about us
2021-2022 Faculty & Staff
Head of School
Kathy Chumas
Kathy received her Bachelor of Science in Physical Education/Health and Fitness from Frostburg State University and completed her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy at Shenandoah University. She is a registered and licensed occupational therapist (M.S. OTR/L). Kathy began working at The Diener School in 2007 and has served in a variety of roles at Diener including Occupational Therapist and Director of Admissions and Therapeutic Support. In pediatric clinical settings, Kathy has performed assessments and developed occupational therapy treatment plans for children with a variety of diagnoses including sensory processing disorders, developmental delays, and communication disorders. Kathy has attended various workshops on cutting-edge treatment strategies for children diagnosed with ADD/ADHD, visual processing disorders, and language-based challenges. A sample of training include: Sensory Integration, Anxiety Among Children, Learning without Tears, Zones of Regulation, Social Thinking, and Executive Functioning Strategies for Educators.
Administrative Staff
Kim Hiller
Director of Elementary School
Kim holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from the University of Miami and a Master of Special Education with a concentration in Learning Disabilities from the University of Maryland. Kim began working at The Diener School in 2007 when the school started. She has served in various roles, including Learning Skills Specialist, Director of the Upper School, Director of Education and Student Services, and is now the Elementary School Director. Kim taught as an Inclusion and Resource Teacher in MCPS at Argyle Middle School. She also ran her own tutoring company, Tutor Rx, providing strategy instruction, remediation, or curriculum-based support. Additional course study and certifications include Atlantic Seaboard Dyslexia Education Center; Multi-Sensory Math Course I and II; Multi-Sensory Writing Instruction; Wilson Fundamental Reading Program; Character Education; Kingsbury Tutor Training; Safety Cares; Crisis Prevention Intervention.
Kristine Manlove-Casa
Director of Middle School
Kristine received her Master’s in Science in Education, Teaching Students With Special Needs, in 2011 from Kaplan University, Chicago, Illinois. She also received a BS in Business Administration in 2009 from Wesley College in Delaware. Kristine started at The Diener School in 2011 and has served in a variety of roles including Lead Teacher, Learning Skills Specialist, Director of Curriculum and Instruction she played a crucial role in developing the Middle School and is now the Director of the Middle School. Kristine is also a certified Phono-Graphix Tutor and continues to attend workshops on Orton Gillingham, Executive Functioning, Kinesthetic Learning, Teaching the Anxious Child, Effective Ways to Deliver Reading Comprehension, Teaching Phonics and Spelling for Beginning and Transitional Readers and Foundations of Number Sense. Kristine is also a certified trainer in CPI Nonviolent Crisis Intervention. Prior to her employment at Diener, Kristine was both a Lead Teacher and Assistant at The Spectrum Center in Washington DC and Tutor at the Literacy Council.
Laurie Aaronson
Director of Operations & Development
Laurie attended the University of Maryland University College, studying for her Paralegal degree. She began her career at Diener as the Office Manager and later expanded her role to Director of Operations and Development. Laurie runs all administrative tasks such as payroll, insurance, bookkeeping and is the liaison between our Board Treasurer and Accountant. Laurie also organizes activities, community events, and fundraisers. She is committed to building and fostering relationships with parents, alumni, and the greater community while creating mutually beneficial relationships with new donors to support Diener. Laurie has been part of our Diener Team since 2009.
Lois McCabe
Director of Admissions
Lois earned her Bachelor’s Degree from American University and her Law Degree from Temple University. She worked for the Office of the Corporation Counsel Washington D.C. Criminal Division. Lois, the mother of three, has been advocating for special needs children throughout her entire career. She became a Special Education Advocate for Children in the D.C. Superior Court Family Services where Lois managed cases that involved advocating for children with special needs through school visits, IEP meetings, school placement, and due process hearings. Lois then co-founded SpecialNeeds SpecialKids LLC, a special education company that provides professionals and parents with pragmatic information regarding the ever-changing needs, issues, and options facing the special needs population. She also worked for 2 years for SOS Educational Consultants. Lois became the Director of Admissions at The Diener School when we opened our doors in Fall 2007. She then stepped into the role of Head of The Diener School from 2013-2016. She recently returned to The Diener School part-time in 2019 to take on her current role as Director of Admissions.
Alicia Evers
Office Assistant
Alicia attended Pennsylvania State University, studying for her Human Development and Family Studies degree. She comes to the Diener School from Erie, PA where she spent the past four years working and volunteering at a grieving center for children, adolescents, and their families. Prior to this, she spent several years at the Barber National Institute as a special education para-educator in classrooms and as an administrative assistant in the Adult Day Program. Alicia joined our Diener family in 2019.
Teachers & Teacher Partners
Jenni Cook
Lead Teacher
Jenni obtained a B.S. in Elementary Education from Pennsylvania State University in 2000 and completed her Master’s Degree from Johns Hopkins in Early Intervention Special Education in 2009. She has worked with a variety of learners ranging from preschool to middle school. Jenni has been a part of the Diener Team since 2009, where she began as a Lower School teacher. She then spent two year in the role of Learning Skills Specialist, and three years as the Director of the Lower School, where she provided strong mentoring to lower school teachers. She returned to the classroom in 2017 to work more directly with students and to capitalize on her considerable skills as an educator. Jenni has been trained in The Character Education Virtues Project, Zones of Regulation, Social Thinking, Multi-sensory Math, Phono-Graphix, Read Naturally Fluency Program, and Orton-Gillingham.
Tatiana Francisco
Teaching Partner
Tatiana graduated from the University of Maryland in 2017 earning her Bachelor of Science degree in Family Science. Prior to Diener, Tatiana worked in Montgomery County public schools as an intern with the Special Education programs. She completed a semester externship at The Diener School in the fall of 2017. She is currently working on obtaining her Master’s degree in Special Education/ Human Development. She is excited to be a part of The Diener School.
Katie Smith
Lead Teacher
Katie received her Master of Science in Special Education from Johns Hopkins University in 2009 and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Human Development from Sonoma State University in California. Before coming to Diener, Katie taught at the Woods Academy, where she worked with preschool to grade school age children. Prior to becoming a teacher, Katie worked for AmeriCorps and as an assistant in an occupational therapy camp. Recently, Katie attended extensive training in Orton Gillingham Plus and looks forward to implementing this program for children with Dyslexia.
Danielle Oakley
Teaching Partner
Dani earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Special Education and Elementary Education from Indiana University in 2019. She has been a part of the Diener family ever since! She has her teaching license in grades K-6 for general education and special education and is trained in the multi-sensory Orton-Gillingham phonics curriculum. Dani is excited to see what this new school year has in store!
Shannon Terranova
Lead Teacher
Shannon received her Bachelor's Degree in Special Education with a minor in Theater from Eastern Mennonite University. Shannon also worked on her Master's Degree and ABA certification at George Mason University. Shannon previously taught at the Diener School from February 2010- August 2013, when she left following the birth of her second child. Shannon loved Diener too much to stay gone and returned in March of 2019. She has a passion for teaching children with learning differences and is excited to be back at Diener. Learning through movement is at the core of Diener, and Shannon can't wait to use her love of musical theater in her teaching instruction. Shannon is trained in Verbal Behavior Therapy, Applied Behavior Analysis, Positive Behavior Intervention Systems, Crisis Prevention Institute, LCIS, Phono-Graphix, and Multisensory Math. She is so happy to be back at Diener!
Jo Pittman, MT-BC
Teaching Partner
Jo is a board-certified music therapist who joined the Diener team in February 2021. She received her bachelor’s degree in music therapy and psychology from the University of Miami in 2021. Upon finishing her coursework, Jo completed a 6-month clinical music therapy internship at Levine Music, where she provided music therapy sessions and adapted music lessons to students and families in the public school system and Washington D.C. metro area. Recently, Jo completed comprehensive training in the Orton-Gillingham Reading Program. Jo is excited to be back at Diener for her first full school year!
April Hill
Lead Teacher
April graduated from Towson University with a Bachelor of Science in Sociology. She worked in Early Childhood Education and Head Start for 25 years in various positions both as a teacher and administrator. April is a Certified Maryland Educator in Special Education K-8. April joined Diener as a long-term substitute in 2020 and fell in love with “the Diener Way”. She has joined the team as a Lead Teacher for 4th and 5th grade for this upcoming 2021-22 school year. April has an extensive training in classroom management. She is also trained in TACT II Crisis Intervention and De-escalation curricula.
Ashlin Bosse
Teaching Partner
Ashlin attended the University of Wyoming (UW) for one year and graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), earning a Bachelor in Urban Education in 2020. Ashlin grew up in the Northern suburbs of Chicago and worked with students in Chicago Public Schools from 2017-2020. Ashlin was a competitive swimmer and swam collegiately at the UW and UIC. She was a camp counselor and had the opportunity to teach preschoolers abroad in El Salvador in 2017. Ashlin also taught and coached children how to swim the past few years. In the summer of 2020, Ashlin moved to the Bethesda area and began her courses at Northcentral University, receiving her Master’s degree in Education and specializing in Special Education. She will complete her coursework in the Fall of 2021. This is Ashlin’s first year at Diener, and she is excited to be a part of the Diener family and community!
Jem Waldman
Lead Teacher
Jem received an undergraduate degree (BA) in Psychology at Swarthmore College. After college, Jem worked at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center as a research assistant for the departments of geriatric psychiatry, neuropsychology, and psychopharmacology. Jem then attended the Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania, earning an M.S. Ed with a specialization in psychological services in education. Prior to coming to Diener, Jem worked as a children's therapist in a community mental health care center serving at-risk children in Philadelphia, as well as serving as the lower school counselor at the Kingsbury Day School in Washington, DC. This is Jem's 8th year at Diener.
Teo Rogers
Teaching Partner
Teo Rogers graduated with a B.A. in History in 2018 and, in 2021, an M.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies, both from George Mason University. He has held various educational positions in the Washington, D.C. area since 2012, including at Blessed Sacrament School; Burgundy Farm Country Day School the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth; Fairfax County Public Schools; Episcopal High School; and George Mason University. He lives in Washington, D.C., with his wife and their brood of five pets. His favorite aspect of teaching is sharing his love of the written word with students. Teo is elated to join the Diener Team.
Susan Nolan
Lead Teacher
Susan attended Lenoir-Rhyne University right after graduating high school and received a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. She then continued to earn an elementary education master’s equivalency at Hood University. Susan taught for Montgomery County Public Schools for 11 years. She also taught Saturday School and tutored students after school and during the summer months. Prior to joining Diener, Susan was teaching preschool at a private school in Damascus for seven years. Susan has been a lead teacher at Diener for the past two years. She has also enjoyed being a camp counselor at Diener’s Summer Camp for the past three summers.
Kathleen Nel
Teaching Partner
Kathleen received her Bachelor of Education degree majoring in Mathematics and Sciences from Stellenbosch University in Cape Town, South Africa in 2016. Since graduating, Kathleen has held a variety of teaching positions over the past 4 years in both public and special needs schools. Her prior experience included being an instructional assistant for children with various educational needs ranging from autism to cerebral palsy and more recently was a lead 6th-grade teacher who collaborated extensively with learning support specialists. Kathleen and her husband moved to Maryland in January 2021, and she is currently enrolled as an international Master student majoring in Special Needs at American University’s School of Education. Kathleen is beyond excited to being part of the Diener School family this year!
Kathy Koetz
Lead Teacher
Kathy Koetz graduated from Long Island University in 2008, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Adolescent English Education, and she holds a Maryland certification in ELA and Special Education. In 2018, Kathy graduated from Lindenwood University, earning a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and later published a children's book, Rosie's Rescue Ranch. Before the Diener School, she taught Special Education at The Lourie Center for Children's Social and Emotional Wellness.
Lisa Buch
Teaching Partner
Lisa obtained her BA in Psychology from Michigan State University and her MFA in Acting from Ohio University. She infuses her multidisciplinary background into her teaching and has worked extensively with students with learning differences. She has taught at the university level as well as the primary school level; most recently, she worked with the Middle School at Georgetown Day School. Her mission is to make education accessible, engaging, and fun, which stems from her passion for making theater accessible for all. She is thrilled to join the Diener team!
Katelen Muriel
Lead Teacher
Katelen earned an undergraduate degree in Psychology and a Master’s degree in Multicultural Special Education from the College of Mount Saint Vincent. Before starting at the Diener School, Katelen lived in New York City working as an ABA therapist at the Center of Autism and Related Disorders. She has over 4 years of student teaching experience in elementary schools throughout the Bronx, New York. Katelen also has 2 years of experience applying behavioral analysis principles with children/adults who have ASD. Katelen started at Diener in the fall of 2019 as a teaching partner and after a year, she was appointed to a lead teacher/Science teacher position for the middle school. Katelen has training and is certified in executive functioning strategies, Multi-sensory Math, Social Thinking, Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and Automated External Defibrillator (AED), first aid, and CPI Nonviolent Crisis Intervention.
Chastidy Rivera
Teaching Partner
Chastidy Rivera earned a Bachelor of Science degree with a dual certification in Special Education and Elementary Education from Kutztown University in 2020. Chastidy worked in Anne Arundel County public schools soon after graduating and has over 4 years of student teaching and working experience with students from various grade levels. She is very excited to be a part of the Diener School and looks forward to working alongside other amazing professionals.
Caroline Pressman
Teaching Partner
Caroline graduated from American University with a Bachelor of Arts in American Studies in 2015. Caroline has been working with private schools in the DC area for the past five years. During the 2020-2021 school year, Caroline worked with students ranging from pre-school through high school. She created individualized lesson plans with hands-on learning as a focus. Her favorite subjects to teach are reading, writing, and art. She is so excited to return for her fourth year at the Diener School.
Brian Belstock
Lead & Social Studies Teacher
Brian received his Master’s in Elementary Education from the University of Colorado at Denver. He has taught for more than 20 years in independent schools on the east coast. Prior to Diener, Brian spent 4 years at The Auburn School teaching exceptionally bright students with varying learning disabilities and social skills deficits. He also spent 10 years at Washington Episcopal School where he taught first, second and third grade. He has extensive experience working collaboratively with students and their families as well as other members of a child’s academic team. In his free time, Brian enjoys spending time with friends and family doing outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, and skiing. Brian is excited to be back in the Elementary School this year teaching Social Studies.
Behavioral and Therapeutic Team
Dr. Joy Kolb
Licensed Psychologist
Dr. Joy Kolb has been consulting with families and schools for over 20 years. She is a licensed psychologist and board-certified behavior analyst in private practice in Gaithersburg, MD. Dr. Kolb’s treatment focuses on providing evidence-based strategies and manageable recommendations that can be applied to each setting. Her treatment emphasizes realistic interventions that are individualized to the unique needs of each student. Dr. Kolb’s clinical interests include individual treatment as well as providing trainings for caregivers and school staff.
Colleen Simpson, M.S, BCBA, LBA
Behavior Analyst
Colleen is a Board Certified and Licensed Behavior Analyst practicing in Maryland. Over the years, Colleen has obtained experience in schools, private practice, and clinic-based settings. Colleen has been working in the field of education for over 10 years. Ms. Simpson has held positions within the classroom as a paraprofessional and as a lead teacher in multiples roles. Outside of the classroom, Colleen has supported teachers and school staff as a behavioral consultant. As a behavior analyst, Colleen values collaboration with other professionals across various fields to meet the ever-changing needs of her clients. Colleen thoroughly enjoys working as a behavior analyst in academic settings. Her specific interests include collaborating with teachers and families to develop function-based interventions that can be applied to the school and home environments.
Lauren Clark
Occupational Therapist
Lauren earned a Master of Science degree in Occupational Therapy from Trinity Washington University in January of 2018 and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from the University of Maryland, College Park in May of 2010. She is a registered and licensed Occupational Therapist (M.S. OTR/L) in the state of Maryland. Lauren initially joined the Diener team as a teaching assistant in the fall of 2012. After spending three years in this role she decided to pursue her Master's degree in Occupational Therapy. She maintained her relationship with Diener as a substitute teacher while completing her master's program. Lauren gained experience in the pediatric setting in her clinical internship with KIPP DC, a public charter school where she provided Occupational Therapy services to students ranging from PreK to 8th grade with a variety of diagnoses. In August 2018, Lauren joined our team as a full-time Occupational Therapist
Emily Cross
Speech & Language Pathologist
Emily completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology at SUNY Brockport in Upstate New York. She then moved to North Carolina where she earned her teaching license in special education before completing her Master’s in Communication Disorders from NC Central. Before coming to Diener, she spent 3 years working in a therapeutic treatment program for children with emotional disabilities in Washington, D.C. She is currently licensed as a speech-language pathologist in Maryland, Virginia, D.C., and North Carolina and holds the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association’s Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC-SLP). Emily has worked with children of all ages, from preschool to high school in various settings including in-home, clinic, and public and private schools.
Paris Woolford
Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant
Paris received her Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science and a minor in Dance from Old Dominion University in 2016. She received her Associate of Applied Science as an Occupational Therapy Assistant from Eastern Virginia Career College in 2019 and completed her Level II Fieldwork at The Lab School of Washington. At the Lab School, Paris provided interventions to middle school-aged children in study skills, functional independence, self-regulation, and executive functions to students with ADHD, various learning disabilities, and anxiety. Paris has worked in retirement communities in the Life Enrichment department for 4 years and is excited to work in the school setting. She will be working closely with our Middle School students and is looking forward to collaborating with our therapeutic team.
Abby Heitzenrater
Speech & Language Pathologist
University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Following her graduation, she completed her master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology at Duquesne. Prior to starting at Diener, she spent 3 years working as a speech-language pathologist for students at nonpublic schools in San Diego, CA as well as at Kennedy Krieger Institute in Silver Spring, Maryland. She is currently licensed as a speech-language pathologist in the states of Maryland and California and holds the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association’s Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC-SLP). Abby has a passion for working with children of all ages on functional communication, augmentative and alternative communication, and social skills. She loves providing carryover materials for families and working closely with parents and caregivers for total family-based care!
Annie Pitts
Behavioral Assistant & Social Skill Support
Annie is a Behavior Technician who has a passion working within the school setting. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. After graduating from NU in 2004, Annie went on to work in Business Management for a large defense contractor, where she collaborated with multiple stakeholders and customers. While raising her three children and volunteering her time in their school, Annie realized her passion for working in the school setting. Currently, Annie is working towards earning her Masters Degree in Special Education at George Mason University. Annie has worked in both private and public school settings as a special education paraprofessional and student support specialist. In addition, she has been supporting families thru in-home therapy, collaborating with a team of professionals to support the needs of children. Annie will be supporting the Middle School students and staff! She is looking forward to the year ahead and is energized to be a part of such a fantastic school!
Sean Strumpf
Behavioral Assistant & Social Skill Support
Sean earned an Associate of Arts degree from Montgomery College in 2012. He worked as a special education para-educator for Montgomery County Public Schools from 2014-2016. In addition, from 2015 to the present, he works at Changing the Lives of Children with Autism (CLCA) as an intensive individual support technician. He holds multiple certifications, which include: CPI Nonviolent Crisis Intervention; Prevention and Management of Aggressive Behavior (PMAB); Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and Automated External Defibrillator (AED); and First Aid. Sean joined our team in 2016 as a Teaching Partner and later advanced to a Behavioral Assistant and Social Skills Support.
Sammi Rosenfeld
Certified School Counselor, NCC, LCPC
Sammi received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance and Kinesiology from the University of Michigan and her Master of Science in Education in School and Mental Health Counseling from the University of Pennsylvania. She is a certified Maryland and Pennsylvania school counselor and eligible for professional counseling licensure. Sammi is originally from Washington, DC, and while in DC, taught performing arts and multiple body-mind focused topics at Georgetown Day Lower/Middle School, Imagination Stage in their inclusion and Access programs, and many other non-profit schools. She was a Rehabilitation Support Specialist at PRS Inc., an adult psychiatric facility. Since then, she moved to Philadelphia, PA where she worked as a K-2 School Counselor at a Title 1, inner-city, Philadelphia Public School serving students with severe trauma and diverse needs. In her career, Sammi has worked with students ages four to seventy with a variety of neurodiversities, backgrounds, and barriers. She is also a professional modern dancer and choreographer and integrates her love of movement, arts, and play into her counseling and teaching approach. She is excited to be in the DC area again helping students work through their barriers so that they may thrive and find play in their lives.
Specialists
John Soares
Adaptive Physical Education
Coach John graduated from the University of Maryland in 2007 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition Food and Sciences. He continued his education at Montgomery College to pursue an advanced degree in Early Childhood Education. John worked at MoCo Movement Center Pediatric Therapy Gym as a Movement Coach and he brings his creativity and enthusiasm to the Diener team. He is also a dedicated soccer coach for the MSI Soccer League and is currently working for the former MLS MVP Golden Boot winner Luciano Emilio Soccer Club.
Frankie Lydon
Art Instructor
Frankie began working at Diener as a teaching assistant and gradually moved into the field of art education. Frankie's passion for art design was evident and she took on the role of Art Instructor for several years. After 6 years, Frankie took a break from teaching to concentrate on her own artwork. She has happily returned to Diener and is excited to be back at Diener working with these great kids and the amazing team of teachers and staff.
Elle Baskin
Learning Skills Specialist
Elle holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Hearing and Speech Sciences from the University of Maryland, with minors in Linguistics and Early Childhood Development and Education. She is currently working on a Master's Degree in Reading Science with a Dyslexia Certificate. Prior to Diener, she worked with various populations across multiple settings, including the Arc of Montgomery County, Montgomery County Public Schools, LEAP Preschool, and Learning Together Early Intervention Services. Elle has served in a variety of roles at Diener, including Teaching Partner, Director of Summer Camp, Science Teacher, and Distance Learning Coordinator. Elle has been trained in Applied Behavior Analysis, Verbal Behavior Therapy, Floor Time Therapy, Positive Behavior Intervention Systems, CPI Non-violent Crisis Intervention, The Character Education Virtues Project, Zones of Regulation, Social Thinking, Sarah Ward’s Executive Functioning Techniques, Kinesthetic Learning in the Classroom, Multi-sensory Math, Phono-Graphix, Read Naturally Fluency Program, Orton-Gillingham Plus, and IMSE OG. Elle has been at Diener for 10 years.
Nicole Tanjutco
Learning Skills Specialist
Nicole graduated from Towson University with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education in 2014. She is currently working on her Master of Science in Instructional Technology and Curriculum Development from Towson University. She worked in both Baltimore County and Montgomery County Public schools for two years prior to joining Diener. Nicole started as a teaching assistant in the fall of 2015 and after a year was appointed to a lead teacher position. This year, she will be starting a new role as a learning skills specialist. Recently, Nicole has attended extensive training in executive functioning strategies, Multi-sensory Math, Phonographix, IMSE Intermediate Orton Gillingham, and Orton Gillingham Plus. She is also trained in CPI Nonviolent Crisis Intervention and took on a new role as Camp Director during the summer of 2019. This is her 6th year in Diener.