ABOUT US
We are a team of former private and public school teachers, speech-language pathologists, and clinical mental health professionals who saw the need for highly personalized academic intervention across grade levels and subjects. Each of our clients is unique and talented in his or her own way, and we believe it’s critical to begin each session by listening and connecting.
We know that our clients achieve the most success when given small, manageable chunks of new learning, where lessons build over time. Rather than subscribe to a single program, we pull from a variety of interventions in order to meet individual student needs.
LAUREN BAJWA M.ED., CERTIFIED Positive Discipline Parent Coach
Lauren is founder and owner of Boutique Educational Services. After getting her masters degree in special education from The University of Texas at Austin, Lauren taught Special Education in AISD, where she helped coordinate the work of teachers, paraprofessionals, and related personnel in order to meet the individual needs of Special Education students. During that time she designed and implemented Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) and attended Academic Language Therapy training, a systematic dyslexia remediation program. In addition to teaching, Lauren has experience consulting with program directors in private and independent schools, helping them develop best practice methods when identifying and accommodating students.
Currently, Lauren specializes in helping families prioritize next steps when their child is struggling emotionally, academically, or behaviorally. Lauren's practice focuses on school avoidant children, particularly those struggling with debilitating anxiety and other related mental health challenges. Lauren is humbled by her own three vivacious daughters, and has a deep appreciation for the parenting experience. Lauren loves reading aloud to her girls, walking her dog, and cooking with her husband. She serves on the board at All Saints' Episcopal Day School and Generation SERVE and is a Certified Positive Discipline Parent Educator. Lauren also represents children's best interests in family law cases as a Guardian Ad Litem in Travis County.
Leadership Team
Steve Hamman, Director of Parent Support Services, CERTIFIED Positive Discipline Parent Coach
Steve’s passion is working with families of students to ensure an appropriate and meaningful education for their children. He is known for his collaborative spirit in working with families, principals, campus staff and community agencies and has over forty years of experience in the field of Special Education. He received his B.S. in Special Education from Texas State University, then taught in Austin ISD for twelve years, where he served students with various, significant challenges. Steve then earned both his Master’s degree in Special Education, and post-graduate certification in Mid-Management and Educational Leadership from the University of Texas.
Steve served as Assistant Principal and Principal of Rosedale School in Austin ISD. In that role, he helped develop the Family Support Cooperative, a collaborative designed to inform and support families of students with special needs. Later, as Assistant Director of Special Education for AISD, he led Special Education mediations, advocating that students with disabilities experience inclusion in meaningful educational and social environments. He also served as a member of the Children’s Partnership in Travis County, supporting parents and families of children with mental health challenges in securing quality intervention. After retiring from AISD, Steve became a Special Education Program Specialist and Consultant at Texas Education Agency. For ten years, he helped districts create more inclusive settings for students with disabilities, and hence improve student outcomes.
Steve and his wife Kathie have three adult children and four beautiful grandchildren. Gracie, their youngest grandchild was born prematurely, and her neo-natal experience and subsequent progress has inspired Steve to once again work directly with children and families.
CARY FYFE, M.S.ED., EDUCATIONAL SPECIALIST, CERTIFIED Positive Discipline Parent Coach
Cary earned her M.S.Ed. from UCLA in Bilingual Early Childhood and Elementary Education, but she maintains that the richest part of her learning sprang from the unique educational experiences of her two sons, as each navigated his way through public, private and home school environments. The learning continues as each son enters young adulthood, and her work with children is highly inspired by a combination of her years of teaching in Early Childhood, her work as a Child Life Specialist, and the educational journey of each of her sons. She is passionate about supporting and nurturing the unique abilities of each student she encounters, and she delights in the gems of wisdom that each child brings her way.
Laura Byington, Director of Educational Specialists
Laura has worked in education since 2014, and loves the one-on-one interaction she gets working with students at BES.
As a former middle school science teacher with a biology degree from the University of Michigan, Laura’s academic background is STEM-focused, but she is passionate about helping students grow and learn in all subjects. She knows there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all approach to education, and works hard to build a relationship and basis of trust with all of her students to better serve their needs. As the Director of Educational Specialists at BES, Laura has the opportunity to mentor and guide other specialists on the team, which has been exceptionally rewarding.
Samantha Bloom Friedman, Director of Operations and Technology, CERTIFIED Positive Discipline Parent Coach
Samantha is a passionate, certified Pre-K - 12 Special Education teacher. After completing her MAT in Chicago, Samantha taught in high-need communities and schools. Her students continue to inspire her every day. She has taught in both General and Special Education settings, as well as has been Lead Case Manager in developing and implementing Individualized Education Plans. Samantha has worked with students with a wide range of behavioral/learning needs and styles. She excels at building relationships and creating a classroom community of caring, engaged, and globally-conscious citizens. Samantha has rich experience in managing and coaching teachers in the work of transforming the lives of students, and in striving for educational equity among student populations. She has also worked with Austin's Mental Health authority, Integral Care, and in the Diversity & Inclusion space across Austin's many technology companies.Samantha loves working with students to build their confidence, and she enjoys finding ways to make material fun and meaningful for each individual child. Having experienced the challenge of her own learning disability growing up, Samantha possesses an innate ability to connect with struggling learners. She delights in leading students towards growth in confidence and intrinsic motivation, and towards setting and following through with personal and academic goals. She strives to instill a love of learning for a lifetime! In her free time, Samantha works with Generation Serve, leading volunteer activities for families; and she works as a postpartum doula for families and babies. Her hobbies include training her (very energetic) puppy, hanging out at the library, hiking on the Greenbelt, visiting her family, and experimenting with new recipes in her kitchen.
Academic Language Therapists
Rachel Alter, CERTIFIED ACADEMIC LANGUAGE THERAPIST
From an early age Rachel engaged in teaching and mentoring opportunities volunteering as a teenager, college student and later as an adult in literacy, youth programming and ESL roles. Rachel received her B.A. in Art History from Brown University and her J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania. She started her professional life as a corporate attorney in Manhattan and then later worked in Texas for the Texas Legislature. She took a little more than a decade outside the
traditional work world to raise her three children, two of whom are dyslexic. As a result of supporting and advocating for her own children, Rachel began studying how to help dyslexic children learn to read and write, and fell in love with the Basic Language Skills program. She studied at the Rawson Saunders Institute in Austin and began first working with her own children, before taking on the role as a reading interventionist with other families. She welcomes the uniqueness of each child and takes great pleasure in helping children to unlock the English language. She loves the looks of pride and success that children express as their confidence grows and their language skills solidify. She is a Certified Academic Language Therapist (CALT).
Anne Milligan, CERTIFIED ACADEMIC LANGUAGE THERAPIST, CERTIFIED Positive Discipline Parent Coach
Anne received her Bachelor of Business Administration Degree from Merrimack College, then after graduation, she spent several years in sales and management in the health and fitness industry. In 2003, her husband’s job relocated them overseas, and they spent six years in both Malaysia and Australia. Her two children were born during that time, and when they returned to the states, her son began kindergarten. Shortly after that, he was diagnosed with dyslexia, and with intervention from an Academic Language Therapist, he progressed significantly in his reading skills.
Anne was then inspired to pursue her ALT certification through Rawson Saunders Institute, so that she would be equipped to help other children experience such important reading growth and progress. Anne has enjoyed teaching students with dyslexia for nine years now. She finds great joy in watching their growth, as well as witnessing their joy and pride as they, on their own, begin to utilize the tools to be successful readers, writers, and spellers. Anne is skilled in using humor to connect with students and make them feel comfortable in the learning environment. She believes that while her jokes are usually corny, she always manages to elicit a smile - or at least an eye roll.
Educational Specialists
Caddie Wright, EDUCATIONAL specialist, CERTIFIED Positive Discipline Parent Coach
Caddie graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Family Sciences. She went on to teach in public school before realizing that she desired another outlook to the traditional approach to teaching. She completed training to become an AMS Montessori Certified Instructor at the Primary Level. Caddie proceeded to teach in both Montessori and public school settings for several years, combining her education to create a hands on, whole-hearted approach to teaching students. She believes that meeting all of a child’s needs - socially, emotionally, and physically, as well as academically - is a key to addressing the underlying frustration a child has to learning. In the classroom, Caddie has enjoyed and thrived on the process of integrating project-based learning, STEM, Makers Space, cooperative learning, and the use of manipulatives into her instruction. Caddie has had the opportunity to help students with issues such as ADD/ADHD, autism, dyslexia, sensory integration and emotional struggles work towards and achieve their goals, by creating the optimal learning environment for each child. Creating this environment involves working hand-in-hand with the student, the student’s family, Speech, OT, PT and Special Education teachers. Caddie’s passion is to help every single child love learning. She has found that by creating individualized and exciting lessons, every child can meet the desired goals. For the past two years, Caddie has had the opportunity to privately tutor individuals, and loves the ability to spend one-on-one time on a lesson that is exactly what that child needs! She finds it extremely rewarding to watch students completely fill in gaps that have kept them from being academically successful. Student success is what drives Caddie and is why she is drawn to Boutique Educational Services. Caddie’s mission is to empower students with the ability to experience life-long enjoyment in learning.
MIKE DEMERATH, EDUCATIONAL SPECIALIST, CERTIFIED Positive Discipline Parent Coach
Mike’s interest in working with students with learning differences and special needs began in high school when he volunteered at a school which served this population of students. After graduating with his B.A. in Psychology from Dickinson College in 2000, Mike moved to Boston and taught at a therapeutic school for students with special emotional, behavioral, and academic needs. After several years of teaching in Boston, Mike moved to Australia to expand his global experience and to appease his love for traveling at the same time. Upon returning to the States, Mike taught Language Arts to middle school students with special needs and learning differences, in St. Louis. While in this setting he also had the opportunity to coach boys’ and girls’ high school tennis. During these years, Mike earned his Masters of Special Education from the University of Missouri at St. Louis in 2007. After Mike and his wife moved to Austin, he began working at a school for students with dyslexia. Over those 13 years, where he specialized in teaching World Cultures and History, he gained invaluable experience teaching students with dyslexia, dysgraphia, ADHD, auditory processing, executive functioning, and other learning challenges. Mike’s passions within education include helping students with a wide variety of learning differences reach their full potential, individualized writing instruction, and executive functioning coaching. Mike’s own journey as a parent of school-aged children has only further validated his passion for working collaboratively with parents to help students feel more confident and successful.
MARILYN CHRISTIAN, EDUCATIONAL SPECIALIST
Marilyn earned an undergraduate degree in Elementary Education, and a Masters in Special Education from Vanderbilt University. She taught in AISD at Casis Elementary, both in Special Education and First Grade. She has a deep love for teaching reading, especially to struggling readers. Marilyn has worked with students who experienced a variety of learning challenges, and in every teaching experience, she provided an effective learning environment for each student by focusing on instruction that fit each child’s individual needs. Marilyn ensured that her students were surrounded by a team of educators who supported success and encouraged a love of learning, and has spent many hours coordinating with Speech, OT and PT teachers; technology specialists and emotional support professionals. Marilyn is now delighted with the opportunity to work with students one-on-one, where she is able to provide individualized instruction to meet the needs of struggling students and ensure that they feel engaged and successful. She finds that her students are able to make great progress academically, socially and emotionally when the instruction is focused and streamlined. Marilyn loves the bonds and relationships she can form with her students in this setting, and finds that creating a plan and setting goals with her students, their families and the schools is a win-win situation.
Melanie “Mo” Kowalik , Executive Functioning Specialist
Melanie “Mo” Kowalik is an award-winning educator with fifteen years of classroom experience and decades of working with children outside of the classroom. She holds a B.A. in English from the University of Texas at Austin and went on to complete her teaching certification in Early Childhood through sixth grade. She is trained in Orton-Gillingham reading instruction and has been implementing SOR (Science of Reading) for the last two years in her work with emerging readers. She was the 2017 inaugural recipient of the Connie Wootton Award for Excellence in Teaching through the Southwestern Association of Episcopal Schools.
Her passion for research-based, data-driven best practices in the classroom, combined with her innate love and desire to see
children succeed, have enhanced her rich experience as an educator and helped her to cultivate deep and meaningful relationships with the students and families with whom she works. She has worked with children in general education classes as well as special needs student populations, including children with dysgraphia, dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, Autism, ADHD and sensory processing disorder. She is passionate about multisensory learning, and she enjoys strengthening executive functioning skills for success in home and school environments.
Megan Weitz, Education Specialist, CERTIFIED Positive Discipline Parent Coach
Megan earned an undergraduate degree in Elementary Education with a focus in ESL from Indiana University. She taught school while receiving her Masters in Special Education from Hunter College of CUNY, then served as head teacher at two elementary schools that specifically serve students needing special education support. At each school based in New York City, Megan created and implemented individualized goals for each student’s IEP to provide the instruction and support they needed for academic and social-emotional success, all while working collaboratively with team teachers, specialists and parents. She is skilled at creating a multi-sensory approach to enhance structure and individualize support for each student.
After moving to Austin, she joined the staff at Casis Elementary in AISD as a Special Education teacher. Megan focused on supporting her students academically by tailoring instruction to nurture their individual needs in the classroom. Her expertise includes working with students with learning disabilities and behavior challenges; she excels in helping each student manage both academics and executive functioning. Megan enjoys working with students and their families to create educational plans which enable students to achieve their goals and experience success. Her experience as a mother to a middle schooler and a high schooler informs her ability to provide individualized executive functioning support for her students!
DAVID TRULY, EDUCATIONAL SPECIALIST, PH.D
David spent the early part of his career as a touring musician, concert promoter and night club/restaurant owner in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. He returned to academia and received his Masters and PhD in Geography from the University of South Carolina. His previous experience in music and business gave him unique insights that he applied to his own teaching style. He taught at Central Connecticut State University, where he developed unique contextual courses that combined human geography and history with popular music and art. He became the head of the Tourism and Hospitality program which was interdisciplinary program between the College of Arts and Sciences and the School of Business. He also became intimately involved with the Teaching Excellence Forum, which focused on theoretical and applied teaching skills that emphasized a learner-centered approach to teaching. He was involved with the First Year Experience program that helped first-year students transition to college through a series of classes designed to help students identify their own learning styles and learning obstacles.
In 2010, Dr. Truly and his wife moved the family to Mexico so that their children would become both bilingual and bicultural. While in Mexico, he taught at Universidad de Guadalajara so that he could further his research on the motivation and impacts of international retirement migration. He also taught in primary and secondary bilingual schools, and it was during this time that they discovered their kids had varying degrees of dyslexia and ADD. He moved his family to Austin when his children completed elementary school. As a father of two dyslexic children and as an undiagnosed ADHD kid himself, David has focused on teaching dyslexics and children with executive functioning issues.
Debra Lambert, EDUCATIONAL SPECIALIST
Debra graduated from University of Maryland-Baltimore County with a B.S. in Information Systems, with a focus on Systems Analysis and Design. Several years into her career in IT, when asked what she would do if she won one million dollars, she answered, “Spend time in the classroom with kids”. Those words ignited a pivotal moment for Debra, and soon thereafter, she pursued her Master of Arts in Teaching from the University of Maryland-Baltimore. Since that time, Debra has taken great joy in guiding students - from ages ten to over fifty - through the mysteries and wonders of mathematics.
After teaching for eight years in urban and rural areas of Maryland, Debra took the opportunity to share her knowledge with teachers and worked as an instructional coach in Charles County Public Schools. In addition to mentoring teachers, Debra taught community college classes both in person and online. Her experience at the community college led to her role as an evaluator of online classes in a variety of disciplines.
In 2013, Debra used a move to Texas to return to her first love of teaching in the classroom. This time she was sharing her love of teaching with 5th graders at KIPP Austin Vista Middle School. One year later, she got the call that led to the next eight years at Griffin School. She was a core faculty member at the college preparatory high school located in central Austin. In this space, her love of laughter in the classroom eased her students into taking risks with the all too often anxiety-producing concept of Algebra. Through all of these varied experiences, Debra knows that if a student is willing to work for it, they can achieve their own success. She derives incredible joy from the “aha” moments of her time with students. Parents and students alike appreciate her calming encouragement and patience.
Debra recently moved to the East Coast to be closer to her extended family, and she is excited that she is able to continue to support BES students through math challenges via Zoom!
Jill Moeller, EDUCATIONAL SPECIALIST, EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING SPECIALIST, OTL, ADHD-RSP, CERTIFIED Positive Discipline Parent Coach
Jill knew she wanted to be a pediatric occupational therapist from the time she was 14 and assisted a summer school program in a special education class in Denton ISD. After graduating from Texas Woman's University with a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy, she made her way to Austin to be near family as her older brothers are longtime Austin musicians. Jill started her career in pediatrics in 1999 and has practiced in both school-based and clinic-based settings and is passionate about helping families navigate Autism, ADHD and Sensory Processing Disorder. Jill understands this journey as a therapist but also as a mom, as she is walking a shared ASD/ADHD path in her family, as well.
She is a Certified ADHD-Rehabilitation Services Provider, holds Level One Certification through the Handwriting Without Tears Program and is certified to administer and interpret the Sensory Integration and Praxis Tests. This includes planning and implementation of appropriate treatment of Sensory Processing Disorder. She has received training in Stanley Greenspan’s Floor Time, Interactive Metronome, Musgutova Neurosensorimotor Reflex Integration and has instructed and led hundreds of educators and students on ‘Motor Labs’ following the Ready Bodies, Learning Minds program.
In her spare time she enjoys cooking, hiking, puzzles, volunteering in the community, laughing with her family and loves listening to music and floating in water be it lake, ocean or pool. Jill is the mom of two energetic and funny boys and a very tenacious (aka strong-willed) newfypoo named Mabel. She enjoys all things music, dogs, family and friends!
SARAH DREW, EDUCATIONAL SPECIALIST
Sarah began working with children and teens in 2006. After receiving her B.A. in Psychology and Child Development at The Evergreen State College, she began working with youth in foster care. While working as a social worker, Sarah partnered closely with schools in order to support her clients in the classroom. During this time, she witnessed the tremendous impact that a positive educational experience had on the lives of the children she was serving. Armed with a passion for teaching, Sarah received her Master’s in Education from Lewis and Clark Graduate School in 2012. When she moved to Austin, she helped found the inaugural Sixth Grade class at KIPP Austin Vista Middle School. After several years of teaching Language Arts, she designed the Writing curriculum for the district, and ensured that it was one that was accessible to and inclusive of all types of learners. Sarah joined the Rawson Saunders School in 2017, where she began working exclusively with students with dyslexia and dysgraphia. Although she loved all aspects of working with her students, she specifically delighted in making writing successful (and enjoyable!) for students with dysgraphia. Because written expression is a critical academic skill in middle and high school, Sarah remains passionate about helping students with a variety of learning needs to become confident writers. While Sarah enjoys teaching and remediating in all academic areas, she also excels in helping students develop the executive functioning skills they need to be academically successful. Knowing how to organize, plan, and study is as critical to success as the content matter itself. No matter what she is teaching, Sarah relishes the ability to work one-on-one with learners, so they can get the exact, child-centered instruction they need.
Jennifer Sherwood, Educational Specialist
Jennifer earned her B.A. in psychology from Colgate University and an M.A. in elementary inclusive education from Teachers College, Columbia University. She spent a decade teaching elementary school in the New York City Department of Education before relocating to Austin with her family. During her tenure with the NYC DOE, Jennifer had the opportunity to work with diverse populations of learners and cultivated a skillset to meet the individual needs of students of all abilities. She fostered a classroom environment characterized by an emphasis on social and emotional learning, inquiry-based and student-centered learning experiences, and multi-modal instruction and assessment. After moving to Austin, Jennifer spent several years as a field supervisor in the Elementary Inclusive Education program at Teachers College, working directly with student teachers and helping them meet their early career goals. In this position, she supported preservice teachers with all aspects of their practice, including how to meet the wide range of social, emotional, behavioral, and academic needs of their students.
Throughout her professional roles, developing productive and collaborative relationships with students, parents, and colleagues has been at the heart of Jennifer's work. She finds it incredibly rewarding to apply her skills and expertise to one-on-one work with students at BES. Jennifer loves discovering how to motivate and engage each unique child, helping them meet their goals in the classroom and beyond.
When not working, Jennifer enjoys exploring Austin, traveling, and spending time outdoors with her husband and three young children.
John Hewitt, EDUCATIONAL SPECIALIST
John has served as an educator for over twenty five years, most recently at Russell Lee Elementary School, where he served as principal for eight years. His career began at The Harbor School in Annapolis, Maryland where he put his degrees from Gettysburg College into practice as he empowered students with special needs by fostering both academic and social successes. In 2002, John embarked on his tenure with the Austin Independent School District at Hill Elementary, where he played a pivotal role in supporting students on the Autism spectrum, and those facing significant behavioral challenges.
Following the completion of his Master’s program at Texas State University, he ascended to the position of assistant principal at Murchison Middle School. There, he chaired the special education department, spearheaded the design of a campus-wide advisory program, and offered strategic expertise and personalized guidance during the crucial adolescent Years.
In 2012, John returned to Hill Elementary School in a new role and fulfilled a long held dream of taking his daughter to school with him each day. After two amazing years, he accepted the principalship at Russell Lee Elementary School and the two of them made the transition together. Since then, he was fortunate to take all three of his kids to work with him and continue his growing focus on whole child education. Under his leadership, Russell Lee Elementary was recognized as an arts rich school environment, a model campus for Social Emotional Learning and the site of several innovative outdoor learning initiatives.
In 2022, John and his wife Allie departed for a trip across the globe with their three children that would last more than a year, as they visited fifty-five incredible countries. Since returning to Austin, John has maintained his commitment to the education of students across all grade levels by working on significant projects focused on outdoor learning and the crucial aspects of social-emotional education. When he is not collaborating on educational initiatives, John can be found working on a book chronicling their Great World Adventure.
Barbara Porter, EDUCATIONAL SPECIALIST
Barbara Porter joins BES after retiring from a long career as the founding Head of St. Francis School, here in Austin. Her vision of education and attention to a child’s individual developmental needs was the passion which guided her throughout her long career. She was particularly sensitive to the issues around students and families who were experiencing various challenges, and she skillfully provided individualized support for each situation.
Barbara was born, raised and educated in the north of England near the Yorkshire/Lancashire border. After graduating from the Victoria School of Education at Manchester University, she taught in London for a short time before taking a teaching position in the United States. Prior to moving to Austin, Barbara taught in private schools in Indianapolis, Indiana and Sacramento, California. She also spent three years teaching English as a Second Language in Zaragoza, Spain. Throughout her career, Barbara has taught every grade from preschool through high school.
Barbara spent many years volunteering for CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) and Hospice Austin. She was also a member of both “Town and Gown” and the Rotary Club of Austin. Currently, Barbara serves on the St. David’s Foundation Community Fund Board as well as that of TAAPS (Texas Association of Accredited Private Schools), where she is active in accrediting and re-accrediting member schools. She is a graduate of the Leadership Austin Class of 2000.
Having grown up as an ardent soccer, cricket and tennis fan, Barbara enjoys watching most sports. With her partner Robin, who is an environmentalist and former professor at the University of Texas, she has opportunity to travel to the interesting places where he is called upon to speak. When she is not working or traveling, Barbara enjoys reading, dining out, cooking and spending time with her greatly adored rescue English Bulldog, Gordie.
Amanda Rook-Gonzalez, educational specialist
After Amanda earned her BS in Psychology at Henderson State University in Arkansas, she began working at a children’s home continuum in Little Rock as a Behavioral Instructor. She was moved by this work and wanted to gain a better understanding of the psychological side of things, so she began working at a behavioral hospital in Arkansa. After five years in this work, she moved back toTexas to pursue another dream as a singer-songwriter and dipped her toes into the music scene in Austin. She worked the open mic scene while also serving as an aide/tutor/advocate for several special needs children.
While she worked with a student with autism, the school the student attended approached Amanda about working with other students as a Learning Specialist. She gained important experience as the Director of this Student Support Program. Over the years she met and married her husband and now is mother to two young children. She is happy to be able to support her students at BES!
SPEECH THERAPISTS
meredith brookner-ansel, m.a., ccc-slp
Meredith is originally from New York City and graduated with a B.A. from the State University of New York at Binghamton. She received her M.A. in Communication Sciences and Disorders from The University of Texas at Austin and has worked for the schools and private practices in Austin since 1998. Meredith is P.R.O.M.P.T. Certified and has received training in the Hanen Parent Training Programs, Michelle Garcia-Winner's Social Thinking Curriculum, and Interactive Metronome. Meredith has presented social skills training to schools and parent groups in town. She enjoys working with children with motor speech disorders, apraxia, children who stutter, processing disorders, language difficulties, and pragmatic difficulties. She also specializes in helping children, teens, and young adults with executive functioning and organizational skills, especially during this time of virtual learning. Meredith assists struggling students learn and master compensatory strategies to help them overcome persistent academic and social challenges. When not working, Meredith enjoys spending her time with her husband (a.k.a. The Soup Peddler) and daughter, as well as hiking, biking, reading, crocheting, dancing and cooking.
Jessica Miller, M.A. CCC-SLP
Jessica grew up in Miami, Florida and graduated with a B.S. from the University of Texas at Austin. She received her M.A. in Communication Sciences and Disorders from the University of Texas at Austin and has worked in a variety of settings in Austin, including the public school, outpatient clinic, daycares, and home (early childhood intervention and Home Health). She is a certified yoga instructor and has taught both adult and kid yoga in a variety of settings in Austin. She has extensive experience using sign language with both the hearing and hearing-impaired populations. She has received training in Michelle Garcia Winner’s Social Thinking Curriculum. Jessica has presented preschool and school age language eligibility training for teachers in private and public schools. She enjoys working with children who stutter, children with hearing impairments, expressive and receptive language disorders and children with social pragmatic difficulties. When not working, Jessica enjoys spending time with her husband and 3 children (ages 1, 3, and 6), as well as dancing, going to the movies and farmers markets around town, playing tennis, and doing yoga.
Janel gonzalez, SPEECH LANGUAGE THERAPIST, CERTIFIED Positive Discipline Parent Coach
Janel hails from El Paso, Texas. She attended the University of Texas at Austin, and realized early on that because working with children was her passion, a career in speech language pathology was her calling. After receiving her masters degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from the University of Texas at Dallas, she returned to Austin and has been practicing in pediatric multidisciplinary clinical settings for over 18 years. Working closely alongside occupational and physical therapists has facilitated Janel’s deep understanding of the importance of a holistic and integrative approach to treatment.
Janel is a P.R.O.M.P.T. Certified clinician and has received training in the Hanen Parent Training Program, Stanley Greenspan’s Floor Time, Michelle Garcia-Winner’s Social Thinking, the Kaufman Early Intervention Program and Interactive Metronome. She enjoys working with children with motor speech disorders/apraxia of speech, receptive-expressive language disorders, social pragmatic difficulties and children who stutter. In her free time, Janel loves spending time with her husband and daughter around Austin; listening to live music, hiking, going to sporting events (Vamos Verde! and Hook ‘em Horns!) and practicing yoga.
CLINICAL THERAPIST
Mia Roldan LCSW, LCDC - Clinical Therapist, CERTIFIED Positive Discipline Parent Coach
Mia Roldan LCSW, LCDC has worked as a licensed clinical social worker at The Adolescent Medicine Clinic at Dell Children’s Medical Group, specializing in Reproductive and Endocrine Medicine. She was part of the Integrated Behavioral Health team at UT Dell Med School’s Dept. of Health Social Work. Her work focused on individual and family psychotherapy for patients with Eating Disorders and Gender Diverse patients. She also regularly engaged in educational and training activities with UT medical students, residents and social work students.
Ms. Roldan earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from The University of California at Berkeley. She received her Elementary and ESL Teaching Certificate at Dominican University of California, and she also holds a K-12 Special Education Teaching Certificate. She earned her master’s degree in social work with a clinical concentration from The University of Texas at Austin.
Ms. Roldan has worked as a clinical social worker in the ER at St. David’s North Austin Medical Center, with Williamson County schools as a school-based mental health counselor and with The Christi Center as the Coordinator of School-Based Services. In addition, Ms. Roldan previously had a private practice where she saw children, adolescents and young adults with anxiety, depression, grief and loss and trauma issues. Ms. Roldan is trained in CBT, TF-CBT, DBT, CBT-E, FBT and EFFT. Lastly, Ms. Roldan has written three books: Voices of Strength: Sons and Daughters of Suicide Speak Out, Navigating Grief: A Guided Journal: Prompts and Exercises for Reflection and Healing and How I Feel: Grief Journal for Kids: Guided Prompts to Explore Your Feelings and Find Peace.
ACCOUNTS
Becca dobberfuhl, accounts manager
Becca holds a Masters Degree in Community and Regional Planning from the University of Texas at Austin and has more than 15 years of experience in the areas of affordable housing and community development. Becca started her consulting company, Vacri Development, in 1993 after several years of valuable experience working for others in the affordable housing field. Becca currently consults with both nonprofit and for-profit organizations interested in developing or expanding affordable housing opportunities. Becca has worked for a wide range of clients from small, community-based nonprofits to large, national nonprofits to develop affordable housing and secure financing. In her position as Vice President of Diana McIver & Associates, Inc., a national housing consulting firm based in Austin, Texas, as well as development manager for Foundation Communities, Inc., an Austin-based nonprofit housing organization, she oversaw the development of affordable housing projects, as well as managed the acquisition of financing through a variety of federal, state, and local programs, including Section 202, Section 811, HOME, SECO, Housing Trust Funds, CDBG, Federal Home Loan Bank’s AHP Program, and Low Income Housing Tax Credits. Becca has secured more than $100 million for affordable housing development and served as development manager for more than 30 multifamily projects across the country, but primarily in Texas. Becca was a member of the 2003-04 Leadership Austin class and served on the board of GENAustin (Girls Empowerment Network) from 2002- 2006. She is a mother of two small boys and this job currently takes up most of her time. Becca currently serves on the board of Accessible Housing Austin (AHA!).