Imagine A Way works hard to provide financial support to children with autism to cover their therapy costs, but sometimes that isn't enough. There is so much information on the Internet, that it's easy to get lost. Imagine A Way and our autism partners
have put together Webinars to provide the special needs resources that our families need.
Steve Hamman, Director of Parent Support Services at Boutique Educational Services is going through the nitty gritty of the ARD and IEP processes. He covers:
An overview of ARD (Admission, Review and Dismissal) – from committee meetings, what to expect and knowing your rights.
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.
Meredith Ansel M.A., CCC-SLP and Jessica Miller M.A., CCC-SLP from Boutique Educational Services are back with us to share some tips and tricks to working with your picky eater
and ways to expand a child’s diet.
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. 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 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.
Meredith Ansel M.A., CCC-SLP and Jessica Miller M.A., CCC-SLP from Boutique Educational Services shared some tips and tricks to working on communication while playing with your
child at home. They also touch on ways to incorporate communication in daily tasks.
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. 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 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.
Colleen Williams of the Texas Sibling Network shares her insights on the important topic of sibling relationships. A panel of 4 siblings shares their experiences and feelings about growing up with a sibling on the autism spectrum.
Colleen Williams is the Project Lead of the Texas Sibling Network. She has a Master of Social Work and has worked with families and individuals with disabilities for 10 years. Colleen is the proud sister to her youngest
brother, Steven, who has disabilities and has given her the passion to work with siblings of people with disabilities. Colleen feels that the sibling relationship is often overlooked and enjoys getting to work with the Texas
Sibling Network to expand knowledge on this unique relationship.
Panelists
Elisabeth Berry is the VP of Operations at Multiverse Investments and is the proud sister of Jay, who has autism.
Veronica Hinojosa is a behavior analyst and senior regional manager with the Center for Autism and Related Disorders. She is also the proud sister of Eddie, who has autism.
Lusia Langi is 14 years old and an incoming 9th grader. She is the amazing sister to Cannon, who has autism and Kat6A syndrome.
Jacob Price is 17 years old and an incoming senior. He is the proud brother to Joshua who has autism.
To learn more about the Texas Sibling Network or SibShops, please e-mail colleenwilliams@utexas.edu or visit:
At the conclusion of this webinar, participants will be able to:
Identify at least three different technologies that can be used to work on social skills for autism.
Identify at least three different apps that can be used to work on communication skills for autism.
Identify at least three different techniques to utilize for promoting social and communication skills in the home setting.
Roba Hrisseh is a technology teacher specializing in using various technologies within the field of special education. She holds a master’s degree in assistive technology from George Mason University. Her past experiences in special
education range from early childhood into adulthood. She has worked in nonprofit educational advocacy, taught in higher education, and participated in a Fulbright-Hays Fellowship to Brazil for special education research.
Currently, she lives in Boston, Massachusetts, where she is the technology teacher at an autism private school, the May Center School. She focuses on integrating emerging technologies to help support student educational
and behavioral objectives. She teaches her students with autism on how to use various technologies including softwares, applications, assistive technologies, virtual reality, augmented reality, and 3D printing. She also enjoys
teaching them all about computer science and how to code.
