MEET THE TEAM

At Conductive Education Canterbury we have a dedicated team of professionals to support you and your child to get the best. All our specialists are qualified in their respective fields and actively committed to ongoing professional learning and development to ensure they provide you and you family with the most up to date and professional advice and guidance.

Rebecca Courtney
Service Coordinator/ General Manager

Rebecca has been our manager for over 12 years and still can’t believe how fortunate she is to be involved in such a positive, nurturing organisation and environment. She loves her role and especially enjoys supporting the families as they navigate these early years with their precious children.
She feels privileged to be leading a team of very skilled committed professionals who are able to support and coach the families to help their children reach their potential.
She has completed a Graduate Diploma in Not for Profit Management - the Not for Profit sector is an area she believes is the heart and soul of our community and society. She also holds two other roles with in the sector; she is the Chairperson for The New Zealand Foundation for Conductive Education and is the Coordinator for the Early Intervention Coordination Service here in Christchurch.
In her spare time, Rebecca enjoys spending time outdoors in the beautiful McKenzie Country with her husband and 3 gorgeous spirited teenagers boating, fishing, bike riding & walking. 

Nichola McGuire
Early Intervention Teacher

Nichola is a qualified early intervention teacher with many years’ experience working in both the education and disability sectors. She is a qualified Infant Massage Instructor and this has become a key part of the programme we offer families at the centre. Throughout her career, she has taken on a number of roles both at our centre and in the wider early childhood and early intervention communities. She has been in her current role since 2003 and enjoys catching up with past families at centre and community events.
Nichola has a real passion for working with children and families. She brings a professional knowledge and expertise to each programme which is blended with care and love resulting in sessions that are age appropriate and fun.
Nichola spends her spare time with her husband and daughter, relaxing at home, cheering on the All Blacks with her rugby mad family or venturing over to the West Coast to catch up with family and friends. 

Bori
Conductor

Kay Hamilton
Speech Language Therapist

​After completing her B.A. in English and Linguistics, at Otago University, Kay came to Canterbury to complete her Bachelor of Speech and Language Therapy.  This Southlander then returned home to work for the Ministry of Education for three years where she focused on ASD, dyspraxia, voice, fluency, and complex needs.  Kay moved to Christchurch in 2007 to gain experience in augmentative and assistive technology (AAC) by joining a specialist rehabilitation team, working in the area of AAC, with children and young people with complex needs. Kay has been contracted to Conductive Education Preschool since this time also, and has been privileged to work in the primary school and high school units over the years following many families’ journeys.  This experience means Kay truly understands how important these early intervention years are for building solid foundations for ongoing skill building.
Kay’s particular passion and experience lies in supporting non-verbal communication, early language development, literacy, AAC, and feeding and swallowing.
Kay enjoys anything active and is also a trained Counterpunch for Parkinson’s Coach. Kay leads boxing based fitness classes supporting adults with Parkinson’s to ‘fight back’ by staying fit, strong, coordinated and motivated.
In her spare time you possibly won’t find Kay as she will be away camping, mountain biking, climbing, skiing, or you might just catch her family walking with her dogs in the lovely Port hills.

Moira Dimmock
Early Childhood Teacher

Moira is our longest serving member of staff having supported many children during their time at CEC.
She started out as a parent and was involved in the establishment of Conductive Education 27 years ago and has seen her now adult daughter transition through all of the four Conductive Education services in Christchurch.
In recent years Moira has qualified as an Early Childhood Teacher gaining her Bachelor of Teaching Early Childhood.
Moira is passionate about her work and knows first hand the importance of what you put in during the early years benefits the children, parents and families for all of their lives.  
In her spare time Moira enjoys walks with her dog and a nice cup of tea in the sun while reading.
Jenny Bush
Early Intervention Teacher
Jenny is a qualified and registered Early Childhood Teacher with 21 years’ experience working in the sector, as a Teacher and Manager.  She is currently in her final year studying at Canterbury University towards her Postgraduate Diploma in Specialist Teaching – Early Intervention. 
Jenny feels blessed to have joined the team at Conductive Education Canterbury and have the opportunity to learn from and work with such a passionate and nurturing team.  She is excited about working collaboratively with parents and whānau, to help maximise children’s potential with ongoing support and encouragement. 
Family are very important to Jenny.  She has one son who is 19 and is also studying at Canterbury University.  She loves to get outdoors, in and on the water, the bush, walking and spending time in the garden. ​
Louise Houghton
Early Intervention Teacher
​Louise is a recently qualified Early Intervention Teacher.  Louise also has a Bachelor of Teaching and Learning in Early Childhood and has many years’ experience teaching infants and toddlers.  She enjoys watching them blossom into competent and capable young people and developing their unique personalities.
Louise has a real passion for working alongside children and their families and supporting them through their journey.
Louise spends her spare time with her husband and two teenage daughters.  Much of her spare time is spent travelling around New Zealand and the world with her daughter and Irish dancing.  When this isn’t happening Louise enjoys relaxing in the garden, scrapbooking and making candles.  Louise also enjoys escaping to Punakaiki for some peaceful relaxing times in the picturesque Paparoa National Park.
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Ange Dyer
Education Support Worker

Iowa Rangirangi
Education Support Worker
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Sarah Harris

​Education Support Worker
Andrea Walker

Education Support Worker

Charlotte Graham

Education Support Worker
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“Specialists use their in-depth professional knowledge to support families to develop and implement effective programmes, recognise achievement and celebrate success” (External Reviewer)