Our Practice

Shaping Symmetry, One Child At A Time

Cranial Kids is independently owned and operated by a local Certified Orthotist, and we hire only certified orthotists. We specialize in cranial asymmetries and attend the head shape clinic with the pediatric neurosurgeon in town.

Call 719-896-5924Free Consultation
Free consultationsEvery helmet fitted — Talee, Sprout, Orthomerica 3D & standard bandColorado Springs, CO & surrounding areas

Kristen Thessing, CPO

Kristen Thessing is a Certified Prosthetist Orthotist, accredited through the American Board for Certification in Orthotics and Prosthetics. She completed two residency programs — Orthotics at Shriners Children's Hospital in Greenville, South Carolina, and Prosthetics at the Center for Independent Rehabilitation Services in Palo Alto, California.

Kristen began her career in 2004 and has now been providing cranial remolding treatment for more than 20 years. Caring for infants with plagiocephaly, brachycephaly, scaphocephaly, and other cranial asymmetries quickly became an area she loved and a focus of her career.

That experience eventually led Kristen to start Cranial Kids, where the goal has always been to provide families with individualized, compassionate care and the best treatment option for their baby.

At Cranial Kids, we believe one helmet style does not fit every head shape. We work with a variety of cranial remolding helmets available on the market rather than limiting families to a single manufacturer or design. Newer 3D-printed helmets have been a great addition to the options available to our patients. This flexibility allows us to consider each baby's unique head shape, treatment needs, and family circumstances when choosing a cranial remolding orthosis.

Fitting room at Cranial Kids in Colorado Springs

A Personal Connection To Orthotics & Prosthetics

Kristen's passion for prosthetics and orthotics began through her own personal experience. After graduating from college, she joined the Peace Corps and moved to South Africa, where she taught children in elementary schools. Shortly into her volunteer service, Kristen was involved in an automobile accident that resulted in a below-knee amputation.

The experience changed the direction of her life and ultimately introduced her to the field of prosthetics and orthotics. One year later, she was accepted into the Orthotics and Prosthetics program at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, beginning the career that would eventually lead to Cranial Kids.

Africa has always remained close to Kristen's heart. Today, she serves on the board of Cabbage & Crayons, a nonprofit organization working to support children and families in Kenya.

Outside Of Cranial Kids

Kristen enjoys hiking, skiing, mountain biking, traveling, and spending time outdoors. She and her husband, Matt, have four teenage daughters — Bella, Emma, Ruthie, and Addelyn. Life with four teenagers keeps their family busy with sports, studying, friends, and all the activities that come with this season of life.

Some of their favorite moments are the simple ones: spending time together outdoors and gathering as a family around the fire pit.

Kristen considers it a privilege to get to know the families who come through Cranial Kids and to be a small part of their baby's story. She looks forward to meeting your family and answering any questions you may have about your baby's head shape or cranial remolding treatment.

How We Treat

We see babies from about 3 to 18 months old, and the best window to begin is 4 to 6 months old, so treatment can capture your baby's next growth spurt. We only recommend a helmet when cranial measurements fall in the moderate to severe range.

After a free head shape check, we take a digital scan and, if a helmet is the right call, fit one within a couple of weeks. Adjustment visits happen every one to two weeks until the measurements are where they should be — usually three to five months in total, and we are able to finish with only one helmet.

Scanning is radiation-free. Our STARscanner, SmartSoc, and the new Einscan H2 capture your baby's head shape in seconds, with no X-rays, no sedation, and no plaster casting.

STARscanner

A laser scanning booth that captures your baby's head shape in a couple of seconds while you hold them.

SmartSoc

A soft fabric cap and a handheld scan — the gentlest option for the smallest or squirmiest babies.

Einscan H2

Our newest handheld scanner, giving us a beautifully detailed digital model with no sedation and nothing touching your baby but a soft cap.

Medixa

A quick, radiation-free 3D capture that lets us measure and track your baby's head shape at every visit.

What Sets Us Apart

  • Not one size fits all

    Because we are independent of any manufacturer, we can treat with every cranial remolding orthosis on the market — Talee, Sprout, Orthomerica 3D, and the standard band. A nationwide company makes one helmet, so that is the helmet your baby gets.

  • One helmet, start to finish

    We are able to complete treatment with only one helmet. Our competitors often need more than one, which means more cost and more time.

  • Independently owned, certified orthotists only

    Owned and run by a local Certified Orthotist, and every person who fits a helmet here is certified. We also attend the head shape clinic with the pediatric neurosurgeon in town.

  • Authorizations and billing handled in our office

    No offsite billing service slowing your referral down. We do the authorizations and the billing right here, and we accept all major insurances.

  • We only helmet when it is truly needed

    We recommend a helmet only when your baby's cranial measurements fall in the moderate to severe range. If the shape is rounding out on its own, we will tell you so.

We would love to meet your baby — call us at 719-896-5924.

719-896-5924

Come Meet Us — The First Visit Is Free

Send us a note about your baby and we will get back to you. If you would rather just talk it through, we are happy to pick up the phone.

719-896-5924
Free consultationsEvery helmet fitted — Talee, Sprout, Orthomerica 3D & standard bandColorado Springs, CO & surrounding areas