The Jenin Autism Project Team

Melissa Diamond (Founder and Director)

After learning about the lack of services available to children with autism in the West Bank and the lack of understanding of autism in the region, Melissa established A Global Voice for Autism to empower communities to support their own children with autism. In order to access services, most families in the West Bank have to apply for visas to cross borders. Even then, they are only able to receive temporary services. As a Peace and Conflict major at the University of Richmond with minors in Women’s Studies and Healthcare and Society, all of her interests are integrated in this program which helps mothers care for children with autism within their community.

Kitti Robinson (Training Coordinator)

Kitti is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and is currently a Licensed Behavior Analyst with Commonwealth Autism Service, embedded in Harrisonburg City Public Schools.  She has worked in the field of behavior analysis and autism in various capacities since 2008, including private day school settings, public school settings, in-home therapy settings, staff training, parent training, and multidisciplinary assessment teams.  Kitti received her Master’s in Teaching & Learning from Virginia Commonwealth University as well as a Post Baccalaureate Certificate in Autism Spectrum Disorders in 2009, completed her coursework for BCBA certification from Florida Institute of Technology in 2010 and is currently working on her Doctorate in Educational Psychology at West Virginia University.  HCPS has one of the most diverse school divisions in the state of Virginia (38% of students have limited English Proficiency), with 47 countries and 49 languages represented.  Many students come from areas of conflict or poverty.  Her interest in the Jenin Autism Project sparked as a result of working in such a diverse setting and having the opportunity to provide services to families who would otherwise not be able to access them.

Sarah Boone (Training Coordinator)

Sarah is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and an Early Childhood Special Education Teacher.  She has worked with children with Autism and other disabilities for 12 years. Sarah received her Masters in Education from Santa Clara University in California and completed her BCBA coursework at Southern Illinois University and St. Cloud State University.  She began her career at The Bay School in Santa Cruz, California, which is an ABA based school for children with Autism.  She has worked at both Non-Public Schools and Public Schools, running and developing Early Intervention Programs.  Her focus is on Early Intervention, Verbal Behavior and Natural Environment Teaching strategies.  Sarah is currently living in Bangkok, Thailand, doing some consulting and volunteer work.

Megan Kirby (Training Coordinator)

Megan is a licensed Board Certified Behavior Analyst currently practicing ABA in the Central and Tidewater regions of Virginia. She has held teaching positions in both general and special education classrooms, and has worked as an autism classroom teacher in private and public school settings. Megan has extensive training and practice in functional behavior assessments and educational programming. Collaborating with other providers and families to pass Virginia legislation regarding health care coverage of ABA therapy for children with autism, she has also been an integral part of the roll-out of ABA services made available to families of children with developmental and intellectual disabilities in the Richmond metro area. Megan’s professional interests and studies in the field of applied behavior analysis include verbal behavior and sign language, ABA therapy for treatment of children with intellectual disabilities, and collaborating with other professionals to develop parent interview tools for the purpose of increasing parent training and child treatment efficacy.

Daniel Johnson (ABA Therapist)

As a Behavior Specialist at Grafton Integrated Health Network, Daniel has witnessed the challenges American parents face when raising a child with autism. He says that finding the right resources, services and support can be a real struggle for these families. Daniel is excited to be a member of the Jenin Autism Project team so that he can help bring needed resources and services to Jenin. He knows from first-hand experience that ABA services can make a huge difference in both the lives of the parent and the child and cannot wait to see the changes that this project will bring. Prior to his work at Grafton, Daniel received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Virginia Commonwealth University and served for two years with AmeriCorps. Through his experiences at Grafton and in AmeriCorp, Daniel has gained valuable experience assisting communities in need.

Katrina Walker (ABA Therapist)

Katrina has been working with children since 2002. She began her career in a private school kindergarten classroom. After four years of classroom teaching, Katrina served as an early interventionist for the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. The rewarding nature of these experiences led her to her most recent position as a lead therapist at Behavior Consulting Services and inspired her to join the A Global Voice for Autism Jenin Autism Project team. Katrina recently completed a Master’s program at Arizona State University where she specialized in Applied Behavior Analysis. She is currently pursuing a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) certification. Katrina’s goal is to serve children around the world who have been affected by autism.

Neha Siddiqui (Social Media Manager and Sibling Support Coordinator)

As a sibling of someone with autism, Neha strives to help other autism siblings understand and make the most out of their experiences. Using her own experiences and the experiences of others, Neha designed a curriculum that will teach siblings of children with autism in Jenin about fun ways to interact with their siblings and about ways to process the challenges they may face. As social media manager, Neha helps promote the progress of the Jenin Autism Project through Facebook and Twitter and seeks further promotional opportunities for the organization. Neha is currently a medical student at University College-Dublin and aspires to become a doctor in order to help children with autism.