Recorded Digital Access is now Available Via TACA Connect App
(available only through January 21, 2023)
October 14-16, 2022
Hilton Orange County - Costa Mesa, California
in partnership with
Meet Our Experts
Amy J Machado, MA, BCBA
Amy has worked with individuals with Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities for over 20 years in home, school, community, and clinical settings. She earned bachelor’s degrees in Health and Education, and a master’s degree in Teaching with an emphasis in Special Education from Belmont University. Additionally, she earned a post graduate certification in Behavior Analysis from Florida Institute of Technology.
Amy has extensive experience working directly with individuals with disabilities of all ages and has spent the latter part of her career creating innovative programs to assist young adults with the transition into adulthood. Amy has authored the Rooted In Connection curricula that teaches comprehensive sex education with an emphasis on relationships, social boundaries, assertiveness, and abuse prevention for individuals with disabilities of all ages (Youth through Adult).
Amy's drive to reduce sexual exploitation stems from her direct work with countless individuals and families who have shared their personal stories of exposure, assault and sexual abuse. Throughout her career as a Behavior Analyst, she has worked with many individuals and families seeking information about relationships and how to connect with others. From their experiences and their desire for social autonomy, she is dedicated to making STC an inclusive place for people with disabilities to learn invaluable information about connecting with others appropriately and safely.
In addition to handling STC operations, Amy conducts trainings and workshops throughout the state for parents and professionals on social-sexual topics including abuse awareness and risk reduction through education.
Amy J Machado, MA, BCBA
Anju Usman Singh, MD, FAAFP, ABIHM, FMAPS
Anju Usman Singh, MD, FAAFP, ABIHM, FMAPS
Dan Rossignol, MD, FAAFP
Dr. Dan Rossignol received his Doctorate of Medicine at the Medical College of Virginia and completed his residency in family medicine at the University of Virginia. Coming from an academic background, Dr. Rossignol searched the medical literature looking for a solution after both of his children were diagnosed with autism. He has made it his mission to research and publish in autism. Since 2006, he has 53 papers, abstracts, editorials, and book chapters concerning autism and related conditions. Dr. Rossignol is a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians (FAAFP) and a Fellow of the Medical Academy of Pediatric Special Needs (FMAPS).
Dan Rossignol, MD, FAAFP
Dane Fliedner, M.D., MPH, FAAP, IFMCP, FMAPS, ABoIHM
Dr. Fliedner is Chief Medical Officer at Lighthouse Complex Care. He is a board-certified general pediatrician with a diverse medical background before starting his functional medicine practice. He became interested in integrative medicine when his children were struggling with chronic illnesses that were not being adequately addressed by the conventional allopathic model. He is an Institute of Functional Medicine Certified Practitioner, a Fellow of the Medical Academy of Pediatric Special Needs (MAPS) as well as Board Certified from the American Board of Holistic, Integrative Medicine. He currently practices in an urgent care setting, as well as consulting with families for complex medical conditions including autism, asthma, allergies, gut imbalances, and more. Dr. Fliedner is fluent in Spanish.
Dane Fliedner, MD, MPH, FAAP, IFMCP, FMAPS, ABoIHM
Darin Ingles, ND, FMAPS
Dr. Ingels is a respected leader in natural medicine with numerous publications, international lectures and almost 30 years experience in the healthcare field. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in medical technology from Purdue University and his Doctorate of Naturopathic Medicine from Bastyr University in Seattle, Washington. Dr. Ingels completed a residency program at the Bastyr Center for Natural Health. Prior to attending medical school, Dr. Ingels worked as a clinical microbiologist/immunologist at Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, IL. He is a Fellow in good standing with the American Academy of Environmental Medicine and a Fellow with the Medical Academy of Pediatric Special Needs.
Dr. Ingels has been published extensively and is a former medical journalist and contributing author to Healthnotes Newswire, a medical report of the latest journal articles on nutritional and botanical medicine. He has also written a chapter on allergy desensitization for autistic children in “Cutting Edge Therapies for Autism” (Skyhorse, 2014). Dr. Ingels is the author of The Lyme Solution: A 5-Part Plan to Fight the Inflammatory Auto-Immune Response and Beat Lyme Disease (Avery, 2018), which covers an integrative, natural approach to the treatment and management of Lyme disease.
Dr. Ingels’ practice focuses on environmental medicine with special emphasis on chronic immune dysfunction, including autism, Lyme disease, allergies, asthma, PANDAS, recurrent or persistent infections and other genetic or acquired immune problems. His practice is comprised of both children and adults. He uses diet, nutrients, herbs, homeopathy and immunotherapy to help his patients achieve better health.
Darin Ingles, ND, FMAPS
Darlene Hanson
Darlene Hanson has her Masters of Arts in Communication Disorders from Whittier College in California. She is currently the Director of Communication Services with the non-profit REACH, in Southern California. Darlene works with individuals, their support teams, and their families to build communication. Her professional experiences have included work in the public schools and private practice. As a speech and language pathologist Darlene conducts assessments in the areas of speech, language, and augmentative communication. She has been working with individuals with severe communication impairments since her under graduate program at Chapman College (1980). Darlene has included Facilitated Communication Training in her assessments and practice since 1991. Over the course of the years she has taught at Chapman University, presented at local, state and national conferences, and conducted trainings on Autism, Augmentative Communication strategies, and Facilitated Communication Training throughout the United States. Through REACH, formerly known as WAPADH, Darlene has been instrumental in organizing multiple national conferences on Facilitated Communication known as the “West Coast Symposium...”. She is also one of a group of Master Trainers for Facilitated Communication Training, and assisted with the writing of the Best Practice Standards for Facilitated Communication Training distributed through the Institute for Communication and Inclusion of Syracuse University. Darlene has co-authored research and articles on communication for those with severe communication impairments, and is a co-author of Investigation of Authorship in Facilitated Communication, (Journal of Mental Retardation, Aug. 1996).
Darlene Hanson
Devin Houston, PhD
Dr. Houston obtained a B.A. degree in Biology from Hendrix College in 1979. He then was awarded a B.S. degree in Medical Science in 1980 and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of South Alabama College of Medicine in 1987.
Dr. Houston's graduate work focused on how the aging process affected certain enzyme systems.
Following the defense of his thesis work, Dr. Houston accepted a post-doctoral position at the University of Virginia where he became involved in several fields of research, including ligand-receptor interactions of the adenosine receptor, diabetes, and mechanisms of how cells respond to environmental signals. Dr. Houston's work was funded by the American Heart Association.
In 1990, Dr. Houston accepted a position at Saint Louis University School of Medicine. While there, he obtained the position of Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Physiology. His research focus was on characterizing the cannabinoid (marihuana) receptor as a possible model for Alzheimer's research. Dr. Houston's work was funded by several grants from the National Institutes of Health. He published several peer-reviewed papers, as well as presenting his finding at several symposia.
In 1997, Dr. Houston left academia for industry, and accepted a position as Manager of Research and Development at National Enzyme Company. While there, he upgraded the existing lab and instituted more advanced methods of analysis. Instrumental in new product development, he is the formulator and inventor of SerenAid(tm), which started the interest in using enzymes to counter certain food intolerances. In March of 2000, Dr. Houston left National Enzyme and became a scientific consultant to the dietary supplement industry prior to founding Houston Nutraceuticals, Inc., doing business as Houston Enzymes. Since then, he has formulated second- and third-generation enzyme products that address many digestive issues.
Devin Houston, PhD
Elizabeth McCoy, Esq
Elizabeth McCoy has been a licensed Attorney in California since 1997, practicing primarily in the area of special needs trusts, conservatorship, and estate planning for families who have a child with Autism or other special needs. Mrs. McCoy earned her Juris Doctor from Washington University School of Law. During law school, she was the Jan Adam Zuckerman scholarship recipient, and a staff member for the Washington University Journal of Urban and Contemporary Law. Since 1988, Mrs. McCoy has also been a licensed Landscape Architect. Prior to practicing law, she produced landscape architectural plans for Disney theme parks and 5-star Ritz Carlton and Marriott hotels throughout the world. Mrs. McCoy has been a proud supporter of TACA since 2006. She lives in North San Diego County with her husband Mike and two sons Atticus and August.
Elizabeth McCoy, Esq
Emily Gutierrez, DNP, CPNP, IFMCP, CCN
Dr. Gutierrez received her doctorate from Johns Hopkins University with a focus in translational medicine and integrative health. She is also a certified practitioner through the Institute of Functional Medicine. Dr. Gutierrez received her masters degree in nursing from the University of Texas at Austin and is board-certified as a pediatric nurse practitioner and mental health specialist through the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board.
Dr. Gutierrez is the founder of the Integrative Health Special Interest group for the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners and is a seasoned speaker, writer, and researcher. She has completed the dietary supplement practicum with the National Institute of Health and is also adjunct faculty in the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing. She incorporates functional nutrition, genetics, immune, and environmental health into providing individualized medical care for her patients.
Emily Gutierrez, DNP, CPNP, IFMCP, CCN
Erica Peirson, ND
Dr. Peirson is a Naturopathic physician who has been practicing for 15 years. She specializes in using a functional medical approach to optimize the health and development of children with Down syndrome as well as other genetic and neurodevelopmental conditions. She is the mother of a healthy, thriving 13 year old boy who happens to have mosaic Down syndrome and has benefitted from her expertise. She has lectured globally to share with others the many ways she helps her patients thrive, in addition to helping patients privately all over the world through telehealth consults.
Erica Peirson, ND
Glenn Wilhelm
Glenn Wilhelm has been the V.P. of Business Development with the IonCleanse by A Major Difference since 2011. Glenn provides training for practitioners on how to integrate the IonCleanse into their practice to help them improve clients outcomes. Glenn has also worked with over a thousand customers within the ASD community on how to maximize the benefits of the IonCleanse by AMD system for their child.
The IonCleanse® by AMD detox footbath system is the worldwide leader in ionic detoxification. The IonCleanse system is the safest, most thorough and efficient instrument used to cleanse and purify the body. Backed with over 19 years of history and proven research, the IonCleanse by AMD is proudly made in the USA and is the industry leader in footbath detoxification in the practitioner and consumer markets.
Glenn Wilhelm
James Williams
James Williams is an adult with autism. He was diagnosed at the age of 3, in 1991. He graduated from Glenbrook North High School in Northbrook, Illinois, in 2010. Today, he travels the United States lecturing on autism, and is the author of three books, OUT TO GET JACK, THE H.A.L. EXPERIMENT, and WHEN GARY COMES TO PLAY. He is also a musician that has performed at anime conventions such as DaishoCon, MetroCon, and KitsuneKon, and other venues such as National Hobo Convention, and has been the beneficiary of many biomedical interventions throughout his life.
James Williams
Jared Skowron, ND
Jared Skowron, ND
Julie Buckley, MD, IFMCP
Julie Buckley, MD, IFMCP
James Adams, PhD
James Adams, PhD
Jeremy Hamburgh
Jeremy Hamburgh is a dating and friendship coach who empowers autistic adults to make friends, build relationships, start dating and find love. He has over 12 years of experience coaching autistic adults into the social lives they want and deserve. He has collaborated with a variety of organizations on dating and friendship skills workshops, and he thoroughly enjoys that "aha moment" when a young adult or their parent realizes that a social life is possible. Jeremy offers a no-cost 90-minute Strategy Session to every family whose young adult wants to have a more vibrant social life, and he enjoys giving families incredible clarity on the path out of loneliness and into a more connected life. Jeremy's passion is his first-of-its-kind program, called Social Life 360. It's an innovative program that trains his clients to confidently meet new people in new places, while at the same time providing them and their families with a supporting and loving community that makes them feel embraced. Jeremy does all of this with a deep commitment to kindness, compassion and world-class support. You can learn more about Jeremy and the Social Life 360 Strategy at MyBestSocialLife.com.
Jeremy Hamburgh
Julie Logan, DC
Dr. Julie Logan, DC practices with Dr. Anju Usman at True Health Medical Center in Naperville, IL. She is a fully MAPS trained and certified physician and specializes in working with children with the symptoms of Autism, ADD/HD, PANDAS/PANS, food sensitivities, thyroid problems, methylation defects, GI issues, allergies, and environmental illnesses. She applies both biomedical as well as chiropractic principles of restoring optimal health to her patients. She has successfully battled some of these conditions and problems in her own health as well as resolving the symptoms of autism in one of her own children. This has given her a heart to help others who are suffering from the same.
Julie Logan, DC
Katie Dahlgren, ND
Dr. Katie Dahlgren is a board-certified Naturopathic Physician. She earned her bachelor’s degree in biology/pre-med with a minor in psychology at Gonzaga University in 2003. She then completed the vigorous 4-year doctorate program in naturopathic medicine at Bastyr University, graduating in 2007. Dr. Dahlgren completed a 3-year residency with Dietrich Klinghardt, MD, Ph.D. and Nazanin Kimiai, ND, L.Ac. at Comprehensive Medical Center. She then worked alongside Dr. Klinghardt as an associate and senior clinician at Sophia Health Institute for an additional 4 years. Dr. Dahlgren recently worked with Dr. Amy Derksen at Holistic Healing Arts from 2015 through May of 2021. She currently works at Comprehensive Medical Center in Kirkland, WA.
Dr. Dahlgren specializes in the treatment of chronic infections and neurological disorders in patients of all ages. She has 14 years of experience providing highly individualized care to patients with complex chronic illness. Her protocols include drainage therapies, detoxification support, herbal medicine, homeopathy, nutritional support, dietary interventions, energy medicine, pharmaceutical medications and lifestyle recommendations. She has extensive experience with a variety of injection techniques and IV therapies.
She loves collaborating with her colleagues to design protocols that are tailored to the patient’s health goals and lifestyle. She strives to create and maintain a therapeutic relationship of mutual respect where patients can feel heard and valued. She is committed to lifelong learning and makes it a priority to frequently attend conferences and lectures that benefit her patients through exposure to experts in the rapidly growing and evolving field of integrative medicine.
Katie Dahlgren, ND
Katherine Reid, PhD
Katherine Reid, PhD
Leticia Castillo, MT-BC
Lety Castillo, MT-BC, NMT, is the founder and music therapist at Orange County Music Services. She has worked with clients of all ages in rehabilitation, mental health, learning disabilities, challenging behaviors, skilled nursing, and dementia. Currently, Lety primarily works throughout south Orange County with kids and adults with developmental disabilities.
Leticia Castillo, MT-BC
Lisa Ackerman
A native of California, Lisa has worked in the retail and real estate site selection for almost 20 years. Lisa was a co-founder of Integration Technologies and AnySite Software which was sold to MapInfo Corporation in 2003. Working with customers like Wal-Mart, Burger King and Shell Oil, Lisa has consulted and sold large solutions for planning and managing the site selection process.
In 1999, Lisa and her husband Glen received the news that their 2 ½ year old son had been diagnosed with autism. At the time it was the recommendation from multiple physicians that the family find “institutional placement” for their son. Refusing to even consider this, they began their research to find answers for their son. One year later they launched a parent support group in their home with 10 families who were living with autism. As a result of this dedicated group, TACA was founded.
In March 2004, Lisa retired from her real estate career to assume a full-time volunteer role as Executive Director for TACA. She transitioned from volunteer to a full time professional capacity in July 2008 managing a national non-profit organization headquartered in Irvine, Calif. From a grass roots beginning in Southern California, under Lisa’s leadership approximately $16MM has been raised to help fund TACA’s mission and over 55,000 families across the nation have been served.
Lisa Ackerman
Lisa J Grajewski, PsyD
Lisa J. Grajewski received her Doctorate of Psychology in Clinical and Forensic Psychology from Alliant University International-Irvine. She also holds a Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership from Chapman University.
Dr. Grajewski has a Level-1 Certification in Trauma, is a licensed psychologist with the state of California, and has experience in forensic and clinical settings. She is especially adept at working with former and current members of the military, people of the Jewish faith, and anyone effected by trauma.
Dr. Grajewski works to provide truthful and objective findings in forensic and educational testing. Therein you may not get the results you want or hoped for, but you will get an objective analysis.
Lisa J Grajewski, PsyD
Mark Woodsmall, Esq
Mark Woodsmall, founding attorney of Woodsmall Law Group, PC, practices exclusively in the areas of Special Education, Regional Center Matters, Special Needs Trust Planning and Conservatorship. In 2006, Mr. Woodsmall joined the faculty of the USC Gould School of Law as a Professor Adjunct, teaching in the area of special education law. He also served as the teaching attorney in the Special Education Advocacy Training Project – Los Angeles. The SEAT Project, an innovative nationwide advocacy training project, is funded under grant from the US Department of Education and administered through COPAA, the Council of Parent Attorneys & Advocates and the USC Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (Children’s Hospital Los Angeles). Mr. Woodsmall sits on the UCLA Center for Autism Research & Treatment (CART) Community Advisory Committee. Mr. Woodsmall is a national lecturer on parent’s rights under the IDEA, Section 504 and the Lanterman Act. Mr. Woodsmall was an invited presenter at the 2012, 2013 and 2014 COPAA Conferences (national conference of student attorneys) in Florida, New Mexico and California. Mr. Woodsmall has been recognized for his work in the field in 2012 as the recipient of the National Ambassador for the Children Award from Casa Colina and in 2013 with the prestigious Stanley I. Greenspan Humanitarian Award. In 2014 Mr & Mrs. Woodsmall formed the Spero Project, a 501C3, non-profit organization dedicated to work training opportunities for young adults (16 to 25 years of age) with developmental disabilities.
Mark Woodsmall, Esq
Richard Boles, MD
Richard Boles, MD
Robert K Naviaux, MD, PhD
Dr. Naviaux is the founder and co-director of the Mitochondrial and Metabolic Disease Center (MMDC), and Professor of Medicine, Pediatrics, Pathology, and Genetics at UCSD. He directs a core laboratory for metabolomics at UCSD. He is the co-founder and a former president of the Mitochondrial Medicine Society (MMS), and a founding associate editor of the journal Mitochondrion. He is an internationally known expert in human genetics, inborn errors of metabolism, metabolomics, and mitochondrial medicine. He is the discoverer of the cause of Alpers syndrome—the oldest Mendelian form of mitochondrial disease—and the developer of the first DNA test to diagnose it. His lab also discovered the first mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations that cause genetic forms of autism. Dr. Naviaux's lab has developed a number of advanced technologies like biocavity laser spectroscopy and mtDNA mutation detection by mass spectrometry. He is a Salk-trained virologist, and molecular and cell biologist, the inventor of the popular pCL retroviral gene transfer vectors, and was trained at NIH in tumor immunology and natural killer cell biology. In 2011, he received a Trailblazer Award from Autism Speaks. His 2013 paper reporting preclinical studies on the role of purinergic signaling and the cell danger response in autism was ranked the #1 most-viewed report of 2013 on the Simons Foundation autism web site. He is currently the director of the first FDA-approved clinical trial to study the safety and efficacy of antipurinergic drug therapy using suramin as a new treatment for autism.
Robert K Naviaux, MD
Scarlett K. vonThenen
Scarlett K. vonThenen
Theoharis C. Theoharides, BA, MS, MPhil, PhD, MD, FAAAAI
Dr. Theoharides is Professor of Pharmacology and Internal Medicine, as well as Director of Molecular Immunopharmacology and Drug Discovery, in the Department of Immunology at Tufts University School of Medicine. .He first showed that mast cells, known for causing allergic reactions, are critical for inflammation, especially in the brain, and are involved in a number of inflammatory conditions that worsen with stress such as allergies, asthma, autism spectrum disorder, eczema, fibromyalgia, interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome, mast cell activation syndrome, migraines, multiple sclerosis, myalgic encephalomyelitis/ chronic fatigue syndrome and psoriasis. Dr. Theoharides is also the Scientific Director of Algonot, LLC
Theoharis C. Theoharides, BA, MS, MPhil, PhD, MD, FAAAAI
Tim Adams, Esq
Tim is the President and CEO of Adams & Associates APLC, a disability rights law firm. He received his Bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Irvine and Juris Doctorate degree from Pepperdine University School of Law. He is admitted to practice as an attorney in California, in the United States District Courts—Central, Southern and Eastern Districts of California, as well as before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He has served as an adjunct professor and Associate Director of the Special Education Advocacy Clinic, Pepperdine University School of Law.
He has served as a Board member for the University of California, Irvine Child Development School and The Children’s School, and is an Ambassador for The Autism Community in Action (TACA). He has also served on the Board of Advisors for an education data startup called Schoolie, Inc., (acquired by Great Schools) an online tool which helps families across the nation make informed choices on K-12 education.
In 2017, he co-founded Walls that Unite, a non-profit that provides educational experiences in low-income communities in the United States and Mexico.
Tim is also a member of Gen Next, an invitation-only organization of successful individuals dedicated to learning about and becoming engaged with the most pressing challenges facing future generations — including global security, education reform, and economic opportunity. The collective influence of its national network of civic-minded leaders empowers bold and innovative solutions to these challenges.
Tim Adams, Esq
Leann Schouten, ClinScD, CCC-SLP
Dr. Leann Schouten is the founder and executive leader of Jump and Schout Therapy, a multidisciplinary private practice in speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and physical therapy located in Brea and Chino, California. In her practice, she conducts individualized education assessments for school districts, interdisciplinary assessments, and is responsible for diagnosing and treating speech, language, and cognitive impairments in children with varying degrees of neurological impairment. She currently teaches at Chapman University and California State University, Fullerton. Dr. Schouten is PROMPT certified and specializes in apraxia and autism.
Leann Schouten, ClinScD, CCC-SLP
Stephanie Bibeau, BCBA
Stephanie Bibeau (she/her) is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) who joined Autism Learning Partners in 2019. She started her career in 2008 when she completed her Bachelor's in Child and Adolescent Development from Cal State Fullerton and quickly fell in love with the use of ABA to help children and their families. She went on to get her Master's in Applied Behavior Analysis from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology and become board certified in 2013. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Psychology with an emphasis in Applied Behavior Analysis and is expected to graduate in 2023. During her career she has supported a variety of individuals from ages 8 months to 75 years, and within a variety of environments such as in-home, school, community, group home, day program, and psychiatric facilities. In her role, Stephanie enjoys the opportunity to foster a knowledgeable, passionate, and caring team to support the families they service. Her wide variety of experiences has led Stephanie to strongly believe in supporting the whole person and their environment to best help that person to live the life they want and choose. Outside of work Stephanie loves spending time with her one year old, going to rock concerts, camping, and being around people she loves.
Stephanie Bibeau, BCBA
Patti Andrich, MA, OTR/L, COVT, CINPP
Patti is an internationally honored occupational, vision therapist, researcher and author. She is known world-wide for her success in treating children and adults with sensorimotor processing disorders.
Patti received her master’s degree from The Ohio State University College of Education and her occupational therapy degree from the Cleveland State University. Patti holds certifications in auditory processing, primitive reflex integration, vision therapy, occupational therapy, and neurofeedback.
She serves on several advisory boards relating to vision and occupational therapy and is dedicated to working as an inter-disciplinary team member with other professional experts who provide therapeutic services to individuals with neurological, physical, and cognitive impairments.
Patti Andrich is the founder of the Neuro Sensorimotor Foundations Program, a therapeutic program to improve attention, emotional regulation, coordination, visual, auditory, and vestibular functions. Patti was named, Vision Therapist of the Year 2020, by the international organization, College of Optometrists in Vision Development.
Patti Andrich, MA, OTR/L, COVT, CINPP
Jennifer Bahr, ND, DHANP
Dr. Jennifer Bahr, ND, DHANP is the founder and Chief Medical Officer of Resilience Naturopathic, a practice devoted to making PANS/PANDAS a thing of the past and homeopathy the medicine of the future. Her commitment stems from her personal experience as a child who would have been diagnosed with PANS had she been born 20 years later than she was. Her life‘s work is dedicated to bringing awareness to PANS/PANDAS, teaching the world about the healing power of homeopathy, and changing the outcome for the children and families that are suffering. Dr. Bahr is a graduate of Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine as well as the University of Maryland, where she earned her BS in physiology and neurobiology. She also proudly served the US Navy as an Arabic linguist.
Jennifer Bahr, ND, DHANP
Stephanie Martin
As President of College Living Experience, Stephanie Martin leads the charge in assisting the neurodiverse population gain experience within post-secondary and career settings. Dedicating her professional life to working with young adults, Stephanie brings a passion and commitment to supporting the special education community by developing innovative services tailored around the unique needs of each individual. She strives to come alongside each student as they forge their path towards independence and sustainability.
Born and raised in Denver Colorado, she obtained her undergraduate degree for UC Berkeley and then her master’s degree in Special Education from St. Mary’s College in Moraga, CA. She currently lives in Nashville, TN with her husband and enjoys spending time outdoors with her two dogs.
Stephanie Martin
Eugenia Steingold, PhD
Dr. Eugenia Steingold has over 20 years of experience working with autistic children including diagnosis, treatment, and research. Dr Steingold is a NYS licensed psychologist with extensive experience in experimental research. She earned her PhD from Princeton University, specializing in psycholinguistics and cognitive psychology and she was a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University, specializing in cognitive and linguistic development. She treats patients for mental health problems, panic attacks, stress management, and depression. She also provides various therapy and counseling sessions.
In addition to treating children in her private practice, Dr. Steingold works with the NYC Early Intervention, diagnosing and helping children with Autism, Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Asperger's, Attention Deficit Disorder, as well as various social, emotional, cognitive and behavioral problems. She conducts neuropsychological testing and provides parental training.
Eugenia Steingold, PhD
Cherie Francis Boegeman, OT/L
Cherie has been an occupational therapist for over 30 years in a variety of settings. Twenty of those years have been specializing in pediatrics. Cherie was a rehabilitation manager at Children’s Hospital of Orange County for 7 years. When productivity demands moved her into carrying a caseload, her original passion for sensory integrative therapeutic intervention was re-ignited.
Cherie pursued her Sensory Integrative and Praxis Test certification (The Gold Standard for Sensory Integrative Therapy) and opened the LaunchPad Therapy for Kids with Barbara McCrory. Cherie recently assumed full ownership of the LaunchPad which is enjoying its 10th year of exceptional service and reputation. She is grateful Barb remains on staff as a contract therapist as Barb divides her time with her new grandson and family.
In addition to being SIPT certified. Cherie is certified in Neurodevelopmental Treatment and has had extensive training in Masgutova Neuro-Sensory-Motor and Reflex Integration. The LaunchPad is a field testing site for the EASI (Evaluation in Ayres Sensory Integration® the next generation of the SIPT). She works closely with local school districts and private schools to support clients in being successful in the classroom.
Cherie loves sensory integration and identifies well with her clients. She grew up a “Rambunctious” child and though undiagnosed at the time most likely had sensory integrative issues. She considers herself as a child not “Bad” but rather “Misunderstood”. She has a huge heart for the tricky kids and enjoys analyzing test results to figure out each child in order to help them “Soar” in their occupational roles of family member, student and playmate.
Cherie Francis Boegeman, OT/L
Denise Eckman, PsyD, BCBA-D, LBA, QBA
Dr. Denise Eckman, PsyD, BCBA-D, LBA, QBA is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Board Certified Behavior Analyst-Doctoral Level, Licensed Behavior Analyst, and the founder and President of Creative Behavior Interventions, Inc. (CBI). She has provided Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy and supervision for over two decades to families throughout southern California, Colorado, and worldwide. Dr. Eckman also serves as an adjunct faculty member at National University.
As a Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Dr. Eckman offers psychological testing and assessments of autism and ADHD for children, adolescents and adults. She takes the time to get to know her clients and develop a treatment and/or assessment plan that is tailored to their specific needs.
As a Board Certified Behavior Analyst-Doctoral (BCBA-D), Dr. Eckman oversees program development and implementation for all of CBI’s clients. In addition to serving as the Executive Director for CBI, Dr. Eckman performs diagnostic assessments and functional behavior assessments (FBA) across the country, as well as conducts presentations on in-service training and professional workshops for various organizations throughout southern California.
Dr. Eckman earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of California, Irvine, and her master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University. In 2005, Dr. Eckman earned her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the University of Denver, where she specialized in Behavior Analysis and Assessments. While completing her doctorate, Dr. Eckman gained extensive training and experience in supervising and developing programs for children with Autism – utilizing the principles and methodologies of ABA, in particular “Verbal Behavior”. As part of her doctoral training, Dr. Eckman focused on psychological services, including assessment for children and families with chronic mental disorders of various ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Throughout her graduate education and beyond, Dr. Eckman continues to develop her passion and commitment to providing quality, innovative and creative individualized services for children diagnosed with Autism or related disorders. Dr. Eckman believes in giving back to the community, and has implemented several volunteer programs at CBI – such as participating in AYSO’s “V.I.P Soccer” program and CBI’s holiday events – which inspires others to contribute their time and efforts to those in need.
Denise Eckman, PsyD, BCBA-D, LBA, QBA
Cherie Francis-Boegeman, OT/L
Cherie has been an occupational therapist for over 30 years in a variety of settings. Twenty of those years have been specializing in pediatrics. Cherie was a rehabilitation manager at Children’s Hospital of Orange County for 7 years. When productivity demands moved her into carrying a caseload, her original passion for sensory integrative therapeutic intervention was re-ignited.
Cherie pursued her Sensory Integrative and Praxis Test certification (The Gold Standard for Sensory Integrative Therapy) and opened the LaunchPad Therapy for Kids with Barbara McCrory. Cherie recently assumed full ownership of the LaunchPad which is enjoying its 10th year of exceptional service and reputation. She is grateful Barb remains on staff as a contract therapist as Barb divides her time with her new grandson and family.
In addition to being SIPT certified. Cherie is certified in Neurodevelopmental Treatment and has had extensive training in Masgutova Neuro-Sensory-Motor and Reflex Integration. The LaunchPad is a field testing site for the EASI (Evaluation in Ayres Sensory Integration® the next generation of the SIPT). She works closely with local school districts and private schools to support clients in being successful in the classroom.
Cherie loves sensory integration and identifies well with her clients. She grew up a “Rambunctious” child and though undiagnosed at the time most likely had sensory integrative issues. She considers herself as a child not “Bad” but rather “Misunderstood”. She has a huge heart for the tricky kids and enjoys analyzing test results to figure out each child in order to help them “Soar” in their occupational roles of family member, student and playmate.
Cherie Francis-Boegeman, OT/L
Lanier Rossignol, BSN FNP-C
Lanier Rossignol, BSN FNP-C received her graduate training as a Family Nurse Practitioner and her Master’s in Nursing from the University of Virginia. She also has a Bachelor of Arts in Neurobiochemistry and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Virginia. After her two sons were diagnosed with autism, she sought information from a number of sources including researchers, specialists, the medical literature, and she attended 6-8 autism medical conferences per year to help nd answers for her sons. As biomedically-based treatments helped her sons begin speaking, she became more involved in research including 3 studies examining the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in autism. After years of focusing on both her sons and her own medical issues, she has now joined her husband, Dr. Rossignol, and his medical practice as a Nurse Practitioner to try to help families struggling with the underlying medical issues of autism. Lanier has a special interest in autism spectrum disorders, PANS/ PANDAS, chronic fatigue, and health and wellness through diet, supplements and exercise.
Lanier Rossignol, BSN FNP-C
William Del Rosario
William is a 22-year-old native of Orange County, California where he lives with his family. He has autism, is non-speaking and is a multi-modal communicator who primarily types to communicate. Presently he is a student in transition and is working towards his goal of attending college to pursue writing.
William is a fierce advocate and encourages the community to work towards ensuring communication access for all. He has had the good fortune to be given the opportunity to share his message across various platforms. William has been a guest lecturer to students of speech and language pathology at Cal State Fullerton. He’s also presented at various conferences and webinars including TACA, Wellspring, Summer Learning Institute (SLI), TASH, CAMA, and Disability Voices United. He is currently serving as an intern with Communication Disabilities Access Network (CDAN) in partnership with Disability Voices United. Together they are growing a community and Communication Connect Interchange with monthly webinars to promote and teach advocacy among other non-speakers. In 2022 William was recognized by the California Speech and Hearing Association (CSHA) as an Adult Consumer of the Year for his multi-modal communication.
William enjoys spending his free time exploring his hobbies. Some of his interests include acting, yoga, writing poetry, swimming, traveling and spending time with friends.
William Del Rosario
Sabine Hazan, MD
Dr. Sabine Hazan has over 22 years of experience in clinical trials and is the Founder and CEO at both Ventura Clinical Trials and Malibu Specialty Center. As Principal Investigator, Dr. Hazan personally oversees clinical trials for high profile studies on diseases such as Hepatitis C,Hypercholesterolemia, and Pancreatic Cancer. Her companies are leaders in Cardiovascular studies, Endocrine disorders, Infectious Diseases, Skin disorders and Gastrointestinal diseases and employ cutting edge technology and research practices to provide the best quality in drug therapy research.
The first woman ever accepted into the University of Florida as a Clinical Gastroenterology Fellow, Dr. Sabine Hazan is a pioneer in the medical field. Board certified in Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Internal Medicine, Dr. Hazan has published articles in numerous prestigious medical journals, including theJournal of Duval County Medical Associationand Gastroenterology, and won several awards, such as the Best Fellow Scientific Presentation and Dean’s Research Award awarded by University of Florida. In addition, Dr. Sabine Hazan is an acclaimed speaker and presented symposiums for influential medical organizations like the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and Astra Merk, Inc.
Dr. Sabine Hazan is the former Chief of Medicine at Community Memorial Hospital and an active consultant for CRG. She currently retains medical licenses in three states (California, Florida, and New York).
Sabine Hazan, MD
Otto Lana
Otto Lana is a high school senior and lives in San Diego. He is an award winning poet, an accomplished film maker, actor, lyricist, and has been lending his voice as a self advocate championing the rights of those with communication challenges since 2018. He was a Youth Delegate for the Department of Rehab in 2021 and was awarded the Harry Servidio Memorial Leadership Award for his work in advocacy and inclusion. He was the recipient of the first inaugural Heumann-Armstrong Award for Excellence in overcoming ableism in academia. He is an entrepreneur, designing and selling letterboards and apparel on his website www.ottosmottos.com Instagram is a great way to get the word out too @otto_types He is doing all this while taking honors classes at Fusion Academy. He loves the outdoors too. The coastline is his zen. Whether it's hiking trails or swimming in the ocean, the beach is definitely his happy place. Oh and he has Autism and Apraxia by the way. He says these are diagnoses that describe him but do not define him. His goal is to change the face of Autism and Apraxia. He has a great life and a bright future and wishes to lead by example giving parents and disabled individuals hope to fuel their own moonshots.
Otto Lana
Isabella Santoyo
Isabella is a 20 year-old diploma bound homeschool student. As a limited speaking autistic, Isabella was largely misunderstood due to her sensory and motor differences. Being unable to communicate meant she was often presumed incompetent and her learning consisted of remedial and repetitive tasks in both public and non-public schools.
Learning to communicate by pointing to letters to spell at age 10 changed the course of Isabella’s life. During middle school, Isabella was enrolled in a Catholic school where she experienced full inclusion with the support of a communication partner. Here she gained access to the general education curriculum for the first time.
Having gained confidence as an AAC user, Isabella has presented with her friends in virtual conferences including a Wellspring Guild webinar on friendship, the 38th annual CAL-Tash conference, and the 2021 and 2022 SLI “Summer Leadership Institute” conference as a self advocate alongside internationally recognized inclusion experts. She was a panelist at the CAMA “Communication Always Matter All Ways” virtual conference in May of 2021 and 2022 to share her experiences as an AAC user.
Isabella served as a delegate in the 2021 California Youth Leadership Forum for students with disabilities to further her advocacy and leadership skills. She was nominated and selected as a recipient of a YLF Harry Servidio Memorial Leadership Award.
Isabella serves on a panel of historically underrepresented autistics to support equity, diversity and inclusion for non speaking autistics and was selected to be part of a contributor and content reviewer team for "Communication for Education" which focuses on eliminating systemic barriers to AAC in educational settings.
Isabella’s passions include spreading awareness on AAC, inclusion, friendship and presuming competence. Most importantly, she believes that all students deserve access to a quality education despite their differences.
Isabella loves learning and taking on new challenges.
Isabella Santoyo
Emma Cladis
Emma Cladis is a college sophomore majoring in English at Vanguard University in Costa Mesa, California. She has autism and mainly communicates by typing but is now beginning to use spoken communication. Emma was diagnosed when she was two and has been nonspeaking most of her life. At seven, she learned to communicate through typing, which she has used to engage the world ever since.
Emma loves being an advocate for others like herself by presenting at conferences and has authored books and videos describing her journey. Her passion for film and writing has brought her to a place of working to be a screenwriter, and she has written several screenplays. For more information about Emma, please go to hopeneverending.com.
Emma Cladis
Deborah Graves, OTD, OTRL
- Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD); Occupational Therapy Masters (MAOT); University of Southern California
- BA Environmental Studies, with a focus on Environmental Education; New College of Florida, honors college
- Ayres Sensory Integration and Praxis Test (SIPT - Immersion Course)
- Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI)
- Therapeutic Listening (Vital Links)
Mealtime Notions: Current Trends in Feeding Therapy With the Foundations of the Get Permission Approach
Handwriting Without Tears
15+ years in PK-6th Grade Science Education and Outdoor Recreation experience
Deborah Graves, OTD, OTRL
Brooke Wagner, MA, RDI
Brooke Wagner, M.A. has been an RDI® Program Certified Consultant since 2004 and is the Founder and CEO of Therapeutic Approach to Growth. She has supported individuals with special needs both locally and internationally since 2000. As a native to San Diego, she believes in supporting her local community through outreach opportunities, sharing information and resources and connecting with clients and those impacted with developmental delays on a human level. Brooke is also an RDI® supervisor through RDIConnect in Houston, TX. In this role, she guides and mentors RDI® consultants in training through their certification and learning journey. TAG currently employees 9 RDI® Consultants in the southern California area. Brooke believes in helping one family at a time and is passionate about developing an individualized comprehensive plan for each family to support their journey of growth, which supports them in maximizing their potential in life. She is dedicated to making RDI® more available to families and through this process provides ongoing education to the community. Her goal is to help families and professionals have the knowledge and awareness of RDI® being an intervention option for individuals with special needs.
Brooke Wagner, MA, RDI
Susanne Smith Roley OTD, OTRL, FAOTA
Dr. Susanne Smith Roley is an occupational therapy with over 40 years of experience in pediatric practice, specializing in child development, sensory integration, learning difficulties, visual impairment, and autism. She obtained her BS in OT at Indiana University, her MS in Allied Health Sciences at Boston University and her doctorate in occupational therapy (OTD) at the University of Southern California. Susanne is in private practice in Orange County, California serving children and families through evaluation and consultation services. She was first certified in sensory integration in 1977, studied under Dr. A. Jean Ayres in 1981, and in 1998 co-founded and then directed the USC/WPS sensory integration certificate program for 14 years. She is currently the co-founder and president of the nonprofit organization, Collaborative for Leadership in Sensory Integration (CLASI), providing a sensory integration certificate education program, offered in more than 30 countries around the world. She is a past chair of the Commission on Practice and the Sensory Integration Special Interest Section for AOTA and a contributing author of the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework Domain and Process, 2002 and 2008. She is an internationally recognized author and lecturer and co-editor of the books, Understanding the Nature of Sensory Integration with Diverse Populations and Sensory Integration: Applying Clinical Reasoning to Diverse Populations. She is a fellow of the AOTA and recipient of the AOTF Virginia Scardina Award of Excellence and AOTF A. Jean Ayres Award.
Susanne Smith Roley, OTD, OTRL, FAOTA
Robert Miller, CTN
Bob Miller is a Traditional Naturopath specializing in the field of genetic-specific nutrition. He earned his naturopathic degree from Trinity School of Natural Health and is board certified through the ANMA. In 1993, he opened the Tree of Life practice and he has served as a traditional naturopath for 25 years. For the past several years, he has been engaged exclusively with nutritional genetic variants and related research, specializing in nutritional support for those with chronic Lyme disease.
Robert Miller, CTN
Dawnmarie Gaivin, RN, AT-ACP, S2C Practitioner
Dawnmarie is a DIR/Floortime® provider, a registered S2C Practitioner, as well as an Assistive Technology Specialist (AT-ACP). In 2019-2020 she served on the inaugural leadership cadre of I-ASC (The International Association for Spelling as Communication) and this past March 2021, Jamison Handley and his dad JB wrote a book entitled “Underestimated" about their journey learning S2C with her.
Dawnmarie's children inspired her specific passion to support all nonspeakers in the development of purposeful motor skills and a reliable form of communication. You can learn more about her & them at www.transcendingapraxia.com.
Dawnmarie Gaivin, RN, AT-ACP, S2C Practitioner
Alexander Morris-Wood
Alexander (Alex) Morris-Wood is the Associate Vice President of Transitions & The Student Experience at Beacon College (Leesburg, FL). There, he designed Navigator PREP, the country’s first virtual transition-to-college program for students with learning and attention issues, and their families, to proactively address student self-awareness, emotional regulation, self-advocacy and executive functioning skills. Since 2018, Navigator PREP has expanded, working with high school juniors and college students. Additionally, Alex created Beacon Foundations, a live, virtual online semester program for students who learn differently and oversees summer high school programs that provide students with an immersive college experience. Within the past four years, Beacon’s college readiness programs have worked with nearly 1,500 students from 39 states and 9 foreign countries, and attending 100 colleges or post-secondary programs. In 2022, Alex led an organizational change at the College to modify the support structure in a response to actively enhance student academic, social, and campus engagement.
Alex has designed training programs for state and private colleges. He consults with high schools to evaluate their transition model and curriculum. Finally, Alex is designing curricula for school districts to support dual enrollment for students with learning differences. Prior to Beacon College, Alex worked at a college preparatory school for students with autism spectrum disorders.
Alex has presented nationally and internationally on topics including systemic barriers in higher education for students with learning disabilities, family systems theory, and retention management for at-risk students. Recently, Alex was identified as one of the Top 100 Educational Leaders in America by the Global Forum for Education and Learning. Alex has a BA from Connecticut College (New London, CT) in History & American Studies, an MS in Mental Health Counseling from Post University (Waterbury, CT), and is pursuing his doctorate in educational policy from University of Missouri.
Alexander Morris-Wood
Gail Ludwig, MA
Gail Ludwig, MA
Elina Veytsman, PhD
Dr. Elina Veytsman is a postdoctoral clinical psychology fellow at the UCLA PEERS Clinic, where she facilitates social skills, career skills, and dating skills programs for adolescents and young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their parents, and trains mental health professionals and educators in the implementation of these programs. Dr. Veytsman earned her PhD in School Psychology at UC Riverside, where she studied the experience of parents of youth with developmental disabilities during their transition out of high school and into adulthood. Dr. Veytsman recently completed her Doctoral Psychology Internship at The Help Group, where she conducted individual therapy, parent training, and diagnostic assessments for youth with a range of neurodevelopmental conditions. Dr. Veytsman has conducted the PEERS program in both group and individual formats across clinical and school settings, and has researched the efficacy of the PEERS intervention for Latinx teens with ASD in the Inland Empire. In addition to publishing her research in top journals (e.g., the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders), Elina has presented at conferences around the world and has received several awards for her research, including the American Psychological Association’s student research award.
