MEET OUR STAFF
Executive Directors:
Kimberly
Eissing, MS, CCC-SLP
is the Executive Director of the North/East
office and a licensed speech and language
pathologist. She received her bachelors and
masters degrees from Nazareth College of
Rochester located in Rochester, New York.
Her professional experience includes work in
public schools, consultation to private and
public institutions, agencies in the private
sector as well as her current private
practice. For the last 16 years her focus
has been on integrating behavioral teaching
principles with language learning strategies
to enable children with autism and with as
developmental delays to achieve their full
potential. Her current passion is designing
parent training programs that will empower
the families we work with to direct their
children’s futures. She continues to design
programming that allows children to develop
problem-solving skills to help them become
independent learners.
Melanie
Foshee, MA, CCC-SLP
is the Executive Director of the
West/Central office, and licensed speech and
language pathologist. She earned her
bachelors degree in psychology from the
University of California at Irvine and her
master’s degree in communication disorders
from California State University at Long
Beach. Melanie first began working with
autistic children in intensive behavioral
intervention programs, and worked as an
intensive behavioral intervention program
supervisor before completing her credentials
in the field of speech and language
pathology. As a speech pathologist, she has
worked in private practice as an autism
spectrum disorders specialist. She enjoys
teaching cognitive and language learning
strategies to language disordered children,
and working with an interdisciplinary team
to achieve goals. She has over 14 years of
experience working with children with
autism.
Clinical Program Director:
Jaime
Stahl, MA,
BCBA, is a Board Certified Behavior
Analyst. She received her Bachelor of
Arts degree in Psychology from Baylor
University and her Master of Arts in
Marriage, Family and Child Therapy from the
University of San Diego with a specific
emphasis in therapy with children.
She has worked as a clinician at the
University of California, San Diego
Psychiatric Hospital for Children and
Adolescents, specializing in assessment,
treatment planning, and implementation of
behavioral interventions for children with
various diagnosis including autistic
disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity
disorder, bipolar disorder, depression, and
disruptive behavior disorder. Jaime
also held a private practice providing
behavioral consultation for families and
school districts servicing children on the
autism spectrum for five years prior to
joining the team at CLC. She has over
ten years experience designing and
implementing behavior management programs.
Additionally, Jaime has advanced training in
Applied Verbal Behavior. Her current
interests include diagnostics and
assessment, parent training, and behavioral
approaches to social learning.
Speech
Therapists:
Cassandra
Sweaney MA, CCC-SLP
is a licensed speech-language pathologist.
She received her Bachelor’s Degree in
Communicative Disorders and her Master’s
Degree in Speech-Language Pathology from
California State University, Long Beach.
She has been working with children with
special needs in the public schools,
in-home, and in the clinical setting since
1997. Her passion is working in early
intervention with the pediatric population,
and especially with children with autism.
She feels that collaborating wish behavioral
therapists, occupational therapists, and
parents will best benefit her clients’
needs. Her goal is to find unique ways to
work with children with autism and to
continue her education through research and
workshops to continue to provide effective,
evidence based approaches to treatment.
Corrine
Delphina Li, M.A., CCC-SLP
is a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist
who specializes in early intervention. She
received her B.S. from Fontbonne College and
her M.A. from St. Louis University. Her
experience in the field of communication
sciences and disorders began over 20 years
ago when she began providing services to
children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum
Disorders. Since that time, Corrine has
provided speech-language therapy services in
home, school, community and clinic settings
to children with a variety of genetic
disorders and/or developmental needs. She
has extensive experience and education with
pediatric feeding and swallowing treatment
for children who have significant medical
histories including prematurity, Cerebral
Palsy, traumatic brain injury, failure to
thrive, and craniofacial anomalies. Corrine
appreciates the complex and dynamic nature
of the communicative process and targets
aspects that are meaningful in the child’s
daily life. She is dedicated to helping
children learn to communicate and
communicate to learn.
Deanna
Teramoto MS, CCC-SLP
is a licensed speech-language pathologist.
She earned her bachelor’s degree from the
University of California, Los Angeles and
her Master’s degree from the University of
Arizona. Her clinical experience includes
outpatient pediatric and adult clinics,
pediatric outpatient and adult acute-care
hospitals, and a preschool specializing in
serving children with speech and language
delays. The pediatric population she has
worked with has included children with
autism spectrum disorders, down syndrome,
cerebral palsy, and a variety of speech and
language disorders/delays, including
children using augmentative and alternative
communication (AAC). She has been a part of
the CLC family since January, 2006, and
currently has a particular passion to
utilize a collaborative, family-friendly
approach to treatment, viewing each child
not as a disorder, but as a unique
individual.
Eileen
Morrissey, MS, CCC-SLP
is a licensed speech and language
pathologist. She received her Bachelor's
Degree in Communicative Disorders from The
University of California, Santa Barbra and
her Master's Degree in Communicative
Disorders from California State University,
Sacramento. She has worked with children
with special needs in the public schools
since 1992 and has served clients ages 3 to
21. She enjoys working with children with Apraxia
using PROMPT (Prompts for Restructuring Oral
Muscular Phonetic Targets) and learning
techniques that will help to enhance the
effectiveness of her treatment.
Jennifer
Ameer MS, CCC-SLP
is a licensed speech-language pathologist.
She earned her bachelor’s degree in Speech
and Hearing Science from The Ohio State
University and her master’s degree in
Speech-Language Pathology from Teacher's
College, Columbus University. Jennifer
first began working with children with
autism as an ABA therapist while in
undergraduate school. Her clinical
experience includes working with children
and adults with a variety of disorders in
adult skilled nursing facilities, outpatient
pediatric clinics, a pediatric outpatient
hospital, a preschool specializing in
children with special needs, and
an elementary school setting. Jennifer
enjoys collaborating with an
interdisciplinary team of specialists to
provide a whole-child approach.
Stephanie
Peterson, MA, CCC-SLP
is a licensed speech and language
pathologist. She earned her bachelors and
masters degrees from California State
University, Long Beach. Throughout her
education she maintained a career working as
a speech pathologist in the public schools,
and as an educational resource consultant in
the private school system. She has been a
member of the CLC team for over 3 years and
she enjoys collaborating with parents and
the interdisciplinary team to provide
comprehensive treatment services for
children with developmental delays,
specifically autism. Currently, Stephanie
works as a case supervisor within the
infant-parent program geared towards at-risk
children less than 18 months of age and
their families. This program works directly
with infants and equips caregivers to
provide an enriching environment to
facilitate their child’s overall
development. Stephanie’s passion is early
intervention; starting children on the road
to reaching their full potential and
equipping families to guide and support that
journey.
Tom Doan
BA, SLPA
is a licensed speech language pathologist
assistant. He earned his bachelor’s degree
from California State University,
Fullerton. He has over six years of
experience working with autistic children in
home behavior modification programs,
clinical, and the school setting. Tom
worked from the Children’s Learning
Connection as a Developmental Specialist
before earning licensure as an SLPA. His
ambition is to pursue a master’s degree in
communicative disorders and licensure as an
SLP. Throughout his exposure and experience
working with autistic children, he has
developed a deep passion for the profession
as well as for the services provided for the
children.
Tomoko
Nakamizo-Mukasa, MA, CCC-SLP
is a licensed speech and language
pathologist. She earned her bachelors
degree in Human Development and her master’s
degree in Communicative Disorders from
California State University at Long Beach.
For the past several years she has worked
with children with autism and other
developmental disabilities as a member of an
interdisciplinary team at Children’s
Learning Connection. She has also worked
with Japanese speaking children and their
families, utilizing her experience with
linguistic and cultural competence. She is
involved with a parental support group and
educational organizations to raise awareness
in the Japanese community about the
significance of early intervention for
children with delays, parental involvement
in the therapeutic process, and difficulties
that children and families might face in the
bilingual environment. Her current focus is
on collaborating with behaviorists and
occupational therapists to utilize effective
teaching strategies for each and every
child.
Zina Rhee
MA, CCC-SLP
is a licensed speech and language
pathologist. She received her master's
degree in communication disorders from
California State University at Los Angeles.
Zina first began working with children with
autism over 10 years ago in intensive
behavioral intervention programs and worked
as a clinical instructor and lecturer at
University of California, Los Angeles. As a
speech pathologist, she has worked at the
O.C. Kids Neurodevelopment Center where she
conducted assessments, provided treatment in
a multidisciplinary toddler group based on
the SCERTS Model, participated in research
in social communication development and the
early diagnosis of autism, and assisted in
the development of a caregiver training
program using the Hanen Program for Parents.
She has also worked in private practice and
provided consultative services to private
agencies. Her clinical interests include
early intervention and the treatment of
social communication disorders.
Behavior
Specialists:
Mary Webb,
MA,
received her Bachelor of Arts degree in
Psychology and Social Behavior from the
University of California, Irvine. She
received her Master’s Degree in Marriage and
Family Therapy from the California Graduate
Institute. Her background in family therapy
helps her appreciate the child’s role as
part of a family system rather than in
isolation, in order to provide a more
effective mechanism of change. She has been
working with children with Autism Spectrum
disorders for 10 years. Mary has experience
working with typical, as well as special
education classrooms. Mary has experience
collaborating with private agencies and
school districts; she has worked as an
independent contractor implementing behavior
modification in home programs. She is
currently completing certification as a BCBA.
Her goal is to utilize past experiences as
well as gain new insight through continuing
education into this constantly evolving
field.
Michelle
Ragozzine, EdM,
received her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology
from Providence College. She also received a
Master of Education in Risk and Prevention
from Harvard University Graduate School of
Education. She has almost six years
post-Master’s experience working with
high-risk children and families. Before
moving to California, Michelle coordinated
an in-home behavior services program in the
state of Connecticut. For three years
following, she worked directly under Dr.
Alan Kazdin at Yale University and was
trained in Dr. Kazdin’s Parent Management
Training (PMT). PMT is a highly successful,
empirically supported parent education model
designed to reduce behavioral excesses in
children. Michelle was also trained in ABA
principles by Dr. Kazdin and is currently
pursuing the BCBA. Her experience also
includes working with teachers and other
school personnel to develop effective
behavior management programs for the
classroom. Since moving to California,
Michelle worked as the Lead Supervisor in an
ABA program for one year before coming to
CLC. Her current area of expertise includes
parent training, social skills training,
self-management programs, and functional
behavior assessments.
Sarah Sandauer, MS, BCBA received her
Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology with a minor
in Education Studies from the University of
California, Los Angeles. She received her
Master’s Degree in Applied Behavior Analysis
from Northeastern University in Boston, MA
where she has also completed the required
coursework to be licensed as a Board
Certified Behavior Analyst. While
completing her graduate program, Sarah
worked at The New England Center for
Children located outside Boston, MA. Sarah’s
background includes case management, direct
therapy with children who exhibit a
challenging behavioral repertoire, and
research mainly concentrated in various
assessment techniques. These include
analogue and idiosyncratic functional
analyses, preference and reinforcer
assessments, demand and competing items
assessments, and descriptive analyses.
Sarah also has experience in educational
program design, IEP development, clinical
and behavioral program intervention,
and feeding disorders. Sarah returned to
California upon the completion of her
master’s program in order to integrate her
ABA experience in the comprehensive early
intervention therapeutic program that CLC
offers. Her goal is to foster a rewarding
and reciprocal relationship between each
child, their environments, and the people in
each of their lives in order to reach their
maximum potential as enriched and
independent individuals.
Lilly Flores, BA, received her
bachelor’s degree from California State
University, Long Beach. She also attended
Harvard University’s Health’s Careers
Program for advanced coursework in
neurobiology and psychology. She is
currently completing her master’s degree in
Counseling Psychology with an emphasis in
Marriage and Family Therapy from the
National University. She is also completing
her certification in ABA and is pursuing her
BCBA. She has been working with children
with developmental delays, learning
disabilities, and other neuro-developmental
disorders, primarily autism, for nearly a
decade. Her introduction to the field was
with UCLA’s L.I.F.E. Intervention Clinic
where she received over 5 years of intensive
training. Her ongoing clinical experience
includes advanced training in social skills,
applied verbal behavior and fluency based
instruction; working in full-inclusion and
special education classes; providing
pro-bono behavior intervention consultation
and supervision to low-income and/or
recently immigrated families; and, working
in private practice where she developed and
managed behavior based programs for home,
school and community. Her passion is working
with the child’s family as a whole. She is
driven to teach a child how to learn and the
necessary skills that will allow him to
function and thrive in the surrounding
world.
Jaime A.
Rische, MA,
received her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology
with a concentration in Mental Health from
Governors State University, her Master of
Arts in Clinical Psychology and Applied
Behavior Analysis from The Chicago School of
Professional Psychology, and is pursuing
BCBA certification from the Behavior
Analysis Certification Board. She has over
10 years experience designing and
implementing behavior management strategies
with individuals and their support networks.
She began working as a clinician in Madison,
WI at a Lovaas replication site, treating
young children with autism spectrum
disorders, and continued
supporting individuals in a
multi-disciplinary clinic, public schools,
and private practice in Chicago, IL. Jaime
also has extensive experience working with
typically developing children in need of
behavior management skills, parent and
staff-training, and supporting adults with
various behavioral needs in community
residential and vocational programs.
Additionally, Jaime has advanced training in
the Picture Exchange Communication System
(PECS) and personal stress management. Her
current interests include functional
behavior analysis, communication training,
fluency of skills, and teaching functional
behavior that will support children and
families long-term.
Occupational
Therapists:
Kathy
Klarich, MA, OTR/L
received her Bachelor’s Degree in
Occupational Therapy from California State
University, Dominguez Hills. Her pediatric
experience includes working with Sensory
Processing disorders and Autism Spectrum
disorders in the clinic and community
settings. Kathy has pursued continuing
education in the areas of oral motor
development, feeding intervention, and
sensory processing. She is certified in the
administration and interpretation of the
Sensory Integration and Praxis Tests (SIPT).
She coaches swimming for Special Olympics
and is passionate about helping children
with special needs be active participants
within their communities. Kathy is excited
to be a part of the multi-disciplinary team
approach to treatment found at Children’s
Learning Connection.
Veronica
Covington, MA, OTR/L, received a
Bachelor's Degree in psychology at Concordia
University and her Masters of Occupational
Science and Occupational Therapy from the
University of Southern California. She
has six years experience working with
children with autism, beginning her
experience with this population in 2001 as a
socialization therapist. She has
worked in both the early intervention and
private school settings. Veronica is a
perpetual learner and is constantly striving
to expand her knowledge and skills to better
herself as a therapist. She views each
client as a unique individual of vast but
hidden potential that she helps unveil
through her therapy. It is a
collaborative journey and she feels blessed
and touched to be a part of each child's
journey
Physical Therapists:
Brooke
Caya, DPT, received her doctorate of
physical therapy from Chapman
University. She has over 3 years of pediatric experience that varies from school,
clinic, and hospital settings. Brooke
has worked with various diagnoses, but has a
special spot in her heart for children with
Autism. She and enjoys collaborating
with parents, school districts, and other
professionals to provide the appropriate
services with the final goal of optimizing a
child’s independence. Brooke truly
enjoys working with the pediatric population
because of the huge impact physical therapy
can make in a child’s life.
Developmental
Specialists and Direct Staff:
Our many Developmental Specialists and
Direct Staff have diverse educational
backgrounds and goals. They are typically
graduate or undergraduate students in speech
pathology, psychology, special education, or
occupational therapy. All staff must
successfully complete CLC's ABA training
including lecture/workshop, hands-on
training, and clinical practicums, and are
cleared as behavioral intervention
instructors through the Department of
Education before being assigned to any
cases. Developmental
Specialists/Direct Staff work under the
direct supervision of Behavior
Analysts/Specialists, as well as work in
collaboration with Occupational Therapists,
Speech Therapists and Physical Therapists as
part of interdisciplinary teams.
Additionally, they receive ongoing training
in the form of lecture/workshops and
clinical practicums throughout their time at
Children’s Learning Connection.
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