I have over 30 years of experience helping families navigate the complex maze of educational, legal and medical bureaucracies to secure the best possible educational programs and services for their special needs children.
Consulting
Special Education Consultant (1999 – present)
McLean, VA
Educational advocate for children with special needs and developmental disabilities:
- Successfully helped hundreds of families in the Washington metropolitan area with educational planning, IEPs, and parent advocacy training.
- Effectively assisted families in persuading schools to provide programs and services, and increase educational benefits for their child.
Hospital
Education Consultant (1990 – 1999)
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Department of Developmental Pediatrics
Children’s National Medical Center, Washington, D.C.
Effective, articulate advocate for children and adolescents with special needs:
- Coordinated educational testing, advocacy and consulting for school-age patients
- Specialized grasp of medical issues and diagnoses
- Detailed knowledge of special education laws and regulations governing public schools in Maryland, Virginia and D.C.
- Successful expert witness in due process hearings
Director of Special Education (1989 – 1990)
Greenery Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing Center, Boston, MA
Specialized in managing the unique educational requirements of children, adolescents and adults who were hospitalized for traumatic brain injury (TBI), or who had a variety of complex, chronic medical conditions:
- Developed psycho-educational programs for children, adolescents with chronic disabilities.
- Won a complex, precedent-setting case on behalf of an adolescent fighting to have the City of New York fulfill its special education obligations.
Teaching
Special Education Teacher
Rochester, NY, Prince George’s County, and Boston, MA (1986-1989)
Regular Elementary Education Teacher, Rochester, NY (1978-1986)
Experienced teaching both special and regular elementary education. Certified special education teacher for Maryland, Massachusetts, and New York.
Education
M.Ed., Special Education, Nazareth College, Rochester, NY
B.S. Regular Education (K-6) and Special Education (K-12), Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
