as "Best Practice" for her educational based intervention. Char is the owner of Functional Abilities, LLC and CharK Properties, LLC of London, KY. She has taken an active role with legislative issues reagarding her profession. Specifically, addressing behavioral issues that carry over from childhood to adulthood. Char has been proactive with changes for the profession of Occupational Therapy by serving as President and Eastern Kentucky Director of the Kentucky Occupational Association (KOTA) and by participating in structured focus groups designed by her national professional orginization, AOTA, to address state and national laws governing the practice of Occupational Therapy.
See Char in Action
Char earned both her Bachelor of Science in Psychology and her Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy fromEastern Kentucky University in Richmond, Kentucky. The college of Occupational Therapy at Eastern Kentucky University invited Ms. Young to be a guest speaker for their students and submitted her newspaper article addressing Sensory Processing Disorder to the AOTA historical files. She continues to speak both locally and nationally in and effort to educate her peers and help children with sensory processing disorder. MS. Young is described by her professional peers as, knowledgeable, motivating and extremely humorous.
Char has expanded her services into the motivational speaking arena. Most of her professional attendees have often commented about her vast knowledge base and her ability to teach with such enthusiasm and humor. Char's audience typically consist of health care professionals including physicians, nurses, therapist and parents. She appeals to a very diverse audience. Char's biggest motivational efforts came through teaching her son with Aspergers how to run his own business. In addition to her motivational efforts for her family, Char describes being at the bottom as a great place to be since things are always,''looking up" from that position. She has traveled from the bottom more than once.
Char was born into a family who had limited ability to provide an education and always suggested she, "just get a job"! Wow! did she ever 'just get a job". Cleaning bed pans in a hospital was just the inspiration she needed to look beyond, "just get a job". She went to college but it was too difficult being in love and studying at the same time. She dropped out to get married. She had three children and was content with the home life for a few years. Suddenly she was stricken with the motivational bug! After college, Char worked for a few years as a Occupational Therapist and then additional disaster struck. Divorce and illness bankrupted her. Four years after going through bankruptcy she owned more than a million dollars in real estate. It is now ten years after her physician told her that she would never work again. In addition, to her real estate endeavors, Char owns a national health care consulting firm through which she writes and publishes program manuals and lectures on a national level.
Char's current endeavors include forming a nonprofit foundation for the purpose of changing the direction of our youth. She hopes to decrease teen pregnancy, drug use, and illegal juvenile behavior. Char's challenges with her life, her personal motivation, and her vast knowledge of how to facilitate behavior change will be a great asset to her foundation and your company as a motivational speaker!
