Board of Directors
Rachel Morgan
Rachel Morgan - Founder/Executive Director
Rachel works as a Family Service Coordinator for the Early Intervention Program (birth to three). She has over 5 years experience working with children that have special needs and their families. She holds a bachelor's degree in both Psychology & Criminal Justice with a Sociology minor from Western Michigan University.
Rachel is a wife and a mother of three beautiful children. Husband is Jeff; Son Adam age 6 whom also has a diagnosis of Autism; Two daughters Paige age 4 and Hailey age 2.
In April of 2008 Rachel partnered with Sensory Solutions & Founded a Non-Profit Organization "The Adam Morgan Scholarship Fund" also known as AM Fun Run "Run for Remediation" to help raise awareness and financial support for intervention for families that are affected by Pervasive Developmental Disorders.
Accomplishments:
2008 - Completed the 4 Day Autism Conference in Columbia Missouri sponsored by the Thompson Center for Autism. 2006 - Completed a two day RDI (Relationship Development Intervention) Parent Training in St. Louis Missouri. 2005 - Completed the Three Week Parent Training at the Judevine Center for Autism (ABA Focused) in ST. Louis Missouri Contact Rachel at click to send mail
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Michael Barla
Michael is currently the Early Childhood Special Education Process Coordinator for the Rockwood School District. He has a master's degree in Speech/Language Pathology from Illinois State University and is currently enrolled in the Educational Administration program at Missouri Baptist University.
Michael has been working in the field of public school special education for 20 years. His experiences include providing itinerant Speech/Language Therapy, teaching a language intensive classroom, being an educational diagnostician, and a process coordinator.
Michael is a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, the Council for Exceptional Children - Division of Early Childhood, and the Missouri Division of Early Childhood. Michael was active in organizing the first MO-DEC special educator conference in 2007.
Contact Michael at click to send mail
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Jennifer Miller
Jennifer works as a business analyst in a Fortune 500 agricultural company. She has over 10 years of experience in the information technology field, specializing in business to business collaborations.
Jennifer has an 11 year old son, Andrew, with an Autism diagnosis. She participated in Judevine's parent training in 1999. She is extremely proud of her son and the advancements he's made, but is also a strong believer that he should be allowed to be himself as much as possible and not forced to be too "normal." She also has two daughters, ages 5 and 1, and a 8 year old step-daughter.
Jennifer holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Missouri - St. Louis in Criminology and Criminal Justice with a minor in Psychology and a Masters degree in Information Technology Management from Webster University.
Jennifer is also the webmaster for the amfunrun.org site. She would like to give special thanks to her father, Bryon, who has kindly donated his time and expertise to develop the site.
Contact Jennifer at click to send mail
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Sandi MacInnes
Wife and Mother of Three
Two step daughters with learning disabilities.
The youngest daughter to attend Truman State University fall 08.
I tend to specialize in helping families locate resources to support children with disabilities. I provide a resource listing to the families I work with of articles, web sites of interest, continuing education information, ideas for recreation and free/low cost activities for children and families. I believe that having someone, focused on disabilities as a life work, involved with a family of a child with a disability can be strong asset when looking for resources to help that child.
1996-Current
12 Years experience as a Family Service Coordinator with the Early Intervention Program in the state of Missouri and Regional Center Services Coordinator for Children up to age 18 with Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities.
2008
Completed the 4 Day Autism Conference in Columbia Missouri sponsored by the Thompson Center for Autism.
2007
Completed the 2 Day Conference "A Five Component Approach to Early Intervention in Natural Environments" in St. Louis.
2006-2007
Completed the 2, 2 Day "Promoting Resiliency in Children, Families and Communities -accessing Resources for Families of Children with Disabilities Training in St. Louis.
2006
Completed the 2 Day Conference "Different Diagnoses in Play Therapy" Focus on Aspersers' Symptoms and Reactive Attachment Disorder in St. Charles.
2006
Completed the 3 Day National Autism Symposium in Osage Beach Missouri sponsored by the Department of Mental Health.
Ongoing trainings and conferences to date include various classes, conferences and course on many forms of disabilities to include Autism Spectrum Disorders as an area of interest. These are too numerous to list.
Contact Sandi at click to send mail
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Jill Kowalczyk
Jill works as a private consultant for families who have children with developmental disabilities, primarily autism. She has over 9 years experience working with children with special needs and their families.
Jill holds a bachelor's degree in Psychology, and a minor in Communications from Saint Louis University. While attending college, she worked through First Steps, Special School District, and privately as an ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) therapist. During her last year at SLU, she also completed a practicum through the psychology department at St. Louis Children's Hospital. She primarily assisted with the ASD Clinic (Autism Diagnostic Clinic). After graduating from SLU, she continued to volunteer at the ASD Clinic, administering the ADI-R (Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised) to parents, for a year.
Jill has also attended the Introductory Workshop for RDI (Relationship Development Intervention) in St. Louis in 2004. She then went on to attend the four day professional seminars in Houston, in September 2005, October 2005, and October 2007. She also attended the annual RDI conference for professionals, in Colorado, in August 2006.
Jill recently completed the coursework, with only the practicum remaining, for a certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis, at Washington University. Over the last nine years she has also attended several conferences and trainings on autism, including topics such as, behavior modification, IEP writing, Applied Behavior Analysis, and Asperger's Syndrome.
Jill will be getting married in the fall of 2009.
Elizabeth Mullanphy Judd
Elizabeth Mullanphy Judd, MSN, RN, CPNP
Education
Saint Louis University Graduate School of Nursing
MSN and CPNP, December 2003. Suma Cum Laude
Jewish College of Nursing at Washington University
BSN, May 1999. Magna Cum Laude
Professional License and Certifications
Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner-Pediatric Nursing Certification Board
Registered Professional Nurse in Missouri and Illinois
Certified in Car Seat Installation
Certified by the Collaborative Institutional Review Board
Current Work Experience
Knights of Columbus Developmental Center, Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center- Pediatric Nurse Practitioner/Manager, July 2005-present
- Manage employees and oversee all administrative aspects of the clinic.
- Evaluate new and established patients with developmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorders.
- Write and review orders, labs, and testing.
- Perform developmental testing.
- Develop quality-improvement measures designed to improve clinical practice.
- Counsel and educate patients/families.
- Provide educational lectures to health care providers, students, and the community.
- Establish teaching tools to enhance patient/family and community education.
- Facilitate multidisciplinary collaboration to promote continuity of care.
- Involved in ongoing research, focusing on early detection of autism spectrum disorders.
- Continue to develop and implement a comprehensive plan to effectively use funds allocated by the Missouri Department of Mental Health, Division of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities. Ensure that contractual, service delivery, reporting, and payment requirements are met.
Linda Thierry
Linda Thierry - Treasurer
Linda works at a District Court in Michigan. She is the Account Clerk/Technical Assistant at the court. She has been working for the court system for 20 years and in the capacity of Account Clerk for 8 years.
Linda is the Grandmother of Adam Morgan and very proud of all of his accomplishments!
1989- Graduated with an Associates Degree in Business from Oakland Community College.
