Diagnostic Center South Presenters
Meet the professional development presenters of the Diagnostic Center, Southern California.
Andrea Abrishami, M.A., Education Specialist
Andrea Abrishami is an education specialist at the Diagnostic Center, Southern California. She holds an M.A. in Special Education from California State University, Los Angeles. Since 2005 Andrea has served students of all ages with mild to moderate support needs in a variety of settings. She comes with extensive experience in developing and implementing programs that address the social emotional and academic needs of all learners. Areas of expertise include educational programming and instructional techniques for students with mild to moderate support needs, positive behavior supports and supporting struggling readers across academic settings.
Heather Barakat, Ed.D., Education Specialist
Heather Barakat is an education specialist at the Diagnostic Center, Southern California. She holds an Ed.D. in Education with a concentration in Special Education and an M.A. in Special Education. She also holds three credentials: Special Education (Mild to Moderate Support Needs), Multiple Subjects, and Reading. Heather has been in the field of education for over 18 years and has extensive experience working with students of all ages with mild to moderate support needs in a variety of settings (e.g., public school, charter school, and non-public schools). Areas of expertise include assessment, autism, program and curriculum development and differentiating instruction for all learners. Heather has been a member of the National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET) for several years.
Heather DeFelice, M.S., CCC-SLP, Speech-Language Pathologist
Heather DeFelice is a speech-language pathologist (SLP) at the Diagnostic Center, Southern California. She earned her M.S. in Communicative Disorders from University of Wisconsin-Madison. Heather holds California state licensure in speech-language pathology and the Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). She also earned an Assistive Technology Applications certificate through California State University, Northridge (CSUN) and has extensive experience working with children in public schools as well as in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) camp settings. Areas of expertise include AAC, autism, and students with extensive support needs.
Melissa Gardner, M.S., CCC-SLP, Speech-Language Pathologist
Melissa Gardner is a speech-language pathologist at the Diagnostic Center, Southern California. She brings over a decade of experience supporting students ages 0-22 across a wide range of settings, including general education, special education, home-hospital, and programs for students with extensive support needs and medical fragility—just about everything except middle school. She is licensed in California, credentialed in speech-language pathology, and certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Melissa's areas of expertise include Augmentative & Alternative Communication (AAC), autism, and Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions. She has a strong interest in emotional regulation and the ways communication intersects with behavior and learning. She also has extensive experience with alternative and nonstandard assessment approaches for students who cannot access formalized testing, and values collaborative, strengths-based, and trauma-sensitive practices.
Allease Glamore, M.S., School Psychologist
Allease Glamore is a school psychologist at the Diagnostic Center, Southern California. She has an M.S. and Pupil Personnel Services credential in School Psychology and is a Licensed Educational Psychologist. Allease has more than 20 years of experience supporting students with exceptional needs. She has supported students of all ages (infants through adults) in many capacities and settings. Allease has served as an intern supervisor to graduate students, professor, consultant, professional development facilitator, assessor, and interventionist. She has also been a program administrator and has written research articles. Early childhood special education, autism, school readiness, alternative assessment, social emotional learning, development, building family and community partnerships, program development and improvement, and supporting students with behavior challenges and extensive support needs are among her many areas of expertise. Allease is native to the South Los Angeles and South Bay portions of the Los Angeles area. She is passionate about empowering educators/service providers and families and enhancing the progress of all students.
Scott Gutentag, Ph.D., LEP, NCSP, School Psychologist
Scott Gutentag is a school psychologist at the Diagnostic Center, Southern California. He holds a Ph.D. in School Psychology with a specialization in Clinical Child Psychology from The Ohio State University. As a licensed educational psychologist, Scott holds the National Certification for School Psychology from the National Association of School Psychologists. Scott has provided psychological services in a variety of settings including schools, behavioral clinics, treatment programs, and hospitals. Additionally, he has taught undergraduate and graduate level university courses in psychology at several institutions.
Tim Halphide, M.A., LMFT, School Psychologist
Tim Halphide is a school psychologist and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist at the Diagnostic Center, Southern California. Tim has worked as a school psychologist for over 26 years and as a mental health clinician for over 30. Tim draws from a tapestry of experiences across settings including private practice psychotherapy, community mental health, inpatient settings, foster family agencies, Regional Centers and working with students, teachers, and parents in California's schools. Tim has been featured at various conferences including the California Association of School Counselors, California Association of School Psychologists, the California School Employees Association, Orange County Association of School Psychologists, and more.
Margot Johnson, M.A., BCBA, Assistant Director and PENT Administrator
Margot Johnson is an education specialist and assistant director at the Diagnostic Center, Southern California. Margot is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and earned her M.A. in Special Education from Chapman University. She has extensive experience working with students of all ages who have extensive support needs in the public school setting. Areas of expertise include curriculum, differentiated instruction, and instructional techniques for students with extensive support needs, programming for transition-age students, and positive behavioral interventions for students who exhibit significant behavioral challenges.
Christina Lassigne, M.A., M.S., Education Specialist
Christina Lassigne is an education specialist at the Diagnostic Center, Southern California, bringing extensive expertise in supporting students with complex learning and behavioral needs. Holding Master's degrees in Special Education from Chapman University and Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) from National University, she is currently completing her BCBA certification through UC Santa Barbara and serves on the leadership team for the Positive Environments, Network of Trainers (PENT). Christina has built a rich professional background as a special education teacher, program specialist, and reading specialist, with particular strength in assessing behavior, designing targeted interventions, and partnering with parents, school teams, and students. Her work is grounded in a multidisciplinary lens that accounts for developmental levels, communication modalities, mental health, and trauma when developing interventions and coaching school teams. Committed to evidence-based practice, Christina actively stays current with the latest research and emerging trends in ABA and behavior intervention, ensuring her work reflects the most effective and responsive approaches available.
Jill Martinez, M.A., Education Specialist
Jill Martinez is an experienced education specialist at the Diagnostic Center, Southern California. She earned her M.A. in Special Education from California State University, Los Angeles. Jill's diverse background includes roles as a paraeducator, special day class teacher for students with extensive support needs (ESN), inclusion specialist, and program specialist. Her expertise spans program and curriculum development, instructional strategies, positive behavior support, and mentoring special education teachers. Passionate about enhancing community integration and quality of life for individuals with ESN, Jill's key interests lie in creating meaningful and developmentally appropriate learning opportunities that support positive engagement and fostering collaborative educational teams for improved student outcomes for students with ESN and autism spectrum disorders.
Martin Miramontes, M.A., BCBA, School Psychologist and PENT Director
Martin Miramontes is a school psychologist at the Diagnostic Center, Southern California and director for the Positive Environment, Network of Trainers (PENT), a statewide initiative to achieve high educational outcomes through the use of proactive positive behavioral strategies. He holds an M.A. in Education and is also a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst. Martin has worked with individuals with developmental disabilities across home, hospital treatment facilities, school, and community settings. Areas of expertise include autism, applied behavior analysis, and district-wide implementation of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS)/Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS). His professional affiliations include the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), California Association of Behavior Analysis (CalABA), and the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI).
Yvette Mori, M.A., School Psychologist
Yvette Mori is a school psychologist at the Diagnostic Center, Southern California. Yvette holds Master's degrees in Educational Psychology and Counseling from Loyola Marymount University and brings over 20 years of experience supporting students, families, and staff in both public and non-public school settings. She has extensive experience conducting multidisciplinary assessments for special education eligibility across all disability categories, as well as Functional Behavior Assessments, Special Circumstance Instructional Assistance Assessments, Manifestation Determination Assessments, and risk and threat assessments to support school safety. Yvette has worked with students across all age groups, with a particular interest in supporting middle school adolescents. She has extensive experience working with diverse student populations and is committed to collaborating with teams to develop effective, student-centered programs.
Mojgan Moshtael, Ph.D., Clinical Psychologist
Mojgan Moshtael is a licensed clinical psychologist at the Diagnostic Center, Southern California. She has a variety of experience both publicly, privately, and teaching at the university level. She has over a decade of experience specializing in psychodiagnostic assessment and treatment of children, adolescents, and adults. Her professional passion lies in supporting children facing emotional and behavioral challenges related to trauma, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorders, learning disabilities, and other mental health conditions. Mojgan earned her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Alliant International University and completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the Reiss-Davis Child Study Center, with a focus on psychoeducational, neuropsychological, and social-emotional assessment. Over the past 15 years, she has provided psychological services in diverse settings, including schools, mental health clinics, and hospitals. She holds certifications in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and ADHD treatment.
Elizabeth Stiles Beirne, M.S., CCC-SLP, Speech-Language Pathologist
Elizabeth Stiles Beirne is a speech-language pathologist at the Diagnostic Center, Southern California. Originally from Massachusetts, she earned her B.S. in Communication Disorders from Boston University and later her M.S. in Communicative Disorders from California State University, Northridge. She holds a Speech-Language Pathology Services Credential, is licensed in California, and maintains her Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). Liz's experience spans public schools, hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, learning centers, and private practice. She has worked with students of all ages and abilities to support their learning and communication needs. Her areas of expertise include developmental language disorder (DLD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, dyslexia, and Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS). She is also listed in the Apraxia Kids directory of SLPs with expertise in CAS. Liz loves working collaboratively with professionals and families to develop creative, individualized approaches to help students thrive in school and in life.
Amy L. Taylor, Ed.S., NCSP, School Psychologist
Amy Taylor is a school psychologist at the Diagnostic Center, Southern California. Amy holds a Master's in Education from Smith College, a Master's in Counseling and an Ed.S. in School Psychology from San Diego State University. She has been an educator for over 20 years working as a general education teacher, reading intervention teacher, and as a school psychologist. Additionally, she has taught graduate level courses in school psychology. Amy has assessed children of all ages with extensive support needs. She has a particular interest in transdisciplinary assessment and intervention of preschool age children and assessment of dyslexia.
Anne Tittle, M.S., CCC-SLP,
Speech-Language Pathologist
Anne Tittle is a speech-language pathologist at the Diagnostic Center, Southern California. In addition to her Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association, Anne holds California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) credentials in Speech-Language Pathology and Teaching, Single Subject. Anne earned her M.S. in Communication Disorders from Nova Southeastern University, her single-subject teaching credential from the University of Hawaii, and her B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley. In addition to working in schools for over 25 years, Anne has been a member of the Cleft Palate Program at Los Angeles Orthopaedic Institute for Children, where she completed assessments, treatment, and nasoendoscopic evaluations for children and adults with cleft-related and non-cleft resonance disorders. Anne has presented about resonance disorders at American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and California Speech Language Hearing Association (CSHA) annual conferences, and as a guest lecturer for graduate-level speech-language pathology courses.
Nicole Ward, M.A., Education Specialist
Nicole Ward is an education specialist at the Diagnostic Center, Southern California. She holds an M.A. in both, Special Education and Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. Nicole has served students with special needs in a wide variety of settings since 2002. She comes with extensive experience in developing and implementing appropriate educational programs for students with developmental disabilities. Nicole has previously worked as a special day class teacher, inclusion specialist, assistive technology specialist and program specialist. Particular areas of expertise include program development, assistive technology, positive behavior support, and inclusive education.
Melissa Zavala Arauz, M.S., CCC-SLP, Speech-Language Pathologist
Melissa Zavala Arauz is a bilingual speech-language pathologist at the Diagnostic Center, Southern California. She holds an M.S. in Communication Disorders from California State University, Northridge. Melissa holds California state licensure and a teaching credential in speech-language pathology as well as the Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. She has worked in education since 2009, first as a general education elementary school teacher before beginning her training as a speech-language pathologist. Prior to entering education, Melissa worked in social work with immigrant communities and teenage parents. Her years in social work and education have provided her opportunities to work with students from a wide range of backgrounds, fostering special interests in culturally and linguistically diverse populations, the impact of mental health issues and trauma on communication, and collaboration across disciplines and agencies to support the unique needs of individual students. As a speech-language pathologist, Melissa has assessed and treated students and clients of all ages and ability levels in educational, medical, and private settings.
