| Ms. Suzanne L. Abrams is a certified speech and language pathologist with a master’s degree from Teacher’s College, Columbia University. She is an adjunct faculty member of the New Perspectives Program of Bank Street College of Education. She conducts workshops and training programs on language development, disorders, and treatment for language-impaired pre-school children. Ms. Abrams is currently in private practice in Manhattan and specializes in consulting to schools and families of children with atypical development. |
|
| |
|
|
|
| Dr. Marilyn C. Agin is board certified in Pediatrics, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, and Neurodevelopmental Disabilities. She received her master’s degree in Communication Disorders and was a practicing speech pathologist treating children and adults prior to medical school. She was the Medical Director of the Early Intervention Program in New York City from 1998-2004, and now devotes her time to her private practice, speaking engagements, and research. She is the author of The Late Talker. |
|
| |
|
|
|
| Dr. Robin Aronow is founder of School Search NYC and is a psychotherapist and educational consultant. She advises parents and nursery schools on the process of applying to public and private ongoing schools. Dr. Aronow provides consultations, workshops, information packets, and email updating services. She has visited hundreds of schools in Manhattan and keeps abreast of the latest changes in the NYC Department of Education. Dr. Aronow is often quoted in the media on school issues. |
|
| |
|
|
|
| Dr. T. Berry Brazelton is a Professor of Pediatrics Emeritus at Harvard Medical School. He founded the Brazelton Touchpoints Center (BTC) at Children’s Hospital Boston in 1993 to mobilize communities around children and families in order to bring relationships back into healthcare and to transform child care into family care. The author of more than 200 scientific papers and chapters, and 40 books, Dr. Brazelton is considered to be one of the foremost authorities on pediatrics and child development. As a parent advocate, he has frequently appeared before Congressional committees in support of parental and medical leave bills and was appointed to the National Commission on Children in 1989, where he advocated with vigor for disadvantaged children. One of Dr. Brazelton’s most notable achievements in pediatrics is his Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS), an evaluation tool used worldwide to assess not only the physical and neurological responses of newborns, but also their emotional well being and individual differences. |
|
| |
|
|
|
| Dr. Vincent J. Carbone is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. He received his graduate training in applied behavior analysis (ABA) at Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa. He serves as an adjunct faculty at Penn State University and is a visiting professor in the Behavioral Education Department at Simmons College, Boston, MA. Dr. Carbone currently serves on the editorial review board of the Journal of Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention, The Journal of Speech Language Pathology and Applied Behavior Analysis and Behavior Analysis in Practice. His research on the topic of verbal behavior and teaching children with autism is published in several peer reviewed journals. He is the director of a center-based clinic for children with autism in Rockland County, N.Y |
|
| |
|
|
|
| Dr. Dina C. Castro is a scientist at the FPG Child Development Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Castro conducts research on program policies and classroom practices to promote development and learning among children from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. She has developed and field tested two professional development programs addressing second language learning in young children, assessment of bilingual children, multicultural practices in early education, childrearing practices across cultures and other related topics. She has also studies factors affecting the well-being of Latino immigrant children and parental involvement in early education. |
|
| |
|
|
|
| Ms. Cecilia Cruse received her BS degree in OT from the University of Florida, and her Master’s degree in Education from Georgia State University. She is SIPT certified and has over 20 years experience in pediatrics with school-based services, acute care and outpatient pediatric settings including the Medical College of GA in Augusta, GA and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite. Ms. Cruse has experience as a consultant, author and lecturer including TV appearances, such as CNN’s Health Watch and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. She has authored several articles for professional periodicals and magazines and has served as a trainer/consultant and service provider in several school systems. Cecilia is currently the Education Director for the Abilitations family of special needs catalogs and lectures nationwide on sensory integration. She is “energetic” and “entertaining” and insists on a fun learning experience. |
|
| |
|
|
|
| Ms. Betty Crea Davidson is an attorney concentrating the area of special education law and advocacy. As a result of her own experience as the parent of a child with an autism spectrum disorder, she founded and is the executive director of Navigating the Spectrum, a not-for-profit organization providing direction and support to families of children on the autism spectrum. Currently, she is completing her certification as a behavior analyst, focusing on the use of applied behavior analysis in helping children with autism and other developmental delays. |
|
| |
|
|
|
| Dr. Laurie DuBos received her PhD in Special Education from the University of New Orleans. She is an Assistant Professor in the Graduate School at The College of New Rochelle. She has been in the field of Special Education for over 30 years, with 15 years of classroom experience, teaching children with special needs in both private and public schools. She is the co-founder of The Gillen Brewer School, located in New York City. Dr. DuBos’ professional interests include early childhood special education, inclusive education, collaborative team teaching, and parent advocacy. She is the co-author of A Parents' Guide to Special Education in New York City and the Metropolitan Area (2006). |
|
| |
|
|
|
| Mr. Rick Ellis is an Early Childhood Educator/Consultant and is an adjunct faculty of the New Perspectives Program of Bank Street College of Education. He has been involved in the fields of early childhood and elementary education for more than 33 years. He has taught infants through nine-year olds and has also worked in educational administration as a teaching coach/unit leader, mentor, administrator, and instructional computer coordinator. He was trained through Bank Street College, Rider University, and The College of New Jersey. In 2007, a week-long seminar in the Reggio Emilia, Italy, school was also a part of Mr. Ellis’ training. |
|
| |
|
|
|
| Dr. Ivy Feldman is a clinical psychologist specializing in child psychology. She is the Educational Director of the McCarton School for children with autism spectrum disorders. |
|
| |
|
|
|
| Ms. Leslie Feldt currently works as a Curriculum Specialist in the Outreach department of Sesame Workshop. She is an adjunct faculty member of the New Perspectives Program of Bank Street College of Education. She has conducted research for Sesame Street, Elmo’s World, and The Upside Down Show and has also contributed to educational projects within Sesame Workshop’s Content department. She worked at Nickelodeon as Formative Researcher for Nick Jr.’s Go Diego, Go! and holds an MA in Cognitive Studies in Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. Leslie is a certified Spanish bilingual teacher with six years of experience teaching in elementary schools. |
|
| |
|
|
|
| Dr. Eileen S. Flicker is the co-author of “Guiding Children’s Behavior: Developmental Discipline in the Classroom” (Teachers College Press, 2006). She has been a teacher, childcare director, curriculum coordinator, college professor, program developer, parent educator, and educational and mental health consultant. Dr. Flicker currently works in schools in NYC where she facilitates differentiated instruction, curriculum mapping, and social skills groups. |
|
| |
|
|
|
| Ms. Jana Fromer Cook is a writer and designer. She is a mother who has been personally involved in the world of special education for the past 10 years. Her personal experience within this wonderful community of families, children and educators, inspired her to co-author the book, “A Parents Guide to Special Education in NYC and the Metropolitan Area.” The book is specifically designed to inform and support families with children with special needs. |
|
| |
|
|
|
| Ms. Susan Griss is a dancer, educator, curriculum consultant, and is the author of Minds in Motion: A Kinesthetic Approach to Teaching Elementary Curriculum. She is on the faculty of Lesley University, Cambridge, MA, and she is co-director of the Arts and Curriculum Institute, part of Concerted Effort which works in the NY State capital region. She is an adjunct faculty member of the New Perspectives Program of Bank Street College of Education and has been teaching creative movement to children in public schools for over 20 years. |
|
| |
|
|
|
| Ms. Carolina Kaiser is a Certified Child Facilitator and Teacher for The Son-Rise Program® at The Autism Treatment Center of America™. Carolina has worked with families of children with special needs for over five years. Her experience includes one-to-one work with more than 300 children with a wide variety of autism spectrum disorders as well as Asperger’s, Angelman’s, Tourette’s, and Down Syndromes. Carolina currently works in Massachusetts and travels throughout the U.S. teaching parents and professionals to create home-based education programs for their children. |
|
| |
|
|
|
| Mr. Raun K. Kaufman is an international speaker and author. He brings a distinctive qualification to autism treatment: his own history. At 18 months, Raun was diagnosed with irreversible autism. His parents created an innovative home-based, child-centered program which enabled Raun’s complete recovery. This methodology developed into the unique Son-Rise Program®. Today, as the CEO of the Autism Treatment Center of America, Raun teaches and lectures on the very methods responsible for his recovery from autism. He holds a degree in Biomedical Ethics from Brown University. |
|
| |
|
|
|
| Ms. Meredith Lewis is Associate Director of the Center for Early Childhood Professionals with Bank Street College’s Division of Continuing Education. Ms. Lewis works with early childhood programs throughout New York City to provide specialized professional development workshops and targeted on-site support that promote best practices and high quality in early childhood classrooms. |
|
| |
|
|
|
| Ms. Nina Lublin has over 30 years experience working with families of children birth to five with disabilities and other special needs and their families, and the professionals who work with them. She has 25 years of experience in NYC working for the NYC Head Start program and Resources for Children with Special Needs, Inc. Adjunct instructor in Early Childhood Special Education at Hunter College and New York University. Member NYC Early Intervention Coordinating Council and NYC-DOE Preschool Task Force. |
|
| |
|
|
|
| Ms. Terry Ann Lunt serves as the Executive Director of the Brazelton Touchpoints Center at Children’s Hospital Boston. Prior to joining the Center in 2003, Terry Ann was an investor and Vice President of a privately held, venture backed, nationwide company providing customized eldercare alternatives. A seasoned chief executive, she has managed complex organizations and initiatives for over 25 years, specializing in strategic leadership interventions for organizations in transition in health care and human services. Her passion for creating excellence in human services delivery led her to pursue leadership roles in municipal and state government, and then to Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, where she received her Masters in Public Administration. |
|
| |
|
|
|
| Dr. Cecelia McCarton is a Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. She is the founder and director of the McCarton Center for Developmental Pediatrics and the Executive Director of the McCarton School for children with autism spectrum disorders. |
|
| |
|
|
|
| Ms. Kim Mullaney is a trainer with more than 15 years of experience.
Ms. Mullaney has been involved with public television and children's
programming since 1997. She has developed outreach campaigns,
workshops, lesson plans, and activities that help support innovative
educational experiences for teachers, children, and families. As
Associate Director for State and Local Education Services at
Thirteen/WNET and WLIW, she also oversees online professional
development for teachers in the New York City and Long Island areas. |
|
| |
|
|
|
| Dr. Desiree Murray is an Assistant Professor at Duke University Medical Center, and the Associate Director of the Duke ADHD Program. She is co-investigator on a DOE-funded project evaluating an attention training intervention for first grade students, an NIMH-funded efficacy trial of an organizational skills intervention for children with ADHD, and on the follow-up of the Preschool ADHD Treatment (PATS) Study. Her research interests focus on school-based interventions for ADHD. |
|
| |
|
|
|
| Ms. Diane M. Renna is the author/self publisher of “Meghan’s World,” an inspiring children’s social story about her daughter’s triumph over Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD). She dedicates her time to helping children with SPD and Autism Spectrum Disorders. Renna inspires others to embark on their own journey to wellness and healing. SPD is no longer a jail-keeper to her family and she wants to share with the world the road to a safe, comfortable place filled with hope, understanding, and triumph. (http://www.meghanstriumphoverspd.com) |
|
| |
|
|
|
| Dr. Myrna B. Shure a developmental psychologist at Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA is the creator of Raising a Thinking Child Workbook for families, and I Can Problem Solve (ICPS) for schools, both of which have won recognition as evidence-based by national agencies including the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. She has also been recognized by the American Psychological Association’s initiative, Psychology Matters, for research with valuable applications that make a difference in people’s lives. |
|
| |
|
|
|
| Dr. Joshua Sparrow is a child, adolescent, and general psychiatrist. He is Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the Harvard Medical School, Director of Special Initiatives at the Brazelton Touchpoints Center, and supervisor for outpatient psychiatry services at Children's Hospital, Boston. Co-author with Dr. T. Berry Brazelton of eight books and author of numerous scholarly papers published in the United States and Europe. Most recently he has collaborated with Dr. Brazelton on the revised 15th anniversary edition of the original Touchpoints Zero to Three. He has lectured extensively nationally and internationally on child and adolescent development. Dr. Sparrow’s work with the Brazelton Touchpoints Center has included consultation on child development and parenting to the Harlem Children’s Zone and to American Indian Early Head Start Programs. He has also consulted to parents and schools in New York City in response to the September 11 disaster. |
|
| |
|
|
|
| Ms. Naveen Sultan has spent the past year contributing to the children's
outreach team at Thirteen WNET New York. She has led outreach
initiatives in New York City through the use of PBS kids programming
such as Super Why! and Reading Rainbow. Naveen assists in
coordinating workshops and creating materials for trainings. She is
currently the Family Literacy Assistant at Thirteen. |
|
| |
|
|
|
| Ms. Joyce Whitby began as a NYC elementary teacher working with
English Language Learners. She then spent over 10 years teaching
Educational Technology at Long Island University, focusing on the
emerging field of instructional technology. She developed key initiatives
targeting At-Risk Learners in an Urban Environment for several
organizations including WICAT Systems, Jostens Learning, Scientific
Learning, and the Education Division of Apple Computer. She is
currently the Director of NYC Metro Strategic Initiatives for Headsprout
Early Learning. |
|
| |
|
|
|
| Ms. Kim West is a mother of two and a Licensed Certified Social Worker-Clinicial who has been a practicing child and family social worker for more than 14 years. Known as the Sleep Lady® by her clients, she has helped more than a thousand tired parents learn to listen to their intuition, recognize their child’s important cues and behaviors, and gently create changes that promote and preserve his or her healthy sleep habits. West is the author of “Good Night, Sleep Tight.” |
|
| |
|
|
|
| Dr. Chun Zhang is an full professor and coordinator of the Early
Childhood Special Education master’s Degree programs from the
Graduate School of Education at Fordham University. Her research
interests lie in culturally and linguistically responsive services in Early
Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education. Currently, she has
been directing several research and training projects related to working
with young children from culturally and linguistically diverse
backgrounds at Fordham University. She has published widely in this
area. |
|
| |
|
|
|
Ms. Emily Zyko has worked supporting educators domestically and
abroad. She has worked assisting professionals develop curriculum and
best practices for working with students of all ages. She has developed
lesson plans, workshops and events to promote advancement in
teaching and learning. As the Family Literacy Project Manager at
Thirteen/WNET, she works with early care and elementary school
professionals, developing workshops, events and activities to further
professional development for care providers. |
|
| |
|
