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 language learning strategies to language disordered children, and working with an interdisciplinary team to achieve goals.  She has over 15 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.   Jaime has been working in the field of behavior analysis with the pediatric population for over 13 years.  Prior to working at CLC, Jaime worked as a clinician at the UCSD Psychiatric Hospital for Children and Adolescents where she specialized in assessment, treatment planning, and implementation of behavioral intervention strategies within the hospital setting.  She also held a private practice providing behavioral consultation for families and school districts for five years prior to joining the CLC team.  Jaime has extensive experience in assessment, curriculum development, clinical management, behavioral consultation and interdisciplinary collaboration.  She designed CLC’s current behavior department mentorship, supervision, and ongoing training program for clinical staff.  Jaime’s current interests include consultation and collaboration with clinical teams, clinical quality assurance, assessment of clinical needs, and staff training/mentorship.  Her goal is to ensure that quality clinical services are provided so that children and their families receive the maximum benefit from CLC’s intervention programs. 

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.  

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 previous 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 is currently the Social Skills Group Program Director.  Deanna 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.

Debbie Cox, BA, SLPA is a licensed speech-language pathologist assistant.  She earned her bachelor's degree in Communicative Disorders from California State University, Fullerton.  While Debbie has experience working with children of all ages and their families, her primary focus is on early intervention.  Her personal life experiences have driven her enthusiasm for making a difference in the lives of children with Down syndrome and autism spectrum disorders in particular. She enjoys learning from and collaborating with all the professionals within the multidisciplinary team and plans to pursue her master’s degree in the near future.

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 Barbara 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, Columbia 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.

Joanne Song, BA, SLPA is a licensed speech-language pathologist assistant. She earned her bachelor's degree in Psychology and Social Behavior from the University of California, Irvine. After graduating, she worked with children with autism in a home-based program for two and a half years. Most of her experience is in early intervention and school-aged children. Currently, she is working on her Masters of Arts in Speech- Language Pathology at California State University, Long Beach where she has gained clinical experience in both children and adults. She loves to collaborate with other professionals and learn from a multidisciplinary team. Through her experience and education, she has developed a passion for children with special needs.

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 6 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 clinician and supervisor of the infant-parent program which is geared towards at-risk children ages birth to 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. 

Tiffany "Tani" Nagai, MS, SLP is a licensed speech-language pathologist.  She received her bachelor's degree from University of California at Santa Barbara and her master's degree from Cal State University at Northridge .  She has previous experience with speech and language disorders in children as well as adults - from social skills groups to the medically fragile in hospital settings.  She enjoys working with the nonverbal population and Augmentative Alternative Communication devices and has worked with populations including Cerebral Palsy, Autism, Down Syndrome, Rett Syndrome, Mitochondrial syndromes, Dementia and Parkinson's. She enjoys working in a collaborative multidisciplinary team because it is truly the greatest way to help those that need it most.

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 eight 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.  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.

Behavior Specialists:

Mary Webb, MA, completed her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Social Behavior at the University of California, Irvine and her Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy at the California Graduate Institute.  She has been working with children with special needs and Autism Spectrum Disorders for over 13 years.  Mary’s background in family therapy combined with her years of experience helps her appreciate the child’s role as part of a family system rather than in isolation, which she utilizes to promote functional and sustainable change for her clients.  Mary has extensive experience providing consultation and collaborative services in both general education and special education classrooms.  Additionally, she has advanced training and expertise in social skills development and social skills training.  Mary developed CLC’s social skills group therapy program, which utilizes the principles of applied behavior analysis along with social-pragmatic curriculum and resources to improve social outcomes for group members.  She has served as a direct mentor and supervisor for associate staff members pursuing further education and experience in the field of behavior analysis.  Mary has completed coursework toward certification in behavior analysis and plans to sit for the certification exam in the future.  Her current interests include social skills assessment and treatment, interdisciplinary collaboration and consultation, consultation with educational teams, and CLC program development.  

Nicola Bogie, MS, BCBA, is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst.  Originally from Scotland, she received her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Glasgow Caledonian University and her Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis from St. Cloud State University, MN.  Nicola has been working with children on the autism spectrum for over 11 years.  Nicola has extensive experience working in a variety of different environments, including home, school, community and center based programs.  She has experience consulting and collaborating with school districts, as well as IEP goal development.  Nicola has worked with children ranging from infants to teenagers, although her primary area of expertise is with 2-6 year olds.  Nicola is interested in parent training, social skills development, and teaching functional skills that will generalize to the real world.   Nicola is passionate about helping children and families reach their true potential.  She is committed to empowering parents to become effective teachers, and believes that learning should be fun!

Sarah Torgrimson, BA, BCaBA, is a Board Certified Associate Behavior Analyst.  She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of California, Irvine and is currently pursuing a Master of Arts degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Chapman University.  She has completed graduate course work from Pennsylvania State University in Applied Behavior Analysis.  Sarah has been working in the field for 5 years and has extensive experience working with children in clinical, community, home, and school settings.  Sarah’s experience and training also help her understand the unique and dynamic relationships that occur within the family system.  Her current interests and goals include parent/caregiver training and involving families in the learning and teaching experience in order to provide each child and family with the greatest opportunity to reach their full potential. 

Stephenie Ilagan, MA, SLPA, BCBA, is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and Speech and Language Pathology Assistant.  She received her Bachelor of Arts in Communicative Disorders from California State University, Long Beach and her Master of Arts in Special Education from Chapman University.  Stephenie has over 11 years of experience providing intervention to children with special needs and their families.  She has specific expertise in designing and implementing behavior intervention programs for children and families in order to reduce behaviors of concern and improve skill deficits in areas of need.  Her experience in directly providing both individual and group therapy services to children as well as parent training services provides her with a well-rounded approach to treatment.  She has successfully utilized her education and skills in behavior analysis to provide small group social skills training to children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and she hopes to contribute to the growth of CLC’s social skills group program.  Stephenie’s current interests include staff training and mentorship, interdisciplinary collaboration, teaching functional communication, parent training, and providing quality programming for children and their families to promote growth and success. 

Occupational Therapists:

Alicia Oldham, OTD, OTR/L, received her Bachelor's Degree in Health Sciences and her Doctorate in 

Occupational Therapy at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. She is a certified provider of the 

Therapeutic Listening Program, The SOS Approach to Feeding, and The Interactive Metronome. She has 

also received training in Handwriting without Tears. Her pediatric experience includes working with children 

with Autism Spectrum Disorders, Sensory Processing Disorders, and Cerebral Palsy in various settings 

such as out-patient, school-based, home health, and group homes. Alicia has a passion for working with 

children and strives to provide the best care possible to improve the quality of life of her clients.

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 coached 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, after completing her undergraduate degree in Psychology at Concordia 

University, she then went on to get her Masters of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy in the 

nationally renowned OT program at the University of Southern California.  Veronica is a perpetual learner 

and is constantly striving to expand her knowledge and better herself as a therapist. She has attended 

many conferences and trainings including the SOS. feeding approach.  Additionally, she is currently 

completing classes in Applied Behavior Analysis.  Veronica views each client as unique individual of vast 

but hidden potential that she helps unveil through her therapy. It is a collaborative journey and she is 

blessed and touched to be a part of each child's journey.  She has been with CLC since 2007. 

Physical Therapists:

Megan Bridges, PT, DPT, is a licensed physical therapist who received her Bachelor's degree from the University of California, San Diego in Human Biology.  Megan then went on to be awarded a doctorate in physical therapy from Chapman University.  While in graduate school, Megan focused her training on working with children in various environments.  She has experience working with children in outpatient clinics as well as in the school and home settings.  Megan has an extensive background working with children of varying diagnosis, such as Autism or developmental delays, Cerebral Palsy, Down syndrome, and Achondroplasia.   Megan believes in taking a multi-disciplinary approach to ensure comprehensive treatment to the whole child.  

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.