Clinical & Managerial Staff
Vivian David-Nicolas, PsyD-Clinical Director & Founder
Dr. Vivian David-Nicolas has dedicated her professional career to special needs education and awareness. Having had a sister born with Down’s syndrome when Dr. David-Nicolas was 16 years of age, she is dedicated to the field of Special Education not only professionally but personally.
Dr. David-Nicolas received her doctorate degree in Clinical Psychology from the Wright Institute, in Berkeley, California in June 2001. Prior to this, she received her Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology in June 1998 from the same university, and her Bachelor’s degree in Communication, in June 1994, from University of California, San Diego.
Dr. David-Nicolas’s professional experience entails working with a variety of populations and age groups across different diagnostic classifications (e.g. psychiatry, counseling, education, etc). Most of her professional career has been devoted to working with the Autism population, whereby, Dr. David-Nicolas has provided Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) services for individuals diagnosed within the autism spectrum for 20 years. In March 2001, she founded Stepping Stones Center for Autistic Spectrum Disorders, in the United States, and an international affiliate branch in Dubai in December 2006.
Dr. David-Nicolas has undergone over 5000 hours of supervision throughout her clinical training and has been cited in various news and magazine articles noting her expertise in the field of Autism and contributing important information about best-practices in the field. Further to this, in 2007, she completed seven specialized graduate level courses in Behavior Analysis to work towards receiving certification as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA).
Dr. Vivian David-Nicolas is a strong advocate for Special Education as she firmly believes that each individual deserves a quality life, regardless of race, religion or ability.
In April 2011, Dr Vivian was awarded ‘Outstanding Clinical Psychologist’ and ‘Employee of the Year’ at the Princess Haya Awards for Special Education, in U.A.E.
Sharon Venezio, M.A., BCBA- Regional Manager- Southern California Branch
Sharon Venezio is the Regional Manager of Stepping Stones in Los Angeles. She is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) who has been working in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis since 1995. She began her studies in autism as an undergraduate at California State University, Northridge, where she studied psychology and began working with children with autism. Her graduate studies were completed at San Francisco State University. She also studied behavior analytic principles at the University of North Texas. She is a member of Southern California Consortium for Behavior Analysis, as well a subcommittee devoted to education and training. Sharon is committed to using evidence-based treatments for the early intervention of autism.
Debbie Ellis- Director of Operations- All US Branches
Debbie Ellis is responsible for leading and directing all accounting and human resources initiatives for Stepping Stones. She has over 25 years of experience in finance and accounting, program/project management, systems design and implementations. Her extensive experience in all aspects of human relations, benefit administration, organizational behavior, training and development are additional assets she brings to the Stepping Stones team.
In addition to her experience in management, Debbie believes strongly in a commitment to giving back to the community she serves. She volunteers as a Kindergarten teacher’s aide in a low-income, public school. She also serves on the board of the Autism Hope Foundation: an organization created to help families with young children affected by autism spectrum disorder.
Linda Kim, bcba,-Regional Manager-Northern California Region
Linda Kim is the Regional Manager of Stepping Stones in Northern California. She is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst who is committed to developing effective treatment plans for individuals diagnosed with autism and related disorders.
She has been working in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis since 1999. She studied autism during her undergraduate work at UCLA and continued to work in the field after graduation. She obtained a Master’s degree in Human Behavior from National University and studied behavior analysis at University of North Texas. She has provided consultation for school districts, non-public agencies, and regional centers located in Northern California.
She is a member of the Association of Professional Behavior Analysts (APBA) and California Association for Behavior Analysis (CalABA). She is dedicated in implementing best practice methodologies and providing optimal level of service to her clients.
Laura Rodrigues- Parent Educator- All US Branches
Laura Rodrigues is the Parent Educator for Stepping Stones and provides supportive services to all our client families both here in the US and abroad. She is also the mother of a young adult with autism. Over the last 16 ½ years she has devoted much of her time and energies in educating herself about autism, evidence-based treatments, and how to best attain services for her own child. In doing such, she has researched a variety of different treatment options for children on the spectrum, she has attended numerous conferences, trainings and workshops to increase her own knowledge and abilities and she has and continues to research various publications, newsletters, websites and clinical studies on autism spectrum disorders.
In 1994, she began serving as a parent mentor through Parents Helping Parents to help assist other families with children recently diagnosed on the spectrum. Before coming to Stepping Stones in 2002, Laura worked for Kaiser Permanente for 14 years and has extensive background in the medical insurance industry. Laura is committed to continuing to support and assist other families that are desperately trying to attain appropriate services for their children and work toward a positive and successful outcome.
Paul Zager, M.S., MFT- MFC License #33929 Northern California Branch
Paul Zager has been working in the human services field all his adult life. He has been licensed as an MFT (Marriage, Family & Child Therapist) for over 13 years, and maintains a small private practice in San Francisco. He enjoys supervising MFT interns and trainees, and is excited to be able to offer his counseling and supervision services to Stepping Stones. Paul also has been a credentialed Special Education teacher in the SFUSD for 25 years. For the last four years, Paul has coordinated a Schools Partnership Special Olympics Program (in conjunction with Special Olympics Northern California) in the SFUSD, which now involves 600 students with special needs from K-Transition. With Paul’s experience as a therapist and as a Special Education teacher, he is uniquely qualified to offer specific services with Stepping Stones.
- Educational & Professional Achievements
- AA and BA in Humanistic Psychology
- Multiple Subjects Teaching Credential (K-12 self contained)
- Specialist’s Credential (Learning and Severely Handicapped)
- Master’s of Science in Counseling (Marriage, Family, and Child Emphasis)
- Resource Specialist’s Certificate
- Marriage and Family Therapist’s License (MFT)
Janet Rios, OTR/L-Occupational Therapist- Northern California Branch
Janet Rios graduated from San Jose State University in Occupational Therapy and has been working in the field of occupational therapy for over 25 years. Janet has worked in acute rehabilitation and community-based programs for head injury. She continued further training and worked in a private pediatric clinic and school-based settings working with children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, Learning Differences and ADHD. Janet has completed further education as it relates to children in the areas of fine motor and gross motor development, handwriting techniques, visual processing vestibular functioning, interactive metronome and therapeutic listening. She currently is the consulting Occupational Therapist at Stepping Stones San Jose and San Mateo and the Program Coordinator for San Jose Shining Stars early intervention program. She also maintains a small private practice in the Palo Alto area in Northern California.
Deborah Arin, CCC-SLP-Director of Speech & Language- Dubai, UAE Affiliate
Deborah Arin is a Speech and Language Pathologist, educated at Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions and licensed by the American Speech and Hearing Association since 1996 and Dubai Healthcare City since 2009. She has over 20 years experience working in the field of Autism Spectrum Conditions. As a member of research teams such as, The Autism Genetics Research Team (Tufts, New England Medical Center) and The Autism Research Foundation (Boston City Hospital), she has contributed to the understanding of autism through several publications in professional journals such as Neurology and Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. She continues to sit on the board of directors for the American non-profit organization, OMPACO (Organization for the Medical and Psychological Assistance for Children Overseas.) She has lectured internationally on topics such as, Early Identification and Diagnosis of Children with Autism, Language and Autism and Social Skills Development in Children with Autism. As a clinician, in addition to her work with Autism, her expertise is in educating children with a range of educational needs and communication disorders such as: Fragile-X syndrome, Down’s Syndrome, Specific Language Impairments, Articulation Disorders, Phonological Disorders, Apraxia, Augmentative Communication, Stuttering, Language Learning Disabilities and Dyslexia.
Alison Bagneschi, M.S.-CCC-SLP-Director of Speech & Language Program Services- Northern California Branch
Alison Bagneschi received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Speech Language Pathology and Audiology from California State University Sacramento in 1997 and a Master of Science Degree in Communicative Disorders from San Francisco State University in 1999. She has been working and/or involved in the field for 17+ years and started out by serving clients in a local private practice who contracted her out to various Bay Area schools. Additionally, Alison has provided in-home consultation, assessments, and therapy services to several families as an independent contractor. She has been working with Stepping Stones since 2002 where she has acted as our Director of Speech and Language Services. Since coming to work for Stepping Stones, Alison has developed, run, and overseen our center-based speech and language program for children between the ages of 3-5 as well as our infant-development/center-based early intervention programs for the birth to age 3 population. She directly supervises our Program Coordinators and Program Assistants who work in our birth to 3 programs and provides consultation to our in-home ABA programs.
Menie Pagomenakis-Speech Language Pathologist- Dubai, UAE Affiliate
Menie Pagomenakis is a bilingual Speech Language Pathologist with four years experience. Her studies also consisted of internships in a variety of settings, however three that stand out in particular include: Association For Help of Retarded Children (A.H.R.C), Kids Therapy and the Brooklyn College Speech and Hearing Clinic. These internships provided Menie with clinical opportunities that became the cornerstone of her professional expertise and knowledge and are the foundation on which she continues to build upon as she further develops in her profession.
Menie’s specialization lies within developmental speech and language disorders from birth to school age, with an emphasis on bilingual development. Prior work experience consisted of working as a full-time bilingual speech and language pathologist for the New York City Public Schools and part-time for the New York City Department of Health. Current, she works for Stepping Stones as a Speech & Language Therapist and also teaches one of our inclusion program classes within a mainstream private school in Dubai.
Menie regularly attend the Annual Conventions of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) to assist staff with special education compliance in the area of speech/language disabilities.
Menie’s particular areas of interest include center or school-based bilingual pediatric and/or elementary speech and language supports and services. She continues to seek new and challenging experiences that will build upon her current knowledge which in turn will allow her to be a more efficient and effective practitioner of her craft.
Sharon Daly- Speech & Language Therapist-Dubai, UAE Affiliate
Sharon graduated from University College Cork (Ireland) with an honours degree (BSc) in Speech and Hearing Sciences. She is registered with the Irish Association of Speech and Language Therapists, and has recently completed a research paper on the speaking rates of older adults, which is currently being reviewed for publication. In 2009, Sharon completed the Sensory Integration theory course, as certified by the South African Institute for Sensory Integration. She has additional certification from the Makaton Charity following completion of their beginner’s workshop series in 2010. Sharon has previously worked in a school for children with learning difficulties, collaborating with a multidisciplinary team to promote functional and academic skill development and facilitate re-inclusion in a mainstream school environment. As a member of the Stepping Stones team, Sharon conducts therapy in the centre as well as through home visits, and implements the language promotion program in our school settings.
Masnoena Allie – Occupational Therapist-Dubai, UAE Affiliate
Masnoena Allie graduated from the University of the Western Cape, South Africa in 2005 and joined Stepping Stones as an Occupational Therapist in 2011. Masnoena has many years experience in Pediatric Occupational Therapy and has worked in the assessment and treatment of children with a broad range of disorders including: Global Developmental Delay, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Cerebal Palsy, Downs Syndrome, ADD/ADHD, learning Difficulties, along with limited Fine & Gross Motor skills. Masnoena is registered through the Health Professionals Council of South Africa and Dubai Healthcare City & Dubai Ministry of Social Affairs.
Deniece Wheeler- Director of Business Development- Dubai, UAE Affiliate
Deniece Wheeler hails from the North West of England and joined Stepping Stones in June 2009 as Operations Manager for the Dubai branch. Deniece has a BA (Hons) Marketing and has 12 years experience in Marketing, Business Development & Recruitment across industries, including healthcare and public services.
Deniece Wheeler has been instrumental in developing services since joining the company, increasing our visibility as an organization and developing key strategic relationships with Government departments/agencies and with schools within the region. Her discerning eye and business savvy has been very effective in helping us attract several key staff members.
In April 2011, Deniece won ‘Outstanding Administration Employee’ at the Princess Haya Awards for Special Education, in U.A.E.
Nicole Fiorentino -Director of Inclusion-Dubai, UAE Affiliate
Nicole received her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of San Francisco. For over 10 years, Nicole has dedicated herself to working in the field of special education and has focused on a specializing in Autism Spectrum Disorders. She has also worked in both public and private schools with the special needs population including creating and implementing Individualized Education Programs for students with special needs within such settings. Nicole has also worked as an Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapist in California. Nicole joined Stepping Stones in 2009 and worked as a senior level ABA therapist and was quickly promoted as a Case Supervisor/Behavior Consultant where she managed such programs and team implementing such services for students. In 2011, Nicole helped start Stepping Stones’ first Inclusion Education Program in a Dubai-based private school serving up to 10 students with Autism Spectrum Disorders as an Inclusion Teacher along with the support of trained classroom assistants. In September 2011, Nicole became the Director of Inclusion & Special Education within the same school setting as well as oversees such programs across schools throughout Dubai. Her key responsibilities include ensuring quality education and inclusive programming for such students ages 4-16 within a mainstream school setting while equally ensuring quality of services through ongoing training and development of staff implementing these services.
Nicole’s passion and dedication in the field of Special Education has truly been emulated by the quality of her performance across these multiple roles and the expansion of such programs within Stepping Stones. She continues to possess strong enthusiasm, perseverance, patience and dedication in serving these individuals. More importantly, she continues to be a strong advocate in ensuring equal access to quality education for students of all abilities.
Berna Bouwer-Inclusion Teacher-Dubai, UAE Affiliate
Berna Bouwer is a qualified and registered Educational Psychologist with almost 12 years of experience in teaching. After qualifying as a teacher, she taught at various different schools and in different school settings where the focus was children with special needs. She has taught children from as young as 5 up to adolescents in their early 20’s. She also has exposure to mainstream teaching both in South Africa and in Dubai. She worked as a School Psychologist and managed her own Private Practice.
In the school setting, Berna has worked in many different roles from being a Teacher, Learning Support, Special Needs Coordinator, Remedial advisor and Deputy Head. She shows an understanding of the school system and curriculum development as well as learning and support of children with different educational needs.
Maritherese Saade-Behavior Consultant-Dubai, UAE Affiliate
Maritherese received her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology in 2005 and her Masers Degree in Psychology with an emphasis on Clinical Psychology in 2008, both from the American University of Beirut. During her Master’s Degree program, she spent two years training in the outpatient department of the American University Hospital of Beirut in Adult Psychotherapy, under the supervision of the head of the Psychotherapy department in the American University Hospital.
Maritherese’s focus on Autistic Spectrum Disorders began while she was still doing her Bachelor’s degree. Volunteering in a program for a child on the Autism Spectrum enlightened her and gave her the ambition to help children on the Autism Spectrum. Attending various workshops and trainings in the US, Maritherese was able to learn and train in various treatment therapies for children with Autism. As a result, she has been working in this field for approximately 7 years.
Maritherese joined Stepping Stones in 2010. She initially had dual role (Supervisor/ABA therapist) and soon after became a full time Case Supervisor. Maritherese is currently enrolled in Florida Institute of Technology, where she is taking the required courses for her BCBA certification and plans to sit for the BCBA exam in late 2012.
