Facilitators for Support Groups and Social Activities

Joanna Andros, MSW worked as a community organizer and teacher for eight years prior to getting a Master of Social Work and becoming a Child and Family Therapist in CA. When she moved to NH, Joanna received her Graduate Certificate in Autism Spectrum Disorders from Antioch New England Graduate School and has facilitated groups for over ten years. Contact: joanna.andros@aane.org

Shirly Aslan-Joory is a Masters's level student of social work at Columbia University, who is completing her field placement at AANE, where she has been co-facilitating a number of support groups. Shirly is also a graduate of the acting program at The Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts in London and is delighted to share her passion for social work and drama. Contact: shirly.aslanjoory@aane.org

Amanda Bailey is a Family Support Specialist at AANE and draws on her knowledge as the parent of two children with autism and direct experience in family support through the leadership of her local Special Education Parent Advisory Council and ongoing work with Mass Families Organizing for Change. In 2016, she attended the Federation for Children with Special Needs Parent Consultant Training Institute. Contact: amanda.bailey@aane.org

Bridget Behan, MSED, is a school counselor in Philadelphia and has worked with kids and adolescents on the Autism Spectrum for the past five years. As a counselor, Bridget runs support groups related to building social skills, confidence, and finding your fit. Contact: bridget.behan@aane.org

Stephanie Birkdale is the Program Manager at AANE. She co-facilitates the Boston Book Club for adults on the spectrum and also manages and facilitates the Women's Social Event series. Stephanie is also an adult on the spectrum and enjoys reading, knitting, walking, and web design. Contact: stephanie.birkdale@aane.org 

Jane Thierfeld Brown, Ed.D is the Director of College Autism Spectrum, Assistant Clinical Professor at Yale Child Study, Yale Medical School, and the former Director of Student  Services at the University of Connecticut School of Law. Jane provides college consultations and is married with three children, the youngest being her 28-year-old son with Autism. Contact: jane.thierfieldbrown@aane.org

Alex Burke is the Development Assistant at AANE and also facilitates the Online Writers Workshop Interest Series for Adults. Contact: alex.burke@aane.org

Michele Cantara is the Co-Director of Adult Services at AANE and the mother of a young adult with ASD who is taking college classes and working part-time. She recognized her son's social interaction issues early on because she studied psycholinguistics as an undergraduate. In 1998 she co-founded the Massachusetts Special Education Parents Advisory Council (MASSPAC). She also spent 35 years in the high-tech industry, and now applies her consulting and change management skills in adult consultations, parent coaching sessions, and support groups. Contact: michele.cantara@aane.org 

Katherine Cody, PsyD is in private practice in NYC and offers clinical training to graduate and post-graduate students, conducts psychological and neuropsychological evaluations, and psychotherapy services. Her expertise is working with individuals and neurodiverse couples with Asperger/autism spectrum profiles and co-occurring mental health conditions. Dr. Cody is a national speaker and offers consultations regarding best practices in evaluations and evidence-based approaches. Contact: kate.cody@aane.org

Shari Coon-Retelle, has a BS in Rehabilitation Counseling and has been working as a certified American Sign Language interpreter in MA for more than 30 years. She is also the parent of two young adults, including a transgender son who is autistic. Shari is interested in creating opportunities for parents to share and get support around having a child with the commonly coexisting identities of being both transgender/gender exploring and autistic.  Contact: shari.coon@aane.org

Deborah Curtiss, M.Ed., Ed.S. is a Nationally Certified School Psychologist who has over 25 years of experience working with children and families in schools. She worked at AANE as a Parent Support Specialist and is an experienced facilitator of support groups for parents and young women. Debbie has a 27-year-old daughter who has an Asperger/autism spectrum profile. Contact: debbie.curtiss@aane.org

Brenda Dater, MPH, MSW is the Associate Director of AANE and the author of Parenting Without Panic. Brenda is mom to three sons, including a college graduate with an Asperger profile. Brenda has completed the Federation for Children with Special Needs parent consultant training and a fellowship with the Institute for Nonprofit Management and Leadership at Tufts University. Contact: brenda.dater@aane.org

David Duval earned his BS in Communications/Media from Fitchburg State College in 1996.  He began attending AANE pizza & game nights as a participant and volunteer and now hosts the event.  Dave enjoys collecting music CDs of all genres, attending concerts, and skiing during the winter months. Contact: david.duval@aane.org

Leslie Feinberg is the NY Resource & Referral Specialist at AANE and founded Supporting Our Young Adults Network which she created to meet the needs of parents in the community whose children utilize NYS self-directed services so they may lead a self-determined life.  Contact: leslie.feinberg@aane.org

Christa Flanagan, M.Ed is an Adult Services Consultation Specialist and LifeMAP Coach at AANE. Her experience advising college students and their families through higher education has given her the insight needed to support individuals in working toward their personal, educational, and independent living goals. Contact: christa.flanagan@aane.org

Nick Gallop is the Adult Services Coordinator at AANE and a published author specialized in helping young adults. He has experience working with universities, parents, and individuals. Nick is also an artist and musician and is knowledgeable both on how artistic expression can help those on the spectrum, and how to market oneself as an artist. Contact: nick.gallop@aane.org

Dena Gassner, MSW, Ph.D. Candidate is an Adjunct Professor in the Autism Certificate Program at Towson University. She is a contributing author to Spectrum Women: Walking to the Beat of Autism and a national board member for Arc US and has provided consultative services and given testimony to the Government Accountability Office in Washington and at the UN in Geneva. Contact: dena.gassner@aane.org

Stephanie Goodner is a long-time book connoisseur and enjoys connecting with other avid readers when she co-facilitates the Online “Open” AANE Book Club for Adults, which meets on the second Tuesday of each month.  Contact: stephanie.goodner@aane.org

Thomas Hall holds a BSEE in Electrical Engineering and an MS in Nutrition and Biochemistry. He is a retired Professor of Electrical Engineering Technology as well as an instructor of Computer Science for a bit. Thomas received his Asperger's diagnosis a few years ago though he always knew he was different.

 Chet Harding is a co-founder of Improv Asylum, an internationally acclaimed comedy theater for over 20 years. Chet is an active actor, writer, producer, and director. He created and produced hundreds of live shows for Improv Asylum, and he was also a head writer for the Emmy-nominated Improv Asylum’s Vanity Project TV show. He also created, wrote, and starred in a pilot for Comedy Central and can be seen in the movie SuperTroopers 2.  

Nicholas Haslam is the LifeMAP Administrative Assistant at AANE and also co-facilitates the Advanced Dungeons and Dragons Interest Series and was first introduced to DnD over 20 years ago, but has been campaigning for the last five years. As a player, he favors gish characters. Contact: nicholas.haslam@aane.org

Trish Huff, MSW, LICSW  has a private practice in Western Mass. Trish began working with AANE by facilitating support groups for adults on the spectrum and serving as a community liaison providing information and referral. She co-led the start-up and administration of a local chapter and provided presentations on the autism spectrum for the community and local educators. Contact: trish.huff@aane.org

Bonnie Kaplan stays at the cutting edge of valuable resources, services, and research by attending many conferences and presentations each year. She is always interested in learning the latest information and gets tremendous satisfaction from sharing this information with members of the support group. Contact: bonnie.kaplan@aane.org

Robert Lagos holds a BS degree from UCLA and is a computer programmer analyst and statistician. He has presented at events and workshops for AANE, Sweetser, and Southern Maine Autism Conference and has mentored teens and young adults with autism. Robert is also a co-author with Wilma Wake and Eric Endlich of the book, "Older Adults: The Lost Generation" and is a “virtuoso” classical pianist. Contact: robert.lagos@aane.org

Toby W. Liebowitz is the Director of AANE Rhode Island. She is a retired special educator and facilitates support groups for parents of adults with Asperger Syndrome or similar diagnoses. She has taught many students and has members of her extended family on the Autism spectrum. She enjoys encouraging families to share their challenges and successes with each other. Contact: toby.liebowitz@aane.org

Aaron Levinger is the LifeMAP Data Entry Specialist and Administrative Assistant and facilitates several groups at AANE. He has spoken for the Understanding Our Differences program in addition to speaking to many groups of students and other audiences. In 2013, Aaron was given the Katie Lynch Memorial Award as Speaker of the Year. Aaron works other part-time jobs, including one at his local public library.  Contact: aaron.levinger@aane.org

Allyson Linehan is the Adult Services Consultation & Coaching Specialist and a LifeMAP Coach at AANE. Allyson has worked over 30 years in the human service field and has a Masters in Pastoral Counseling from Boston University. She enjoys helping clients achieve their goals and dreams. Contact: allyson.linehan@aane.org

Stephanie Loo, M.Ed. is the Director of Information and Referral at AANE and draws upon her wealth of personal and professional experience to provide valuable information, resources, and support by phone through Parent Coaching. She initiated the AANE/NESCA Transition Roundtable, which resulted in expanded programming focused on transition planning and preparing our teens for college. Contact: stephanie.loo@aane.org

Linda Manning, MBA has a background as a special education consultant and also works at a non-profit organization serving seniors and individuals with disabilities. She is the parent of four young men, two who are neurodiverse, and two who are neurotypical. Contact: linda.manning@aane.org

Janeka Melanson is the Director of Online Learning/Conference Coordinator at AANE. Janeka is married with two daughters and is a member of the board of the Special Education Parental Advisory Council and Parent Teacher Organization, as well as a Special Olympics Coach. She is an advocate of self-care and exercise, especially for those raising children with unique challenges. Contact: janeka.melanson@aane.org

Grace Myhill, MSW is the Director of Couples and Partner's Services at AANE and of The Peter M. Friedman Neurodiverse Couples Institute. She specializes in working with neurodiverse couples who encounter difficult or unfulfilling relationship dynamics with their partners or spouses. Grace is also in private practice and works with individuals, couples, groups with other neurotypical partners or couples, and in intensive workshops with other couples. Contact: grace.myhill@aane.org  

Stephen Nadel, Ed.D., MSW, LICSW is the Clinical Team Leader at the Natick, MA office of DCS Mental Health. Dr. Nadel also practices at Harbor Counseling and specializes in working with clients on the autism spectrum. His personal experience with his 22-year-old son with Autism has been his inspiration and has led him to discover his own Aspie characteristics. Dr. Nadel is also a Julliard-trained classical French horn player who has traveled the world. Contact: stephen.nadel@aane.org

Christy Olivieri, MSED utilizes The Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS®) curriculum in supporting adolescents to develop both social and executive functioning skills.  PEERS® is world-renowned for providing evidence-based social skills treatment to individuals on the autism spectrum, and or with ADHD, anxiety, depression, and other socio-emotional problems.

Anastasia O'Melveny leads the AANE Artists Collaborative and facilitates the  Support Group for Adults Over 50. Contact: anastasia.omelveny@aane.org

Amaya Salas Moggia - Soy una madre de un niño de 5 años dentro del espectro. Fue diagnosticado cuando tenía 3 años y medio. Encontré el grupo de padres latinos de AANE en junio del 2020 y puedo decir que hay un antes y un después de encontrarlo. AANE fue luz en un momento de total oscuridad. El grupo me ayudó no solo a descubrir qué nos pasaba como familia sino que nos hizo saber que no estábamos solos. Es muy importante el apoyo y la ayuda emocional. Así que ahora espero poder devolver esa ayuda que nos brindaron y poder apoyar a otras familias.  Contact: amaya.salasmoggia@aane.org

Judy Omidvaran founded the Westchester County Autism Advisory Committee in 2009 to inform elected officials, policymakers, government agency management, and law enforcement of the needs of those with autism, particularly the unserved needs of adults.  The committee meets regularly with the Department of Community Mental Health leadership. Contact: judy.omidvaran@aane.org

Nancy Parker, MSW, LICSW, is the Director of Child and Teen Services at AANE. Previously, Nancy has worked many years as a counselor in hospitals, colleges, and prisons, created mental health training programs for educators, and provided information, referrals, and support to parents of children with mental health issues. Nancy initially contacted AANE as a parent, when her daughter was first diagnosed in 2006. Contact: nancy.parker@aane.org

George Pelc is a LifeMAP Coach at AANE and has been working with people on the autism spectrum for more than 26 years. He was an early childhood educator and attended the Autism Spectrum Disorders Graduate Program at Antioch University. George then began his decade long career supporting adults and is a very empathetic person who highly values the ability to connect with the individuals he works with. Contact: george.pelc@aane.org

Branden Plank is an experienced facilitator who has been leading support groups for over a decade. Branden identifies as an individual with an Asperger/autism spectrum profile and his warm and welcoming nature has made him a trusted friend and mentor of many of his group members. Contact: branden.plank@aane.org

Erica Rémi is the Director of Development at AANE.  Erica previously worked at the nonprofit organization Year Up and the consulting firm Development Guild. She has gained extensive knowledge about Asperger/autism profiles through working with neurodiverse colleagues, building relationships with AANE community members, and parenting a child on the spectrum. Contact: erica.remi@aane.org

Elizabeth Roberts PsyD specializes in the diagnosis and evaluation of individuals across the lifespan with autism spectrum disorder and other learning, developmental, and neuropsychiatric conditions. She currently practices in MA and NY and provides education and mental health with neuropsychological evaluation, psychotherapy, legal advocacy, consultation, training, and supervision. Contact: liz.roberts@aane.org

Marcia Robinson, M.Ed, CAGS is the Coordinator of Volunteer Services and a LifeMAP Coach at AANE. As a school psychologist who practiced in several MA school districts, she uses her expertise and experience to embraces the grandparents of individuals of any age with an Asperger/autism spectrum profile. Marcia offers a balance of information, support, as well as strategies for successful family experiences. Contact: marcia.robinson@aane.org

Elena Rossen, M.Ed. (they/she) is a LifeMAP coach at AANE. Elena comes to AANE with experience as a formal and informal educator, across a range of subject areas and settings. They have a deep passion for creating spaces that celebrate neurodiversity and supporting individuals in accessing the tools and skills they need to reach their full potential. In their spare time, Elena enjoys meditation, hiking, creating art, and playing music in local brass bands.

Emily F. Rothman, ScD is a Professor at Boston University School of Public Health and also a student in a licensed mental health counseling program. She co-authored a curriculum for teenagers about pornography and has experience teaching healthy relationships classes to teenagers with an Asperger profile and college students with mental health challenges. Dr. Rothman has appeared on the Today Show, NPR, CNN, Teen Vogue, and other media outlets. Contact: emily.rothman@aane.org

Bruce Sabian, LMHC is the owner, co-founder, and director of Academy MetroWest, a children’s group therapy program in Natick, MA. Bruce runs weekly social skills groups and provides individual counseling and executive function coaching services to children, adolescents, and adults. He also works as a consultant and trainer with schools and organizations. Contact: bruce.sabian@aane.org

Patricia Schissel, LMSW is the NY Director and a senior clinician at AANE. Her experience includes adjunct faculty at Adelphi University and at the C.W. Post campus of Long Island University. She has served on numerous national committees and boards and has also played an instrumental role in the founding of innovative new programs that have achieved national renown, including the Westbrook Preparatory School. Contact: pat.schissel@aane.org 

Leslie Sickels, LCSW is a clinical social worker at Spectrum Services in NY. She specializes in working with neurodiverse couples, individuals with Asperger/autism spectrum profiles, and neurotypical partners.  Much of Leslie’s work also focuses on gender, sexuality, and sex as they relate to the unique concerns of individuals on the autism spectrum.                Contact: leslie.sickels@aane.org

Maxfield Sparrow (Max, for short) is a non-binary/metagender middle-aged Autistic writer, self-advocate, and Direct Support Professional (DSP). Most recently, Max edited the poetry and essay anthology Spectrums: Autistic Transgender People in Their Own Words, from Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Max lives in Durango, Colorado, with Fermat the Wonder Cat.

Christian Tsetsos is an active member of the AANE Speakers Bureau and an adult on the Autism Spectrum. Christian has been giving speeches and participating on panels at AANE for ten years. He also works full time at a company that provides services to individuals on the spectrum. In his free time, Christian enjoys baking, hiking, movies, exploring different towns & visiting new places. Contact: christian.tsetsos@aane.org

Leslie Tsui is a social/life coach for young adults with Asperger/autism spectrum profiles. She has completed Level 1 of the Social Thinking Clinical Training Program® and also serves as the parent coordinator for the Ely Center in Needham, MA.

Kelly Urban, LMHC is the Senior Adult Services Consultation Specialist and a LifeMAP Coach at AANE.  Kelly previously worked at McLean Hospital, using DBT to teach young women emotion regulation tools and other life skills to move forward in their lives. Kelly is passionate about supporting individuals, families, and professionals, to help navigate what an Asperger profile means for them or those they care about. Contact: kelly.urban@aane.org

Bob Waters has participated in many of AANE’s programs and has contributed his time as a volunteer and as a speaker at several of them. Bob is on the Autism Spectrum and believes very strongly in advancing more compassion and understanding of Neurodivergence in society. Bob loves History, Theater, Music, and learning new ways to help advance the field of Neurodivergence support.

Kim Wutkiewicz worked in AANE's Development Department, where she wrote extensively about the unique experiences of people living with Asperger's and related profiles, particularly women living on the spectrum. Kim has a long history of working with individuals to navigate challenges and find balance, as both a board-certified acupuncturist and registered yoga teacher. Contact: kim.wutkiewicz@aane.org

Miriam Zisook, LCSW  practices at Looking Glass Counseling and has worked as a designer on assistive and wearable technology.  She looks to support and increase the power and participation of disabled people in technology fields. Miriam's work is focused on how learning to make things and solve problems like a designer can help people become more confident, competent, and empowered.  Contact: miriam.zisook@aane.org