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1 (646) 961-0075
1 (646) 961-0075
MD
A Board-certified medical geneticist and Co-Director of the down syndrome program at Massachusetts general hospital
Ph.D Pathokinesiology
A Senior Rehabilitation Supervisor, YAI Network and a Physical Therapist
PT, CYT
A nationally certified Physical Therapist working in New York City.
Corporate educator with more than 25 years of extensive experience in learning and development
PhD candidate and fellow in Counseling and Counselor Education at Syracuse University
Ex-Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Mental Health Association of New York City (MHA-NYC)
Perry Samowitz was the Senior Director of Education and Training at the YAI Network for over 3 decades.
Working in pediatrics for over 16 years working as both an educator and an occupational therapist.
Senior advisor on children with disabilities at UNICEF, and head of the organization’s new Disability Section.
Ed.D., P.D.
An internationally known expert and educator in the area of special education, developmental disabilities and autism spectrum disorders (ASD).
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Resource and Management International Network is a US based agency.
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Fawzi Abu Hashish, the Founder of Resource and Management International Network (RAMI Network), has decades of experience in the field of disabilities, social welfare, fundraising, management and international relations. Mr. Abu Hashish spent more than three years as the Regional Director for the Middle East of the Global Consulting Department at YAI/National Institute for People with Disabilities (NY) before launching his own consulting network. He develops new business in the Middle East and around the globe by analyzing opportunities, studying regulatory matters and developing business plans.
Mr. Abu Hashish coordinates and organizes international conferences and trainings, assists in establishing new programs and services, selects trainers, and develops training curricula in countries around the world. The founder of RAMI Network is also a private development consultant for Human First, an agency specializing in serving people with disabilities in the state of New York. Throughout the years, Mr. Abu Hashish worked as a Director of Quality Assurance, Corporate Compliance Officer and Head of Incident Reporting Committee for agencies serving people with disabilities in NY. He also ran a residence, a respite, and a summer camp for children and adults with developmental disabilities at various times. While living in Amman, Jordan, Mr. Abu Hashish built a Multiservice Center for local citizens with disabilities with the funds, he personally received from the Department of State in Washington, D.C. He also served as a Disability Program Officer at the United Nations, Jordan.
Ms. Pace is a nationally certified Speech-Language Pathologist. She obtained her Master’s Degree in Speech Pathology from Hofstra University after completing her undergraduate degree in Speech-Language Pathology/Audiology from Loyola University in Maryland.
Ms. Pace has extensive experience working in a variety of settings including early intervention, schools, and outpatient rehab facilities. She is currently working in a public special education school primarily for students (grades K-6) on the Autism Spectrum and with developmental delays. Her therapy addresses/targets speech, language, pragmatics/social skills, reading and feeding deficits. Ms. Pace conducts staff and parent trainings regarding the use of visual supports to aid communication, behavior management techniques, and using Alternative Augmentative Communication devices.
Dr. Cartwright is the Director of the Autism Center at the YAI Network, NY. He completed a general psychiatry residency in Cape Town, South Africa, fellowships in child and adolescent psychiatry at New York University/Bellevue Hospital and autism research at the Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Dr. Cartwright is a renowned expert in the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders in children,
adolescents and adults. In addition to being a board-certified child and adolescent psychiatrist, Dr. Cartwright is also a faculty member at the Department of Psychiatry, Child and Adolescent Division, the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.
He has extensive experience in directing autism clinical research and educational outreach, reading lectures on autism related topics, and conducting research in autism genetics, neuroimaging and psychopharmacology. Dr. Cartwright also managed a large clinical practice as well as served as a member of the New Jersey Governor’s Council on Autism to advocate for law and policy changes.
A Board-certified medical geneticist and Co-Director of the down syndrome program at Massachusetts general hospital, Dr. Skotko has dedicated his professional energies toward children with cognitive and development disabilities. In 2001 he co-authored the national award-winning book, Common Threads: Celebrating Life with Down syndrome and, most recently, Fasten Your Seatbelt:
A Crash Course on Down syndrome for Brothers and Sisters. He is a graduate of Duke University, Harvard Medical School, and Harvard Kennedy School. Dr. Skotko recently authored major research on how physicians deliver a diagnosis of Down Syndrome to new and expectant parents. He has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The L.A. Times, NPR’s “On Point,” and ABC’s “Good Morning America.” Dr. Skotko serves on the Honorary Board of Directors for the Massachusetts Down syndrome congress, the Board of Directors for the band of angels’ foundation, and the Professional Advisory Committee for the national center for prenatal and postnatal Down syndrome resources.
Dr. Dalia Zwick is a Senior Rehabilitation Supervisor, YAI Network and a Physical Therapist with an advanced PhD degree in Pathokinesiology from New York University. She has extensive clinical and teaching experience in the disciplines of neurology and neurodevelopment rehabilitation of adults and young children with developmental and acquired disabilities
Dr Zwick has presented at national and international conferences and seminars. Her special focus is in integrating yoga into rehabilitation where postural alignment and use props are main elements. In addition, she also specialized in orthotics and shoe wear needs of people with disabilities. She is currently interested in raising awareness of postural issues of children and adults with Autism. She focuses on rehabilitation options to improve posture and walking in consumers with autism, thus preventing the possible added burden of physical disability that may occur as consequence of postural issues.
Dr. Danielle Catalano, PT, CYT Dr. Danielle Catalano is a nationally certified Physical Therapist working in New York City. She earned both her Bachelor’s Degree and Doctorate of Physical Therapy from New York University. Throughout her career, she has worked in a variety of settings treating individuals with a wide range of diagnoses and ages. Currently
Dr. Catalano works full-time with children diagnosed with Autism and Developmental Delays. In addition, she is a certified Yoga Teacher, Pilates instructor, and Reiki Practitioner. She developed and teaches a class named “Yoga Therapeutics,” teaching Yoga to individuals with current and past injuries. Dr. Catalano’s therapeutic style is holistic; examining and studying the whole body to make clinical decisions based on what is best for the individual. She draws from a wide range of modalities and treatment approaches, and is continually learning new concepts to better serve her patients. Dr. Catalano has conducted numerous professional development courses, workshops and in-service presentations on a variety of topics within the lens of Physical Therapy.
Gina Brelesky is a seasoned corporate educator with more than 25 years of extensive experience in learning and development. In her current role as a Leadership Learning Consultant, Gina works with leaders to develop and hone their skills and coaches them to successfully succession plan through the development of their people. She employs the latest brain research in her work and incorporates the principles of neuroleadership.
In her prior experience, Gina coordinated training for a national institute headquartered in New York City, an organization which serves more than 20,000 stakeholders with developmental and intellectual disabilities and employs more than 5,000 people. In her role, Gina was responsible for assessing training needs, developing goals & outcomes, and implementing strategic plans to meet identified training goals.
Gina holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration as well as a Certificate of Advanced Study in Education and Resilient Leadership.
Jaime Castillo is a PhD candidate and fellow in Counseling and Counselor Education at Syracuse University. He holds a Master’s Degree in School Counseling from the University of Scranton, and is a Certified School Counselor, National Certified Counselor, and Approved Clinical Supervisor. He was an Applied Behavior Specialist and Mental Health Counselor at the YAI- Network for four years. As an Applied Behavior Specialist, Jaime conducted assessments, developed treatment plans for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and trained and supervised direct care staff and clinical assistants. As a Mental Health Counselor,
Jaime provided individual and family counseling for children and adolescents diagnosed with Autism. In his clinical work, Jaime specializes in creating inclusive, person-centered, and solution-focused counseling for individuals and families.
Jaime’s clinical experiences and research interests include facilitating process and self-advocacy groups for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, creating inclusive groups for students with disabilities in schools, clinical supervision, and the education and training of counselors. Jaime has led workshops at regional, national, and international conferences for disability and rehabilitation, counselor education and supervision, and professional counseling.
Joshua Rubin was the Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Mental Health Association of New York City (MHA-NYC), a leader in services, advocacy and education for people with mental illness and their families. MHA-NYC and its subsidiary, Link2Health Solutions, Inc. operate a wide range of behavioral health services, including residential, rehabilitation, child and adolescent and family support services. In addition, they operate technologically mediated services including the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, the national Disaster Distress Helpline
, New York City’s LifeNet, New York State’s HopeLine and the NFL Lifeline. Prior to joining MHA-NYC, Mr. Rubin was the Director of Policy and Planning for YAI Network, where he helped develop an international training and consulting business. Prior to joining YAI he served as the Assistant Commissioner for Mental Hygiene Policy for the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene of the City of New York. During his years of City service he also served as the Assistant Commissioner for Chemical Dependency Services, the Division of Mental Hygiene’s Chief Policy Officer and Chief Administrative Officer and as the Special Assistant to the Executive Deputy Commissioner for Mental Hygiene Services. Before his government service he was on the staff of the Coalition of Voluntary Mental Health Agencies. Mr. Rubin has a Master’s in Public Policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and a Bachelor’s degree in Religion and the Humanities from the University of Chicago.
Maria Khawaja (née Bizzarro), MS, OTR/L is a pediatric occupational therapist. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, a Bachelor of Arts in Therapeutic Studies, and a Master’s of Science in Occupational Therapy at Boston University’s top-ranked occupational therapy program. She is licensed in New York State and certified as a therapist with pediatric emphasis by the National Board for Certification of Occupational Therapists. She is a member of the American Occupational Therapy Association
Mrs. Khawaja oversees and directs the occupational therapy department at the world renowned McCarton Center for Developmental Pediatrics and the world renowned McCarton School. She also serves as the occupational therapy program director and supervisor at The Children’s Academy in New York City. Maria Khawaja is an adjunct faculty member at New York University in the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development where she teaches Activity and Group Process (OT-GE 2707) to professional level Master’s students. In addition to her appointment as adjunct faculty, she is also a doctoral student at New York University. Mrs. Khawaja’s interests include functional evaluation in pediatrics, vestibular habilitation, auditory interventions, and the integration of behavior analytic principals into pediatric occupational therapy practice.
Matthew Aubry, LMSW has worked for more than 20 years in the field of Developmental Disabilities. Holding key positions at the YAI Network in New York, he played a central role in shaping the organization’s programs and its growth into the leader in the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities in the United States. He also was principally involved in bringing the resources and knowledge developed at YAI to those in need across the world having overseen YAI Global Consulting which had development and training projects in Jordan, Bangladesh, India, United Emirates, Saudia Arabia and the Bahamas.
Matthew has spent his career serving individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders and other intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and their families. Serving as Clinician, Administrator and Trainer, he has worked across the range of services for children and adults with Developmental Disabilities including Residential, Employment, Day Habilitation, and special needs pre-schools. He has helped to envision and launch a number of major new programs, including Residential Programs for adults with Autism and IDD, the YAI Autism Center and the Manhattan Star Academy, a new school for children with autism spectrum disorders and other developmental disabilities.
Dr. Michelle Major is a Bahamian, who is licensed and nationally certified as a school psychologist. Dr. Major serves as the Clinical Director of the Caribbean Center for Child Development in the Bahamas. She has over 12 years of experience working with children with disabilities in both the private and public sectors and has had extensive experience in the administration of developmental and neuropsychological assessments. Dr. Major specializes in the assessment and diagnosis of, as well as intervention for, children with autism and low-incidence disabilities. She began her career in this field as an inclusion teacher and a verbal behavior therapist (ABA) for children with autism. She later conducted research in the field of disabilities and education. She worked for Child Provider Specialists at the Dan Marino Center, Miami Children’s Hospital in Weston Florida. Dr. Major served as the Autism Task Force Leader for the executive board of the Florida Association of School Psychologists in 2008. Dr. Major serves on the Florida Association of School Psychologists executive board for the year 2010/2011, representing low-incidence disabilities for the state of Florida.
Prior to her recent move to the Bahamas, Dr. Major served as an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Barry University in Miami Shores, Florida; where she spent five years training school psychology graduate students in child and adolescent development, counseling, learning theory, academic and behavioral interventions, consultation, and assessment. She also taught at the undergraduate level, introduction into psychology, psychology of women and the psychology of the family. Her years as a school psychologist in Palm Beach County and Miami-Dade County school systems have provided her extensive experience in psycho-educational evaluations, behavior modification, teacher and parent consultations and crisis intervention. Furthermore, she has served as part of the design, implementation, and evaluation of prevention/intervention initiatives (i.e., Safe Schools Healthy Students and the Hepatitis, HIV, and Substance Abuse Grant Initiatives) in the Miami-Dade County School District.
She has presented at local, regional, and national conferences on topics such: the effectiveness of interventions for children with autism, applied behavioral analysis, parental stress related to having a child with a disability and attribution theory.
Perry Samowitz was the Senior Director of Education and Training at the YAI Network for over 3 decades. He recently retired. He was responsible for training over 5,000 staff in community-based services serving people with developmental and intellectual disabilities.
He presented in 20 states as well as in Canada, Finland, Israel, Iceland, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. He has produced over 50 staff training videos. Currently he is working with the NY State Office of People with Developmental Disabilities in transforming the 90,000 staff in state and voluntary agencies from caregivers to support professionals.
Tracey Fisher has worked in pediatrics for over 16 years working as both an educator and an occupational therapist. She holds two Master’s degrees – one in special education, the other in occupational therapy, from New York University and has worked in a wide variety of settings including: early intervention, schools, sensory gyms and private practice. Tracey’s focus has been working with children (ages 15 months-17 years) diagnosed with autism and developmental delays.
Her treatment focuses on sensory integration, motor coordination, handwriting/fine motor, leisure skills, self-care skills and feeding. She is certified in Therapeutic Listening, teaching yoga to children with special needs and is a certified feeding therapist.
Tracey is a strong advocate of multidisciplinary team collaboration and family involvement to the therapeutic process. She has conducted several family workshops and lectures throughout the metropolitan New York City area.
Rosangela Berman Bieler, originally from Brazil, is senior advisor on children with disabilities at UNICEF, and head of the organization’s new Disability Section. A quadriplegic since she was 18, she has been a disability rights advocate for more than 35 years. Throughout her career, she has identified and creatively resolved many issues which have an impact on people with disabilities. Berman Bieler has lived in the U.S. since 1995,
and has worked for the World Bank, IADB and other international organizations. Her expertise on disability-related issues covers areas such as humanitarian action, HIV/AIDS, media, gender and human rights. Berman Bieler founded the Independent Living Center in Rio de Janeiro, as well as the Inter-American Institute on Disability and Inclusive Development (IDII), which was created to promote social-economic and political inclusion in Latin America and Portuguese-speaking countries in Africa and Asia. IIDI played a key role on the development of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Theresa Hamlin, Ed.D., P.D., is an internationally known expert and educator in the area of special education, developmental disabilities and autism spectrum disorders (ASD). As, Associate Executive Director, Dr. Hamlin is responsible for the comprehensive oversight of all program operations, management, curriculum design, and program evaluation at The Center for Discovery, a national premier specialty center for the advanced care of individuals with developmental disabilities, medical frailties and ASD.
Dr. Hamlin is responsible for the design and implementation of The Center for Discovery’s advanced Research Program investigating response to intervention for children with ASD at the Discovery School. Her current efforts involve the development of the Health E6 comprehensive approach to treating autism as well as the establishment of an integrated, short-term stay Assessment Center for children diagnosed with ASD.
Dr. Hamlin has spearheaded the development of many comprehensive programs and
integrated services for children and adults with severe disabilities, as well as the development of the Carrus Institute, an international training center for medical personnel, educators, policy makers, parents, and other professionals. She has also served as expert adviser to leaders of developing countries for many years. In 2004, Dr. Hamlin represented the United States in a joint US-India meeting of experts on autism spectrum disorders in India, and has subsequently been engaged in similar research efforts, program design and planning in the Middle East, Latin America, and Southeast Asia. She has directed several federally funded grants aimed at providing education and support to the families of children with severe disabilities.
Dr. Hamlin received a BS in Special Education from the College of St. Rose; her MA in Special Education from Columbia University; her Post-Master’s and Public School Superintendent’s licensure from SUNY New Paltz; and her doctorate in Educational Leadership from St. John’s University. She also holds a certificate as a teacher of the visually impaired and blind from Dominican College.
