Speakers
Some of the invited speakers include:
Duane Alexander, M.D.
Duane Alexander is a pediatrician specializing in developmental disabilities. Since 1986 Dr. Alexander has been director of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, a major funding source for autism research. He is a member of the federal Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee.
Ruth Aspy, Ph.D.
Ruth Aspy is a licensed psychologist and author. She specializes in assessment and intervention for persons with autism spectrum disorders. Dr. Aspy is co-creator of the Ziggurat Model and speaks internationally on this and other topics. She has experience in both clinic and school settings.
Cindy Barimani
Molly Blakely, Ph.D.
For the past eighteen years Molly Blakely has worked as a consultant to school districts, implementing Direct Instruction programs. She provides in-service training for teachers and works as a classroom coach. Recently, Dr. Blakely was awarded the Association for Direct Instruction's Excellence in Education Award for outstanding service in the area of school consultation and teacher training. She is a founding partner in, and president of, Educational Resources, Inc.
Teresa Bolick, Ph.D.
Teresa Bolick is a licensed psychologist with a special interest in Asperger's syndrome and other autism spectrum disorders, and serves as a consultant to families and schools. Dr. Bolick is the author of Asperger Syndrome and Young Children, Asperger Syndrome and Adolescence, and numerous chapters and articles. She has presented at workshops across North America.
Eric Bostick
Rachel Marie Brooks
As Miss Pennsylvania 2007, Rachel Brooks promoted her platform—"Autism Awareness: Unlocking the Mystery"—across the state. A graduate student in the University of Pennsylvania's Fels Institute of Government, she has actively advocated for legislation and policies designed to benefit the autism community at the local, state, and federal levels.
Vincent J. Carbone, Ed.D.
Vincent Carbone has more than thirty years of experience in educating children and adults with disabilities. He currently operates a clinic in New York for children with autism. Dr. Carbone sits on the editorial boards of three behavior analysis journals and is frequently invited to speak on topics related to teaching verbal behavior to children with autism.
Erik W. Carter, Ph.D.
Erik Carter is an assistant professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Psychology and Special Education at the University of Wisconsin—Madison. His research addresses peer relationships, access to the general curriculum, and transition services for youth with disabilities. Dr. Carter is co-author of Success for All Students: Promoting Inclusion in Secondary Schools through Peer Buddy Programs.
Jane Case-Smith, Ed.D.
Jane Case-Smith is a professor in the Occupational Therapy Division at Ohio State University. She is the editor of the widely used textbook Occupational Therapy for Children and OTJR, an OT research journal. Dr. Case-Smith has had more than twenty-five years of experience in working with children and currently provides services in an autism diagnostic clinic at the Nisonger Center at Ohio State. She recently completed a comprehensive review of autism interventions for the American Occupational Therapy Association that will be published as practice guidelines.
David Celiberti, Ph.D.
David Celiberti is the president of ASAT (Association for Science in Autism Treatment). He recently completed his fourth term as president of the Autism Special Interest Group for the Association for Behavior Analysis International and is now serving as president of the Parent-Professional Partnership Special Interest Group. Dr. Celiberti is currently in private practice; he is a frequent presenter at national and international conferences, and the author of several articles.
Steven Collier
Steven Collier is in his junior year at Messiah College in Grantham, Pennsylvania. Officially, he is currently undeclared; unofficially, he is a storytelling major, with a minor in polymath studies. He will speak about his struggles as an ASD-diagnosed student. He will focus specifically on his difficulties in coping with generalized anxiety disorder.
Cecil Crouch
Cecil Crouch is an educational consultant with the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN). His areas of concentration include mathematics, special education law, response to intervention, and school improvement. Previously, Crouch taught learning support, autism support, life skills support, and behavior support.
Reagan Curtis, Ph.D.
Reagan Curtis is a constructivist-trained developmental researcher and an assistant professor of educational psychology at West Virginia University.
Eustacia Cutler
Eustacia Cutler's early studies in autism and retardation led to two television documentaries: The Disquieted, on disturbed children, and The Innocents, a prize-winning first on retarded children. Her book, A Thorn in My Pocket: Temple Grandin's Mother Tells the Family Story, is in its third printing. At present Cutler is studying the social impact of autism as a minefield of blame.
Gwendolyn Davis, M.P.A.
Gwen Davis received her master of public administration degree, with a specialization in health care, from West Virginia University. Currently she is the director of supported employment for the largest agency in the United States serving persons with autism. She continues to pursue opportunities for persons with autism through community education and outreach.
Tina Dolan
Tina Dolan is a special education teacher for Bucks County Intermediate Unit 22, where she has been working in ABA–autistic support programs for four years, as a curriculum consultant/behavior analyst for the past two years.
Susan Draus
Susan Draus is the sibling of a 51-year-old person with autism who lives alone. With no arrangements made by her parents, now deceased, she shares responsibility for her brother with seven other siblings.
Nick W. Dubin, M.Ed.
Nick Dubin was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome in 2004. He is a passionate advocate on the issue of bullying with regard to autism spectrum disorders. He has a bachelor's degree in communications from Oakland University, a master's degree in special education from the University of Detroit Mercy, and a specialist degree in psychology. Currently he is pursuing a doctorate in psychology. Dubin is the author of Asperger Syndrome and Bullying: Strategies and Solutions and is a contributor to the Autism-Asperger's Digest.
Kathryn W. Enos, M.S.
Kathryn Enos is an educational consultant with the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN Pittsburgh). She has been actively involved in the field of behavior analysis for more than fifteen years. She is pursuing a doctorate at the University of Pittsburgh; her areas of concentration include autism specialization and behavior-analytic approaches to autism spectrum disorders. Enos teaches the Autism: Characteristics and Intervention Approaches course for the Department of Instruction and Learning at the University of Pittsburgh's Oakland campus.
Katherine Fox
Katherine Fox, currently the autism specialist for the Arc of Chester County, has twenty-one years of experience in supporting persons with autism in early intervention, and from school age through employment—along with support for the families. She conducts training for both parents and professionals, teaching techniques and strategies that can be used in both the home and community.
Jennifer T. Freeland, Ph.D.
Jennifer Freeland is the clinical director of Autism and Behavioral Services at the Dr. Gertrude A. Barber National Institute, and an adjunct faculty member at Gannon University. Dr. Freeland has a special interest in behavioral assessment of, and intervention with, children with autism spectrum disorders. She completed her doctorate in school psychology at Mississippi State University.
Hillary D. Freeman, Esq.
Hillary Freeman is deeply committed to her work in representing people with disabilities, and their families. As the sister of a man with autism, she is able to combine personal experience with her legal training to help families advocate for services and supports. She has experience, before administrative agencies and the Superior Court, in special education issues, Section 504, and guardianship and adult services. She is a member of the American Association of Trial Attorneys, the Autism Society of America, and COSAC (New Jersey Center for Outreach and Services for the Autism Community). She is licensed to practice in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
Carrie Frohnapfel
Carrie Frohnapfel is an educational consultant with the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN). Her areas of concentration include autism, inclusive practices, math, and behavior. Previously, Frohnapfel worked as an emotional support teacher.
Michael A. Fueyo, M.D.
Michael Fueyo, a board-certified child and adolescent psychiatrist, completed a fellowship at Brown University, where he received training in the treatment of the social, emotional, and behavioral issues in persons with autism and other developmental disorders. Dr. Fueyo remained there as a faculty member until joining the staff at Philhaven in 1999. In 2005 he founded the Philhaven Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities, which provides diagnostic and treatment services to outpatients.
Peter Gerhardt, Ed.D.
Peter Gerhardt is president of the Organization for Autism Research, whose mission is to fund applied research and disseminate the relevant findings in support of learners with autism spectrum disorders, and their families. Dr. Gerhardt has more than twenty-five years of experience in using the principles of applied behavior analysis in support of adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorders in educational, employment, and community settings. He received his doctorate from the Rutgers University Graduate School of Education. In 2006 the New York State Association for Behavior Analysis honored him with the John W. Jacobson Award for Significant Contributions to Effective Behavior Management.
Beth A. Glasberg, Ph.D., BCBA
Beth Glasberg is the director of Glasberg Behavioral Consulting Services, LLC. She co-authored Siblings of Children with Autism: A Guide for Families, based partly on her research into how siblings at different ages understand autism. She has facilitated numerous sibling discussion groups and presented nationally on this topic.
Karen Grammas
Karen Grammas began her career in education fourteen years ago as a classroom teacher working with students with all kinds of disabilities. She joined the Lancaster-Lebanon Intermediate Unit in 2004 as an itinerant autistic support teacher. She then joined the staff development team as part of the training and consultation staff, with a focus on autism spectrum disorders and inclusive practices.
Barry G. Grossman, Ph.D.
Barry Grossman, a licensed psychologist, specializes in assessment and intervention for persons with autism spectrum disorders. Dr. Grossman is an author and speaks internationally. He co-created the Ziggurat Model.
Frederick Hall
Frederick Hall is a senior at Messiah College (Grantham, Pennsylvania), with a major in political science and a minor in criminal justice. He plans to attend law school after graduation from Messiah. He will speak about the challenges and successes of living and going to college with an autism spectrum disorder.
Julie Harman
For the past five years Julie Harman has been an educational consultant for autism at the Capital Area Intermediate Unit. She collaborates with school districts in Cumberland and Dauphin counties, providing assistance, materials, and guided practice to staff on the implementation of strategies related to the core deficits of autism.
Jamie Harvey, M.Ed.
Jamie Harvey is an autistic support teacher in a public school. Prior to teaching, she worked as part of a therapeutic support staff and as a behavior specialist for children with autism. She received a master's degree in special education from Duquesne University and completed the autism certificate program at Penn State.
Marleah Herman-Umpleby
Marleah Herman-Umpleby is a speech-language pathologist working in early intervention and in two school programs for students with autism and with multiple severe disabilities. Her education at Penn State included a graduate traineeship with Dr. Janice Light in augmentative and alternative communication. Herman-Umpleby went on to complete the autism certificate program at Penn State and the Communication Disorders Program in Severe Disabilities at Western Carolina University.
Carol Hollis
For the past eight years Carol Hollis has been an educational consultant for autism at the Capital Area Intermediate Unit. She assists school personnel, through guided practice, with the implementation of strategies related to the core deficits of autism.
Judy L. Horrocks, Ed.D.
Judy Horrocks is the director of the TIM Academy, which teaches professionals in the field of autism how to implement the Timothy Instructional Methods (TIM) developed by The Timothy School. The academy has been providing training to the Philadelphia School District for three years.
Daniel E. Hursh, Ph.D.
Daniel Hursh has forty years of experience in applying the principles of behavior analysis to the solution of learning problems. He works with teachers, administrators, parents, and children to create learning environments that develop competent learner repertoires. Dr. Hursh has worked with Vicci Tucci and her Competent Learner Model for the past nineteen years.
Brian A. Iwata, Ph.D.
Brian Iwata is a past president of the Association for Behavior Analysis and a past editor of the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis. Dr. Iwata and his students have conducted innovative research on the assessment and treatment of problem behavior for more than twenty-five years.
Kristin Johnson, BCBA
Kristin Johnson has been a school psychologist with the Wayne County Consortium for Early Intervention and the Western Wayne School District in Pennsylvania for nine years. She has served her school district as an internal coach with the Pennsylvania Verbal Behavior Project for five years.
Dana Jones, M.Ed.
Dana Jones earned her master's degree—specializing in early intervention for young children with disabilities—and special education teacher certification at the University of Pittsburgh. She has worked with children with autism, and their families, in both classroom and home settings.
Emily A. Jones, Ph.D.
Emily Jones is an assistant professor of psychology at C. W. Post/Long Island University. Her research in the area of autism focuses on intervention procedures to address joint attention deficits in young children with autism. This research has been funded by the Organization for Autism Research.
Noretta S. Kime
Noretta Kime is a social worker with Intermediate Unit 15, primarily with the autism program, supporting students aged 5 to 21. In addition, she does individual and group psychological counseling. She has a doctorate in clinical psychology and has been trained in cognitive behavioral therapy.
Kristie P. Koenig, Ph.D.
Kristie Koenig is an assistant professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy at New York University. Dr. Koenig has extensive clinical experience in working with persons with autism spectrum disorders who are impacted by challenges in sensory processing and motor planning. Her doctorate is in educational psychology, and her research interests are in the area of addressing sensory processing and praxis challenges, in inclusive settings, that affect communication and behavior.
Natalie Krebs
Natalie Krebs has been an employee of Carbon Lehigh Intermediate Unit 21 for eighteen years. In her first ten years she taught students with autism spectrum disorders and multiple disabilities. She has completed Penn State's autism certificate program and attended many training sessions on applied behavior analysis practices. She has also been a member of the Pennsylvania Autism Task Force and the Lehigh Valley Autism Task Force.
Kay L. Lipsitz
Since 1989, Kay Lipsitz has been the school-age coordinator for the Parent Education Network. She served two terms as a member of PaTTAN's Special Education Advisory Panel and was recently appointed to the Governor's Cabinet and Advisory Committee for People with Disabilities.
Martin J. Lubetsky, M.D.
Martin Lubetsky is an associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and chief of Child and Adolescent Services and the Center for Autism and Developmental Disorders at the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic of UPMC. He has worked in clinical, training, administrative, and research areas regarding autism and developmental disabilities for more than twenty years. Dr. Lubetsky was the recipient of ABOARD's Grandin Award for Professional of the Year 2002.
Michelle Lubetsky, M.Ed., BCBA
Michelle Lubetsky is a training and consultation coordinator with Allegheny Intermediate Unit 3. She offers services in the area of autism and related disorders to the forty-two school districts across Allegheny County. She brings experience from her years of service at PaTTAN Pittsburgh, Carlow University, and the University of Pittsburgh, and as both a general and special education teacher. She has presented seminars, both locally and nationally, on autism, inclusive practices, and assistive technology.
Pamela Marshalla, M.A.
Pamela Marshalla is a speech-language pathologist with thirty-one years of experience in working with young children. An expert in childhood apraxia and oral motor therapy, she has authored many books on speech and language. She also presents international seminars and writes children's music.
Jose Martinez-Diaz, Ph.D.
Jose Martinez-Diaz is an associate professor and the chair of the graduate program in applied behavior analysis at the Florida Institute of Technology, and the president of ABA Technologies, Inc. He is currently the treasurer of the Behavior Analyst Certification Board and a member of the Florida Peer Review Committee. Dr. Martinez is a past president of the Florida Association for Behavior Analysis, which awarded him its highest honor, the Charles H. Cox Award for Outstanding Service and Advancement of Behavior Analysis in Florida, in 2005. His latest publication is a chapter on ethics in Cooper, Heron, and Heward's Applied Behavior Analysis (2nd ed.).
Nancy Maust
Kelly McAndrew
Kelly McAndrew has more than twenty years of experience as a speech-language therapist with students in the public school setting. For the past seven years she has provided training and consultation to educational teams working with students with autism spectrum disorders. She is currently employed by the Luzerne Intermediate Unit as a professional development consultant.
John J. McGonigle, Ph.D.
John McGonigle has more than thirty years of clinical experience with children and adults with neurodevelopmental disabilities. He is an assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. His education and training are in child development, education, and behavioral psychology. Dr. McGonigle is a national presenter on mental health aspects of autism spectrum disorders.
James C. McPartland, Ph.D.
James McPartland is a licensed child psychologist at the Yale Developmental Disabilities Clinic. He directs a research program studying social brain function in autism. Dr. McPartland is co-author of the book A Parent's Guide to Asperger Syndrome and High-Functioning Autism: How to Meet the Challenges and Help Your Child Thrive.
Michael Miklos, M.S., BCBA
Mike Miklos is a behavior analyst and Pennsylvania-certified school psychologist employed as an educational consultant for the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN). As senior behavior analyst for the Verbal Behavior Project, he provides consultation and training to on-site consultants and school staff serving students with autism.
Mary Mikus
Mary Mikus, parent of a child with a disability, has more than ten years of experience in providing parent leadership training.
Nancy J. Minshew, M.D.
Nancy Minshew is director of the University of Pittsburgh's Center for Excellence in Autism Research, an NIH "Autism Center of Excellence." The center investigates the neurobiologic and genetic basis of autism. Dr. Minshew has focused on increasing the understanding of the cognitive and brain basis of autism for more than twenty years.
Zoe Mintz
Michelle Mistishin
Michelle Mistishin is an early intervention teacher.
Lisa E. Mitchell
Lisa Mitchell, a licensed clinical social worker, has worked in the field of developmental disabilities for seventeen years, specializing in psychotherapy and human sexuality education and training. She presently works at the Cody Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities, where she provides individual counseling, leads sexuality education groups, and offers community outreach and training.
Arlene Moll
Arlene Moll is the program supervisor for autism support, vocational support, and the Focused on Living service at the Capital Area Intermediate Unit. Previously, she served for five years as an educational consultant for autism support with this Intermediate Unit. During the 2005-06 and 2006-07 school years she served on the Statewide Cross-Systems Autism Assessment team. Moll also has seventeen years of experience as a kindergarten teacher in Derry Township, providing inclusive education programming for students with a wide variety of disabilities.
Pat Moore
Pat Moore has supervised programs for students with autism for eighteen years.
Rebecca A. Moyes, M.Ed.
Rebecca Moyes, a former teacher, presently serves as the director of the AVID Learning Center in New Kensington, Pennsylvania. A nationally acclaimed author, trainer, and consultant, she is best known for her implementation of practical strategies in inclusive classrooms.
Jacque Murray
Jacque Murray is director of the Career Development and Transition program at the Vanguard School, an Approved Private School that serves approximately 150 students with autism spectrum disorders. Murray is an associate professor teaching graduate and undergraduate courses in special education at Eastern University, in St. Davids, Pennsylvania.
Michael Murray, M.D.
Michael Murray oversees the Developmental Disorders Clinic at the Hershey Medical Center, which offers evaluation and assessments as well as ongoing treatment for children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders. Dr. Murray's clinical research seeks to enhance social skills functioning and increase facial processing abilities in children with autism.
Brenda Smith Myles, Ph.D.
Brenda Smith Myles is an associate professor of special education at the University of Kansas. She was the recipient of the 2004 Autism Society of America's Outstanding Professional Award and the 2006 Princeton Fellowship Award. She has made more than 500 presentations and written more than 150 articles and books. Dr. Myles was recognized as the second most productive applied researcher in autism spectrum disorders in the world between 1997 and 2004.
Karen Newton
Karen Newton is an educational consultant (TAC) for Carbon Lehigh Intermediate Unit 21 in the areas of autism, transition, behavior, and progress monitoring. For twenty-six years she has worked in the field of special education at Intermediate Unit 21, where she has served as a teacher as well as a consultant. She is currently working as a consultant for the multiple disabilities support/behavioral programs in both middle and high school classrooms. She also provides technical assistance and professional development to school districts and IU-operated programs.
Joe Pardini
Ian M. Paregol, J.D.Ian Paregol offers a multidisciplinary perspective in his role as executive director at CSAAC (Community Services for Autistic Adults and Children). His diverse background in law, management, and education administration has been useful in his eighteen-year professional career. Attorney Paregol received his J.D. degree from the Penn State Dickinson School of Law. He is a board member of the Maryland Association of Community Services and a member of the Montgomery County Autism Best Practices Workgroup and the Southern Maryland Region's DDA Solutions team.
Nancy J. Patrick, Ph.D.
Nancy Patrick is a school psychologist, licensed psychologist, special educator, professor, author, speaker, and parent of a child with an autism spectrum disorder. She has worked with students on the autism spectrum for twenty years, written training programs for parents and professionals, and authored several books on autism spectrum disorders.
Lynn Peters
Lynn Peters has worked in the field of special education for twenty-four years. As a classroom teacher, she has worked with all disability areas and all ages. In 2004 she was hired by Lancaster-Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13 as a special education consultant. As a member of the staff development team, she focuses on including students with disabilities in general education, and students on the autism spectrum.
Jeanne Reese
Jeanne Reese has more than thirty years of experience in early childhood education—for the last ten years as a consultant for the Statewide Autism Initiative.
Lori Robertson
Shelley Russin
Shelley Russin has been employed by the Luzerne Intermediate Unit since 2000, first serving as a speech-language pathologist in autistic support classrooms. In 2006 she moved to the professional development staff, as a consultant to educators working with students on the autism spectrum.
Susan F. Rzucidlo
Susan Rzucidlo is the founder and president of SPEAK Unlimited, Inc., a nonprofit organization that provides education, advocacy, support, programs, and safety tools for people interacting with disabled individuals. Her second child is 16 years old and carries dual diagnoses of autism and mental retardation. Rzucidlo has authored a series of eleven safety handouts for families and first responders and is the co-creator of the Premise Alert System. Her work has been widely recognized by stakeholder groups, professional organizations, and community leaders.
Roseann C. Schaaf, Ph.D.
Roseann Schaaf is an occupational therapist, with advanced degrees in education and neuroscience. She is vice chair and associate professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy at Thomas Jefferson University. Dr. Schaaf does funded research in sensory processing. She is the author of two books and numerous publications on sensory integration, and she is a founding member of the Sensory Integration Research Collaborative, a national group that advances research in sensory integration.
Carol M. Schall, Ph.D.
Carol Schall, director of the Virginia Autism Resource Center, has been supporting persons with autism spectrum disorders for more than twenty years. She is co-editor and author of a book on autism and transition due out from Brookes Publishing this summer. Dr. Schall's research interests include autism and transition services, psychotropic medication use, and training for parents and professionals.
Michael C. Shea
Michael Shea is a behavior analyst who supports ABA programs for the Bucks County Schools Intermediate Unit. Dr. Shea has been working in the field of developmental disabilities for more than twenty years.
Gerald L. Shook, Ph.D., BCBA
Gerald (Jerry) Shook is the executive director of the Behavior Analyst Certification Board and president of Shook & Associates. He earned his doctorate at Western Michigan University. Dr. Shook holds adjunct appointments at Penn State and is on the board of directors of the Association of Professional Behavior Analysts.
Nicole Showers
Nicole Showers has worked with persons with autism in the public schools and in a private practice. For the past five years she has been employed as an autism consultant with the Capital Area Intermediate Unit. She currently provides support for educational staff working with students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders.
Kathryn Siconolfi
Kathryn Siconolfi is a junior majoring in public relations and minoring in political science at Messiah College in Grantham, Pennsylvania. She is considering a career in public relations or public service. She will share from her personal experiences, the challenges and rewards of attending college with a nonverbal learning disability.
Michael Stoehr
Jane Strawley
Jane Strawley has supervised the ABA autistic support program of Bucks County Schools Intermediate Unit 22 for the last eight years. She is responsible for program development, training, and implementation.
Mark L. Sundberg, Ph.D., BCBA
Mark Sundberg is the founder and past editor of the journal The Analysis of Verbal Behavior. Dr. Sundberg has more than forty-five publications, including the chapter "Verbal Behavior" in Cooper, Heron, and Heward's Applied Behavior Analysis, 2nd ed. (2007); he is co-author of The Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills and Teaching Language to Children with Autism.
Marissa Tabak
Marissa Tabak graduated from Brigham Young University in 2006 with a bachelor of science degree in exercise science. She is an autistic support service coordinator for early intervention in Philadelphia. Previously, she worked with a home-based ABA program in South Carolina as a program tech. Her thirteen-year-old brother has a diagnosis of autism.
Daniel Thompson
Dan Thompson has provided autism consultation services for education agencies for more than ten years. Presently a consultant with PaTTAN Harrisburg, he has responsibilities in the area of autism, including Competent Learner Model coaching.
Susan Thompson, OTR
Susan Thompson is a licensed occupational therapist with more than fifteen years of experience in school and pediatric therapy. She created the fine-motor program Handy Learning, which has been enthusiastically implemented in hundreds of classrooms across the nation.
Vianne Timmons, Ph.D.
Vianne Timmons is vice president of academic development at the University of Prince Edward Island, in Canada. She does research on inclusive practice and recently completed research on inclusive practices and children with autism. Dr. Timmons is widely published and presents her work nationally and internationally.
Donna M. Toll
Donna Toll and Patty Whitehair are speech pathologists with more than twenty-five years of experience at Elwyn's Davidson School and a twenty-year collaborative relationship with the University of North Carolina's Division TEACCH. This combined experience has provided the blueprint for the development of a community-based program for adolescents and young adults with autism spectrum disorders.
Vicci Tucci, M.A., BCBA
Vicci Tucci earned her master's degree in applied behavior analysis at the University of the Pacific. For thirty years she has focused on implementing the Competent Learner Model for naïve learners (e.g., autistic learners and challenged learners). She is committed to helping naïve learners become more successful in both home and school settings, by collaborating with instructional teams to engineer learning environments.
Mary Beth Urban
Mary Beth Urban is in her twentieth year in education and her third year of supervising autistic support programs and services at Lancaster-Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13. During her tenure as supervisor the school-based classrooms have increased from fifteen to twenty-six, and intensive behavior programs have been added. Urban is passionate about designing and refining a continuum of services for students with autism.
Danielle Vokes, BCBA
Danielle Vokes has been a speech and language support teacher for the Western Wayne School District for thirteen years. She has been an internal coach for the early-intervention model classroom in the Pennsylvania Verbal Behavior Project.
Sheila J. Wagner
Sheila Wagner is a teacher consultant and trainer, published author, and national and international speaker on educating students with autism spectrum disorders. She has more than twenty-five years of experience in this field; she enjoys sharing with teachers and parents practical strategies that can be used directly in today's classrooms.
Kimberly Walker, M.D.
Kimberly Walker is a board-certified child and adolescent psychiatrist. She has served as a consultant to the Capital Area Intermediate Unit in various capacities since 2003—in emotional and autism support programs and in diagnostic classroom and school-based partial hospital programs. Her experience in providing outpatient medication management for children with autism and co-existing Axis I diagnoses has sensitized her to the challenge schools face with this population.
Nina Wall-Cote, M.S.S.
Nina Wall-Cote is the director of the Bureau of Autism Services in the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare. She has years of experience in private practice, working with families and adolescents with special needs; she has served as an advocate for persons with autism spectrum disorders for more than ten years. Before her current appointment she served as co-chair of the Pennsylvania Autism Task Force, as the first president of PACAS (Pennsylvania Action Coalition for Autism Services), and as the information and referral director for the Greater Philadelphia Chapter of the Autism Society of America.
Linda Watson, Ed.S.
Linda Watson is the director of a low incidence program in south central Minnesota. She has been a regular education teacher, a special education teacher, and a special education administrator. She currently works as an autism specialist and as an adjunct faculty member, instructing a teacher training class in autism.
John D. Wessels, Ph.D.
John Wessels has more than twenty years of experience in identifying, teaching, and tracking behavior and transition skills with students from kindergarten through grade twelve. Dr. Wessels has produced four transition manuals and provided transition training to more than 3,000 teachers across the United States.
Patty Whitehair
Patty Whitehair and Donna Toll are speech pathologists with more than twenty-five years of experience at Elwyn's Davidson School and a twenty-year collaborative relationship with the University of North Carolina's Division TEACCH. This combined experience has provided the blueprint for the development of a community-based program for adolescents and young adults with autism spectrum disorders.
Susan M. Wilczynski, Ph.D.
Susan Wilczynski is executive director of the National Autism Center. She chaired the center's National Standards Project, resulting in the most comprehensive analysis of educational and behavioral treatment research for autism spectrum disorders to date. Dr. Wilczynski has authored numerous articles and edited journals and books on the treatment of autism spectrum disorders.
Keith E. Williams, Ph.D.
Keith Williams has been the director of the Feeding Program at the Hershey Medical Center for ten years. In addition to providing clinical services, he conducts both basic and applied research related to children's feeding problems. Dr. Williams recently co-authored a book on treating eating problems in children with autism spectrum disorders.
Joncine Willis
Joncine Willis has been a member of the Intermediate Unit 9 autism team for twelve years. A Competent Learner Model coach, she has completed Penn State's autism certificate program and the course work for ABA certification. She has presented numerous workshops on a variety of autism issues; with the Intermediate Unit autism team she has presented at the Pennsylvania Autism Institute and National Autism Conference. On behalf of students she collaborates with educators, parents, and agency staff.
Paul J. Yoder, Ph.D.
Paul Yoder is a professor of special education at Vanderbilt University. For twenty-three years Dr. Yoder has been conducting research on communication and language treatments for children with a variety of disabilities. For twelve years he has focused his attention and research on addressing this topic in nonverbal or low-verbal children with autism.
Sharon Zamrin, M.S., BCBA
Sharon Zamrin has worked with preschoolers with autism for more than ten years—previously as a classroom teacher, currently as a classroom consultant and behavior analyst. She has specialized knowledge, training, and experience in applied behavior analysis and the application of Skinner's analysis of verbal behavior in teaching language to children with autism.
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