Scott joined Recwest in December 2015, launching a career deeply rooted in recreation and community engagement. Prior to Recwest, Scott served as a Territory Manager, working closely with schools and underserved communities to support their fundraising efforts, further highlighting his commitment to community well-being. The word “adaptation” has been a consistent theme in Scott’s life, shaping his approach to challenges and opportunities. With his full background in recreation, dedication to community health, and a passion for personal growth, Scott embodies the company’s mission of promoting active, healthy lifestyles and vibrant communities.
Terri received her BA in Psychology from the University of San Francisco and completed her teaching credential and Masters in Kinesiology from Cal State Long Beach. For the past 7 years, she has been the Adapted Physical Education Teacher at Van Ness Elementary where most of her caseload consists of students with Visual Impairments. While at Van Ness, Terri has planned and facilitated ability awareness sessions and inclusive activities and field trips with Special Education and General Education classes. She now serves in early childhood assessment, providing children with individualized education plans and supported placements in early childhood centers throughout Los Angeles.
Dane has worked in Developmental Studies in the UCLA Department of Pediatrics since 1998 on a variety of federal and state funded projects, all of which have focused on home, center-based and hospital-based interventions with families and young children, birth to three years. She received her Masters in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University. In 2001, she joined the Legacy for Children™ research project assessing the effects of comprehensive intervention on the mother-child relationship in low-income families. In 2018, Ms. Fitzmorris became the director of the Legacy for Children™ training center at UCLA. Since 2008, she has been the Director of the UCLA Intervention Program where she oversees an interdisciplinary team of professionals composed of early childhood educators and physical and occupational therapists.
Shoshana Grattidge, MA. has been teaching child development for the Los Angeles Community College District since 2012 and is a tenure track faculty member of the Child, Family and Education Studies Department at Los Angeles Mission College. She is a graduate of LA Pierce College, and also holds a BA in Child Development and MA in Educational Psychology Early Childhood Education from CSUN. This fall she will be entering the Early Childhood Education Leadership doctorate program at American Jewish University. In addition to teaching at college level, she was a mentor in the Child Development Workforce Initiative program, helping students navigate transfer to 4-year universities, from 2009-2017. Prior to working in higher education, Shoshana worked directly with children, including work with children who have disabilities, experience in private and public schools, home-based and clinic-based programs with children from infancy through adolescence.
Sophi is a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP), formerly based in K-5th and high school learning environments. She has transitioned to early intervention and pediatric feeding. She received her B.A. in Communicative Disorders at CSU Northridge. Prior to graduate school, she worked 5+ years as a behavioral aide for youth and adults with disabilities and as Inclusion Matters by Shane’s Inspiration’s Inclusion Facilitator and My PlayClub Coordinator. Sophi went on to receive her M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology from University of New Mexico (UNM). In addition to her clinical practicum, she contributed to UNM’s Autism Research lab as a volunteer. She later worked as an SLP in special education, where she developed specialized interest in Neurodiverse-Affirming strategies and Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). Sophi believes all children deserve opportunities to shine as they are using individual and family interests, play, creativity, and exploration!
Cathy has been a preschool teacher for 22 years, with 15 years in special education. Her passion and commitment to teaching comes from a lifetime of experience growing up with her older brother Tim, who has multiple physical and cognitive challenges. She earned her Teaching Credential, Masters Degree in Early Childhood Special Education, and is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. With her educational background and experience in both classroom and private therapy, Cathy is an expert in early childhood intervention. Cathy runs her classroom built on the philosophy of building skills through play to create a strong foundation for the students and their families to learn and grow. She brings a data and goal-oriented approach to establishing, implementing, and tracking students’ individual goals. Cathy has served on the Inclusion Matters by Shane's Inspiration Professional Advisory Board for over 5 years, as the lead early childhood teaching specialist, supporting curriculum development and parent training.
Noelle Kim is a Manager on the Digital and Cultural Consumer Insights at Nickelodeon dedicated to bringing joy and being a voice for children and families in the media space. Noelle’s research and insights have contributed to content across the Paramount, Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. platforms. With a background in educational research and commitment to delivering inclusive and culturally relevant experiences, Noelle can often be seen squeezing in some extra questions and sharing a laugh or heartfelt moment with families in research sessions. Prior to joining the Nick family, Noelle taught 3rd grade at a Reggio Emilia School on the East Coast and served as an educational and cultural consultant at companies such as OK Play and OneFish TwoFish Consulting. In her free time, Noelle can be found training jiu jitsu with her husband or exploring new food spots.
Amy Needham is Professor of Psychology and Human Development at Vanderbilt University's Peabody College of Education and Human Development. She earned her Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and now teaches both undergraduate and graduate students at Vanderbilt. Professor Needham studies how infants and young children learn with their hands. What children do with their hands has long been a focus of study for developmental psychologists, but using new methods of developmental science has allowed researchers to make new discoveries about infant learning skills. She is also working to understand atypical pathways of development, such as those experienced by children with Down syndrome, because comparisons between typical and atypical pathways of development can help us understand underlying mechanisms.
Corky graduated from University of Colorado with a BS in Elementary Education-Multiple Subjects. She received her MA in Special Education, specializing in learning disabilities and has been a General and Special Educator for 40 years in Denver, Boston and now in Glendale for the last 33 years. In addition to being a K-12 Multiple Subject Teacher specializing in Elementary At-Risk students, Corky currently serves as the Teacher Specialist at College View School that educates student ages 3-22 with moderate to severe disabilities. She also serves as the Private School Coordinator for private schools in the Glendale Unified School District, working with teachers and administrators to support students with IEPs and learning challenges. Corky has also been a Home/Hospital teacher for 28 years, educating children that are too sick to attend school. Corky was recently honored as one of the top women in education by California State Senate by Senator Anthony Portantino and is the co-founder of the non-profit organization Team Project RISE, a non-profit advocating for nationwide mental health training for educators.
At Google, Jane is leading efforts to harness the power of technology to create high-quality digital experiences for kids and families. She previously served as the Director of Too Small to Fail, the early childhood initiative of the Clinton Foundation, where she led innovative, cross-sector collaborations to create more equitable access to playful, inclusive, learning-rich environments in the everyday spaces families visit. Prior to this role, Jane was the Associate Director of Content in the Education, Research, and Outreach department at Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit organization behind Sesame Street. She worked with a team to develop the whole child curriculum on which the television series is based and collaborated across the organization to integrate Sesame Street’s educational content through various platforms—including print, video, and web. Jane also wrote numerous publications to support parents/caregivers through challenging situations, including military deployment, natural disasters, and economic and food insecurity. Jane holds an M.A. in developmental psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University and a B.A. in communications from the University of California at San Diego.
With a BA in Music Therapy from Montclair State University, Laurel first began working with adaptive technology in her work as a music therapist in 1996 at Matheny School and Hospital for children and adults with cerebral palsy, spina bifida, and other conditions. There she utilized technology and adaptive equipment to allow for full access for participation in music activities. Upon relocating to California, Laurel volunteered with the United States Adaptive Recreation Center in Big Bear. Teaching blind children to ski became one of Laurel’s passions. After joining the team at Orthopaedic Hospital, Laurel was involved with the planning and opening of the universally-accessible playground designed by Inclusion Matters by Shane’s Inspiration, as well as facilitating play clubs in conjunction with Inclusion Matters. She is currently the Lead Music Therapist at Miller Children’s and Women’s Hospital Long Beach, where she has grown the program’s capacity as well as creating a robust student training program. In addition to her music therapy degree, Laurel has her MA in Spiritual Psychology and is currently pursuing an AA degree and certificate in American Sign Language Interpreting at Mt. San Antonio College.
Born and raised in California, Camille is a graduate from California State University Long Beach in Studio Arts and Graphic Design. She and her husband Chris have 3 beautiful children (11 to 3 years of age) who are all autistic. They are the lights of their lives and keep them on their toes every day! Chris and Camille endeavor daily to help their children reach their full potential through finding appropriate schools for their individual needs as well as therapies and various activities such as sports, music, etc. With unconditional love as the foundation, they help their children become as independent as possible so that they can live happy, fulfilling lives to the best of their abilities. As parent advocates, they believe that being Neurodivergent (a.k.a. ND) is something to be celebrated and not ashamed of. They regularly share that they have neurodivergent children who should be accepted and given the accommodations needed to thrive in school and life. They are different, yes, but NOT less.
After graduating in Physical Education and English Literature from McGill University in Montreal, Nora moved to Los Angeles to pursue her passion in teaching, coaching, and volunteering for Special Olympics. While teaching, she became a community activist, merging her Armenian heritage with her Canadian and American roots. Her commitment to social justice and inclusion led her to be an active member of Boards/Committees for YMCA of Glendale, Armenian Relief Society, Starkey Hearing Aid Foundation, The William Saroyan House, Armenian National Committee, and Armenian International Women's Association. Nora currently serves on the advisory board for Armenian Hearing Aid Project which provides free hearing aids to thousands of adults and children in Armenia. In 2015, Nora joined the Corporate Advisory Board for Inclusion Matters by Shane’s Inspiration and was instrumental in bringing an inclusive playground to the City of Glendale.