Manhattan East Associates, Inc.
Pediatric Occupational Therapy
About Us
Manhattan East Associates, Inc. is a pediatric occupational practice that believes in the ability of children to thrive! We are skilled occupational therapists that provide experienced child and family-centered occupational therapy services using our vast knowledge base, years of experience, and our deep respect for children and their families.
Karen Katzman, MA, OTR/L, C-SIPT
Karen is the owner of Manhattan East Associates, Inc. Pediatric Occupational Therapy. She received her bachelor of science degree in Occupational Therapy from Boston University's College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargeant College of Allied Health. After years of working in the field in hospitals, outpatient clinics, and home health, Karen received her advanced post-professional Master's Degree in Occupational Therapy at New York University with a concentration in pediatric neurology. Karen has completed her Sensory Integration Certification (SIPT) continuing education program which contributes to her expert status in working with individuals with sensory processing and modulation difficulties. Karen has taken hundreds of continuing education and certification over the years. Specifically, courses focused on Therapeutic Listening, Handwriting, Visual Motor and Perception, Reflex Integration, DIR Floortime, Attention Deficit Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Mindfulness, executive functioning, SOS approach to feeding, interventions for individuals with Autism, developmental delays, and sensory processing and modulation difficulties and too many courses on pediatric Sensory Integration to list along with many many others!​With over 25 plus years of experience, Karen has treated both children and adults in many settings such as schools, clinics, hospitals, home care, early intervention, and of course her private pediatric sensory integrative clinic for over twenty-three years. Karen has lectured extensively to parents, teachers, early childhood professionals, and occupational therapy students on child functional development, sensory integration and processing, and the importance of perception and purposeful activity. ​Karen has been featured on podcasts for the development of children from A to Z focused on the importance of meeting a child where they are out, understanding the root of their challenges, and respectfully interacting keeping in mind the child's development, individual differences, and relationships. Karen provides continuing education courses for the International Council on Development and Learning (www.icdl.com) as an Expert Training Leader for DIRFlooritime courses. Karen is a champion and warrior for the children and families she works with. Her passion for facilitating function, social-emotional development, and parent-child interactions is still as strong today as it was 25 years ago!
Maya Wolf, OTD, MBA, OTR/L
Maya is a pediatric occupational therapist with twenty years of experience treating children in a variety of settings. She is registered and licensed to provide occupational therapy in New York and New Jersey. Maya is a two-time Boston University College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College alumni having received both her Bachelor of Science degree in Occupational Therapy and most recently her post-professional Occupational Therapy Doctorate. Maya has also earned a Master of Business Administration degree from Baruch College, Zicklin School of Business. Staying up to date on current practice trends is of great importance to Maya. She routinely attends continuing education courses on numerous topics such as sensory integration, reflex integration, Therapeutic Listening, Handwriting Without Tears, Size Matters Handwriting Program, The Alert Program, Zones of Regulation, and DIR/Floortime. Maya utilizes her training as a Yoga Teacher (YT200) to incorporate mindfulness-based interventions into treatment sessions and help children calm and regulate, practice breath work, and develop strength, balance, and body awareness. Another interest of Maya’s is sleep— the focus of her doctoral research was on sleep problems in children with neurodevelopmental delays. Additionally, Maya is keen on sharing her knowledge with other professionals, students, and of course, parents. She presents to others on a variety of pediatric occupational therapy-related topics both near and far. Maya also supervises and trains occupational therapy students during their fieldwork experience. She is looking forward to begin teaching graduate-level occupational therapy students this upcoming fall. Maya provides a supportive environment in which children reach their optimal level of functioning while increasing their self-confidence. Ongoing communication with parents and other members of a child’s team is an additional priority in Maya's practice as it ultimately enhances each child's success. Her passion for occupational therapy and helping children and families is evident in her practice.
Tracie Mandel, MS, OTR/L
Tracie is a proudly practicing, pediatric New York State registered and licensed Occupational Therapist. She received her Master’s of Science in Occupational Therapy from Boston University’s Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences in 2016. In addition to her work at Manhattan East Associates, Tracie has experience supporting families in their homes while providing early intervention, and works at an elementary school during the day, providing evaluation and intervention to children receiving special education. Tracie finds joy in being able to seamlessly merge a child’s gains in our practice into the real world of home, school, and beyond. Tracie is a lifelong learner with a holistic, developmental, and playful approach. She has taken a variety of continuing education courses. Her coursework includes (but is not limited to!) Therapeutic Listening, DIR Floortime 101, primitive and postural reflex integration, oral motor and respiratory integration, visual deficits, and both the Size Matters and Learning Without Tears handwriting programs. Tracie is passionate about using her specializations to bolster a child’s motivation and confidence to expand their ability to play, learn, and move with ease. Tracie enjoys collaborating with caregivers, schools, and other professionals to best support the generalization of a child’s functional skill development.
Grace Muenz, MA, OTD, OTR/L
Grace Muenz is a dedicated occupational therapist with a passion for enriching the lives of children through holistic therapy approaches. Grace completed her master’s degree at the University of Southern California and is currently pursuing her Doctorate in Occupational Therapy while simultaneously seeing clients in the clinic, school, camp, and home settings. Grace's areas of interest encompass a range of techniques that hold immense promise for promoting child development and well-being. She has a keen interest in reflex integration, as well as the Developmental, Individual Differences, Relationship-based (DIR/Floortime) model, recognizing its potential to tap into the unique strengths and individuality of each child. Grace's passion extends to feeding therapy for "selective eaters," where she works to help children overcome their aversions and develop healthy eating habits.
Grace has gained invaluable experience working with children who possess a wide spectrum of strengths and challenges. Her professional journey has taken her to various cities, including Seattle, San Diego, Los Angeles, and New York City. This exposure to different environments has not only honed her clinical skills, but has also provided her with a deep understanding of the diverse needs of children from various cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. Grace's unique perspective is enriched by her experience of living with a family before entering graduate school. This first-hand exposure to the daily lives of families facing challenges has granted her a profound understanding of both the client and family experiences. This empathy-driven insight allows her to approach her therapy sessions with a holistic understanding, ensuring that her interventions are not only effective, but also considerate of the broader familial context.
