About

For over 40 years, Robin McWilliam has been investigating how best to help young children with disabilities and their families. Through experiences as an early interventionist, a program administrator, a trainer, a researcher, a university professor, and a consultant, he has developed a model for early intervention—the Routines-Based Model, so called because the interventions for children happen in their daily lives (home, classroom, and community routines). The people who are naturally in those routines, such as parents and teachers, are empowered through this model with the skills and confidence to help the children. McWilliam has written almost 100 scholarly articles, written or edited 8 books, and made hundreds of presentations around the world. He travels to Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, and Taiwan to help with implementation of the model. He is the Executive Director of EI@UA, an early intervention (0-3) program funded through the State of Alabama.

With 15 years of experience in the field of deaf education, Kayley is a dedicated educator and program coordinator specializing in services for children with hearing loss. As a TOD, she provides initial evaluations for infants newly diagnosed with hearing loss, ensuring the children and families get the expertise and support they need. In addition to direct services, Kayley mentors and supports a team of staff members, fostering an environment of continuous learning and professional growth. A passionate advocate, Kayley participates in various efforts to raise awareness and improve services for children with hearing loss in New Jersey. As an active member of the American Cochlear Implant Alliance and "State Champion" for New Jersey, Kayley works to support advocacy efforts locally and nationally. Whether collaborating with colleagues, engaging with families, or shaping policies, Kayley remains deeply committed to ensuring that every child with hearing loss has access to the resources and support they need to succeed.

Dr. Lorraine Solimine is a dedicated audiologist with over 26 years of experience specializing in pediatric audiology and counseling families navigating hearing loss. As the Assistant Program Coordinator at the Sound Start Babies Program for Children Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing, she plays a vital role in supporting early intervention services for young children with hearing loss and their families. Throughout her career, Dr. Solimine has been committed to guiding families through the journey of hearing loss, providing expert assessments, and developing individualized strategies to optimize communication outcomes. Her expertise in pediatric audiology, combined with her passion for family-centered care, has made a profound impact on the lives of countless children and caregivers. Dr. Solimine’s dedication to early intervention and family support continues to shape the field, ensuring that children who are deaf and hard of hearing have the foundation they need to thrive.

Jessica Cichetti earned her B.A. in Family and Child Studies from Montclair State University in 2002 and completed graduate courses at New Jersey City University, earning her Special Education teaching license. She is highly experienced in child development and social-emotional development and has completed PIWI training provided by DOH-NJEIS through Montclair State University, which has furthered her ability to support families and their toddlers struggling with challenging behaviors. Jessica has been dedicated to New Jersey’s children for over 25 years. Beginning her career, as a Special Education teacher, in both private and public-school settings, in 2009 she found her true passion engaging in and exchanging with families in the provision of evidence-based in the New Jersey Early Intervention Program. Jessica brought her special talents to LADACIN Network in 2009 partnering with New Jersey families providing direct, early intervention services, she is a valued member of the Targeted Evaluation Team and is a Mentor within LADACIN Network’s professional Support Team. She is proficient in the use of the Early Intervention Pyramid Practices Fidelity Instrument (EIPPFI) and provides reflective supervision to practitioners within the LADACIN Network organization. Jessica is an avid opponent of providing quality services through the modality of Telehealth and is an advocate for its use in facilitating the parent-child connection.

Dr. Kemp is the Executive Director of the Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children (DEC). Dr. Kemp is a recognized leader and tireless advocate devoted to quality services to young children with disabilities, their families, and the professionals who serve them. Dr. Kemp has over 30 years of experience, including service as a direct service provider as well as a local, state, and national leader in Early Childhood/Early Childhood Special Education. She holds a Ph.D. in Special Education from the University of Kansas. Her life experiences as a family member/parent of persons with disabilities fuels her passion to support policies and practices that enhance the lives of all families. Dr. Kemp is the proud mother/bonus mother of six grown children, a son-in-law, 2 daughters in-law and seven grandchildren who serve as her “why” in doing the work.

Dr. Shaffer has worked in early childhood/early childhood special education for over 20 years. She began her work in the field of education, working in an inclusive early childhood preschool program. She attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and earned her doctorate in Special Education. Dr. Shaffer is an Associate Professor in Early Childhood/Early Childhood Special Education at the University of Michigan-Dearborn in the Department of Education, joining the faculty in 2011. During this time working in the field, her experiences have included teaching (both young children and adults), mentoring, supervising, training, advising, evaluating, developing curriculum, evaluating courses, serving on advisory boards and committees, leading programs, engaging in research, and dissemination. While at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, she has led or co-led several research projects supporting the personnel preparation of professionals in both the educational and medical fields serving young children at risk for disabilities and those with disabilities and their families, culturally responsive practices, social-emotional development, challenging behavior, emotional/behavioral disorders, policy issues, and professional development. These projects included Virtual Reality Youth Peace Literacy Initiative (current project), Engage Detroit: Best Classroom Project, Michigan Personas, Early Literacy Partners, MDE: Improving Teacher Quality, Child’s Hope: IMPACT Read to Me, EarlyOn: Parents and Infants Playing. She has provided trainings for Head Start teachers, early interventionists, and other practitioners across Michigan. In addition, Dr. Shaffer has served on many committees and boards, including the Michigan Department of Education Workforce Advisory Group, Michigan Special Education Coalition, EarlyEdU Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Advisory Group, the University of Michigan Provost’s Council for Student Honors, Starfish Family Services,  the  Division for Early Childhood (DEC) at the national level as the President (current role), DEC Equity Leadership Team, and other division committees. She continues to learn firsthand from university students, young children, and families about the current realities in early childhood classrooms, in the community, and in homes. Dr. Shaffer frequently presents at local, state, national, and international conferences, sharing her research with a wide range of audiences.

Stephanie Flamini specializes in early intervention and autism, with over 15 years of experience in the field. She holds a M.S. in Applied Psychology and is a Board-certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and Licensed Behavior Analyst (LBA). Stephanie is endorsed through the New Jersey Association for Infant Mental Health (NJ-AIMH) as an Infant Family Specialist. Her passion for her work stems from a belief in the potential of every child and the importance of early intervention. Stephanie frequently conducts workshops for educators and caregivers, sharing insights on evidence-based strategies focusing on skill development, communication, socialization, and reducing problematic behaviors. Stephanie’s interest includes integrating developmental and relationship-based principles and the science of ABA to enhance positive outcomes for young children. Stephanie is pursuing a doctoral degree in Educational Leadership at Purdue University Global.

Dr. Kemp is the Executive Director of the Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children (DEC). Dr. Kemp is a recognized leader and tireless advocate devoted to quality services to young children with disabilities, their families, and the professionals who serve them. Dr. Kemp has over 30 years of experience, including service as a direct service provider as well as a local, state, and national leader in Early Childhood/Early Childhood Special Education. She holds a Ph.D. in Special Education from the University of Kansas. Her life experiences as a family member/parent of persons with disabilities fuels her passion to support policies and practices that enhance the lives of all families. Dr. Kemp is the proud mother/bonus mother of six grown children, a son-in-law, 2 daughters in-law and seven grandchildren who serve as her “why” in doing the work.

Dr. Shaffer has worked in early childhood/early childhood special education for over 20 years. She began her work in the field of education, working in an inclusive early childhood preschool program. She attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and earned her doctorate in Special Education. Dr. Shaffer is an Associate Professor in Early Childhood/Early Childhood Special Education at the University of Michigan-Dearborn in the Department of Education, joining the faculty in 2011. During this time working in the field, her experiences have included teaching (both young children and adults), mentoring, supervising, training, advising, evaluating, developing curriculum, evaluating courses, serving on advisory boards and committees, leading programs, engaging in research, and dissemination. While at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, she has led or co-led several research projects supporting the personnel preparation of professionals in both the educational and medical fields serving young children at risk for disabilities and those with disabilities and their families, culturally responsive practices, social-emotional development, challenging behavior, emotional/behavioral disorders, policy issues, and professional development. These projects included Virtual Reality Youth Peace Literacy Initiative (current project), Engage Detroit: Best Classroom Project, Michigan Personas, Early Literacy Partners, MDE: Improving Teacher Quality, Child’s Hope: IMPACT Read to Me, EarlyOn: Parents and Infants Playing. She has provided trainings for Head Start teachers, early interventionists, and other practitioners across Michigan. In addition, Dr. Shaffer has served on many committees and boards, including the Michigan Department of Education Workforce Advisory Group, Michigan Special Education Coalition, EarlyEdU Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Advisory Group, the University of Michigan Provost’s Council for Student Honors, Starfish Family Services,  the  Division for Early Childhood (DEC) at the national level as the President (current role), DEC Equity Leadership Team, and other division committees. She continues to learn firsthand from university students, young children, and families about the current realities in early childhood classrooms, in the community, and in homes. Dr. Shaffer frequently presents at local, state, national, and international conferences, sharing her research with a wide range of audiences.

Corinne is the Associate Director for Education, Inclusion, and Development at Montclair State University’s Center for Autism and Early Childhood Mental Health. She is the project manager for the NJ Preschool Inclusive Education Project (NJPIEP) funded by the NJ Department of Education Office of Special Education. Corinne teaches graduate courses in Montclair’s Teaching and Learning Department and is a faculty member for the Infant and Early Childhood Development Ph.D. program at Fielding Graduate University. She is a member of the NJ State Interagency Coordinating Council (SICC) for Early Intervention and chairs the SICC Personnel Preparation Committee. She also served on the NJ Autism Advisory Panel charged with revising the NJ Department of Education Autism Quality Indicators. Corinne completed her Ph.D. in Teacher Education and Teacher Development at Montclair. She completed an Infant Mental Health Certificate at The Institute for Clinical Studies of Infants, Toddlers and Parents and was awarded the Mentor-Clinical endorsement in infant mental health in NJ. She developed and validated the Teacher Self-efficacy for Autism Spectrum Disorder Inclusion (TSE-ASDI) Scale and is the author of articles and book chapters on teacher education, inclusion, infant and early childhood mental health and autism.

Catherine Jasaitis earned her BS in Physical Therapy from Kean/UMDNJ in 1988, her MA in Anthropology in 1992. She has been in practice for 36 years, 32 of which have been devoted to providing evidence-based services to families in the NJ Early Intervention System. Catherine’s vast experience spans from the provision of direct early intervention services to being a long-standing member of the Monmouth & Ocean Counties Targeted Evaluation Team and LADACIN Network’s Professional Support Team. Working in the capacity of Senior Physical Therapist, she is proficient in the use of the Early Intervention Pyramid Practices Fidelity Instrument (EIPPFI) and is an experienced facilitator of LADACIN Network’s reflective supervision groups. Since taking advantage of a wide range of DOH-NJEIS training opportunities offered through Montclair State University including PIWI and Pyramid training, Keeping Babies and Children in Mind and Reflective Supervision/Consultation, Catherine has become an even stronger advocate for the use of evidence-based practices and early Intervention practitioner support. Most recently, this passion has extended into Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) and Early Relational Health (ERH) as a member of the 8th Cohort of Montclair State University’s Intensive Fellowship in IECMH and ERH.

Melissa Cusanelli earned her MS in Occupational Therapy from Misericordia University in 2019, her BA in Communication from Kean University (2013) and AAS in Merchandising/Business from the Fashion Institute of Technology (2012). She is an active member of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) and has completed NJAIMH Reflective Supervision/Consultation Provider Training. During Melissa’s 6 years as a certified occupational therapist, her experience spans a range of environments, including acute care, pediatric outpatient, school-based, and the last 5 years she has been dedicated to delivering evidence-based services to families within the New Jersey Early Intervention System. Melissa is a highly regarded Occupational Therapist working for LADACIN Network and is a member of their Professional Support Team.  She is a key participant in their Mentorship program, proficient in the use of the Early Intervention Pyramid Practices Fidelity Instrument (EIPPFI) and provides reflective supervision to practitioners within the organization.  She has completed DOH-NJEIS training opportunities offered including PIWI and Pyramid training, Keeping Babies and Children in Mind through Montclair State University, and is expanding her professional development with ongoing ICDL-Floor Time training. Melissa’s background in communication and business, combined with these experiences, has further reinforced her commitment to evidence-based practices and bolstered her advocacy for the support of both early intervention practitioners and the families.

Deepa Srinivasavaradan is the Director of Early Childhood Initiatives at SPAN Parent Advocacy Network. She is also the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) "Learn the Signs. Act Early." Ambassador and the Division for Early Childhood Recommended Practices (DEC aRPy) Ambassador for New Jersey. Deepa is deeply passionate about and committed to enhancing positive outcomes for young children and families because of her own experiences as an immigrant mother. Deepa is a well-recognized family leader and thought partner in the early childhood space at the local, state, and national levels, and is committed to supporting family-professional partnerships to ensure that families are equal partners in decision-making at all levels. In collaboration with the state team, Deepa supports Family-Engaged Developmental Health Promotion activities and has also helped develop several resources for families with young children.