~UM-NSU CARD Directors
~Main Office Professional Staff
~NSU Satellite Professional Staff
~Miami Children's Hospital Dan Marino Center Professional Staff
UM-NSU CARD Directors
In addition to his role as Executive Director of UM-NSU CARD, Dr. Alessandri is also Clinical Professor of Psychology and Co-Director of the Marino Autism Research Institute (MARI) at the University of Miami. Dr. Alessandri has worked with individuals with autism and their families for over 25 years. He is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Rochester, where he earned his Bachelors degree in Psychology. He attended graduate school at Rutgers University, where he obtained both his M.S. (1989) and Ph.D. (1992) in Clinical Psychology. Dr. Alessandri completed his clinical internship at UNC-Chapel Hill's Center for Development and Learning (CDL). Prior to arriving in South Florida in 1996, Dr. Alessandri was an Assistant Professor of Psychology at San Jose State University (SJSU) and Associate Director of the Stanford University Pervasive Developmental Disorders Clinic.
Dr. Alessandri has presented, consulted and published internationally on developing appropriate and effective educational programs for students with autistic spectrum disorders. His work has taken him to Italy, Switzerland, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Panama, Barbados, Bahamas, Taiwan, Australia, and throughout the United States. In addition, he has received several awards within the field of autism and disabilities. In 1993, he received the Autism Society of America Special Recognition Award for Publications, and in 1995 was given the Outstanding Faculty award by the SJSU Disability Resource Center for instruction of university students with disabilities. Under his direction, the University of Miami Center for Autism & Related Disabilities was named the National Autism Program of the Year in 1999 by the Autism Society of America. In 2003, Dr. Alessandri was the recipient of the Wendy F. Miller ASA National Recognition Award for Autism Professional of the Year. Dr. Alessandri has also received numerous other community service awards, including the March of Dimes Community Excellence in Health Care Award (2007). He was also named one of the Ronald McDonald House’s 12 Good Men (2008) and the Dewar’s 12 Man of Distinction (2007).
Dr. Alessandri proudly serves several community and professional organizations as a member of the Board of Trustees (Parent to Parent of Miami) or the Scientific (Organization for Autism Research) or Professional Advisory Boards (The Victory School for Children with Autism; Friends for Youth). Previously, he served as a member of the Board of Trustees and Chair of the Scientific Affairs Committee of the National Alliance for Autism Research (NAAR), and actively supports Autism Speaks, which merged with NAAR in 2006. Dr. Alessandri currently is the United Way Ambassador for the University of Miami College of Arts & Sciences. He is also a proud Founding Member of the Autism Society of Miami-Dade County. Dr. Alessandri also served as the clinical consultant for www.childnett.tv, a service provided by the Dan Marino Foundation.
Ms. Adreon has served as Associate Director of the University of Miami/Nova Southeastern University Center for Autism & Related Disabilities (UM-CARD) since 1993. Ms. Adreon has worked with individuals with autism and their families for over 25 years. She received her Master of Arts degree from Teacher’s College, Columbia University (1982) where she majored in special education and applied behavior analysis. She is currently a doctoral student in special education. Prior to working in Florida, Ms. Adreon served as Program Coordinator and later Training Coordinator of the Judevine Center for Autism in St. Louis, MO.
Ms. Adreon has presented and consulted nationally and internationally on high-functioning autism and Asperger’s Disorder and has authored two books on autism spectrum disorders, Practical Strategies that Work! Helpful Hints for all Educators of Students with High-functioning Autism, Asperger Syndrome and Related Disabilities (2006) (with Myles & Gitlitz), and Asperger Syndrome and Adolescence: Practical Solutions for School Success (2001) (with Myles). In 2002 she received the Autism Society Literary Achievement Award (with Myles). Ms. Adreon was an invited guest editor of a special issue on Assessment of Children and Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Assessment for Effective Intervention. In addition, Ms. Adreon is the editor of the Florida Asperger Syndrome Times (FASTimes) and has authored several articles on high-functioning autism and Asperger’s Disorder. She is on the Editorial Board of Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities and is a consulting editor for Intervention in School and Clinic, and the International Association for Special Education.
Dr. Durocher has worked with individuals with autism and their families for almost 15 years. She is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Rutgers University, where she earned her Bachelors degree in Psychology in 1992. She completed her doctoral studies in 2001 at the University of Miami, where she obtained both her M.S. and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. Dr. Durocher completed her clinical internship at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, at the JFK Autism and Developmental Disorders Clinic in 2000-2001. While at the University of Colorado, she received extensive training in the diagnosis and evaluation of individuals with autistic spectrum and other developmental disorders who presented with comorbid emotional or psychiatric disorders.
Dr. Durocher has presented and published nationally and internationally on the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of ASDs. She has also participated in numerous county and statewide task forces focusing on early screening and diagnosis of ASDs, and addressing the mental health needs of adults with ASDs. In addition to her role as Assistant Director of UM-NSU CARD, Dr. Durocher is actively involved in research on interventions for improving joint attention skills in young children with ASDs. She also serves as a liaison & consultant to autism-related research projects at the University of Miami, as well as other local universities, and is a consulting editor for the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disabilities.
Dr. Tuchman is presently the director of Autism Programs at Miami Children’s Hospital Dan Marino Center and the director of Developmental and Behavioral Neurology at Miami Children’s Hospital. He was the Founding Director of the Miami Children’s Hospital Dan Marino Center for children with developmental disorders serving as its executive medical director from its start in 1998 thru 2001. Dr. Tuchman is an Associate Professor of Neurology at University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. He earned his M.D. from New York University School of Medicine and is certified by the American Board of Pediatrics and the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology with Special Qualification in Child Neurology. He is a fellow of both the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Neurology. Dr. Tuchman has published and lectured nationally and internationally on the topic of neurodevelopmental disorders including autism, ADHD, epilepsy and learning disorders. He is the co-editor of Autism: A neurological disorder of early brain development, which was published by Mac Keith Press in association with the International Child Neurology Association (ICNA), in 2006.
Main Office Professional Staff
Dr. Gutierrez earned his Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Florida in 2004 and is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. Dr. Gutierrez has over 10 years of experience working with individuals diagnosed with autism and other developmental disabilities as well as individuals with dual diagnoses. He has conducted assessment and treatment of severe problem behavior, conducted and supervised discrete trial and verbal behavior programs, and designed and implemented behavior acquisition programs. He has presented nationally on the assessment and treatment of problem behavior and on the acquisition of communicative behavior and co-authored the Handbook of the Standard Celeration Chart (2003 with Pennypacker and Lindsley).
Previously Dr. Gutierrez served as the clinical and practicum coordinator for Applied Behavior Analysis, Program Coordinator for the Autism Consortium at Nova Southeastern University providing consultation to school-based programs for children diagnosed with autism around the country. He is also an Adjunct Professor for the Center for Psychological Studies at Nova Southeastern University.
Dr. Melissa Hale serves as the Coordinator of Psychological Services for UM-NSU CARD. She is also a Licensed Psychologist and a Certified Behavior Analyst. Dr. Hale received her Ph.D., in school psychology from the University of Florida in 2002 with a specialization in applied behavior analysis. She then completed her pre-doctoral internship at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and the Department of Pediatrics at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Hale has worked extensively with individuals with autism for over 10 years. Previously, Dr. Hale served as a program coordinator at the Autism Consortium at Nova Southeastern University where she provided clinical services and school-based consultation for individuals with autism spectrum disorders. She was also adjunct faculty in the psychology department at Nova Southeastern University. Dr. Hale has presented at numerous local and national conferences on topics related to autism spectrum disorders.
Ms. Chin earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at Florida State University. Her previous experience includes over five years of case management in the field of child welfare and protective supervision where she assisted children and their families in accessing services to improve the safety and enhance the quality of their lives. In this capacity she also helped foster care teens on their path to self-sufficiency through the Independent Living Program offered by the Department of Children and Families. Her efforts earned her the position of TPR Specialist, responsible for being the State’s witness at trials. She also spent two years as a telephone crisis counselor and supervisor. She is currently the Coordinator of Adult and Transition Services at the UM-NSU CARD Coral Gables location. Ms. Chin assists teens and adults with transition planning by working in cooperation with their families, employers, educators, and other resources in the community.
Ms. Costa is a bilingual clinician who earned her B.S. in Special Education-Varying Exceptionalities from Nova Southeastern University. She recently received her Masters in Education specializing in Exceptional Student Education and Pre-K Disabilities from the University of Miami. She has been working with children with autism and their families for over 10 years. Ms. Costa worked for the Miami-Dade County Public School System for two years as a pre-kindergarten teacher in a self contained autistic classroom. Prior to this, she worked at Kendall Speech and Language Center, Inc. as a tutor and Project Coordinator supervising an Early Intervention Program. Ms. Costa also took part in designing and implementing a Language Stimulation Group and an Inclusion Intervention Program for pre-school aged children. She is currently the Coordinator of Educational Services at UM-NSU CARD. In addition to her role as a clinician, she is responsible for the development of parent trainings in both English and Spanish.
Ms. Marill has been working with children with developmental disabilities for over four years, with a special emphasis on children with autism. Ms. Marill earned her Bachelor's degree in Anthropology at the University of Florida, and she is currently pursuing her Masters Degree in Exceptional Student Education at the University of Miami, with a specialization in Reading, ESE, and ESOL.
Ms. Marill has continuously followed an academic path in the study of autism throughout her undergraduate and graduate curriculum. She has gained experience in the field of autism through volunteer positions at the Victory School for children with Autism and the University of Florida Shands Autism Clinic. Before joining the UM-NSU CARD, Ms. Marill worked as a research assistant at the University of South Florida on various projects in the Department of Education and Applied Research. Ms. Marill participated in the applied research on early interventions using Positive Behavior Support to help children with developmental delays and challenging behavior. While at the University of South Florida, Ms. Marill also worked as an intake assistant for the Spanish speaking families at the USF CARD. Following her time in USF, Ms. Marill worked as the Intake and Resource Specialist at the UM-NSU satellite office at Nova Southeastern University.
Ms. Saleta is a bilingual clinician who earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at the Technical Institute of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. In 2002, Ms. Saleta interned at the Robert Reid Cabral Infant Hospital in Santo Domingo where she worked with young children with special needs. Her past teaching experience includes nursery school and first grade. During her last year in Santo Domingo, she developed an inclusion model for a child with autism in her first grade classroom. Ms. Saleta was also a synchronized swimming teacher for a group of girls ages six to twelve years old.
In 2005, Ms. Saleta moved to Miami and worked at the Miami Veteran’s Affair Medical Center as a research coordinator. She is currently an Educational Support Specialist providing individual family assistance to UM-NSU CARD constituents. In addition to her role as a clinician, she also assists in the development of our parent trainings in both English and Spanish.
NSU Satellite Professional Staff
Dr. Robin Parker is a Program Professor and clinical supervisor in the Programs in Communication Sciences and Disorders at Nova Southeastern University. She is the consulting director of the UM-NSU, Center for Autism and Related Disabilities, Nova Satellite. She received her doctorate at Nova Southeastern University. She received her B.S. and M.S. at Florida State University. She received her doctorate from Nova Southeastern University.
Dr. Parker has worked with children and adults with autism spectrum disorders for the past 20 years. She came to NSU from New York City, Mount Sinai Hospital in 1993. She focuses her clinical and teaching work with individuals with autism spectrum disorders. She lectures at the local, national, and international level. She has written book chapters and articles on autism spectrum disorders. Dr. Parker is a member of the American and Florida Speech, Language, and Hearing Associations.
Mr. Roselione earned his B.S. in Psychology from the University of Central Florida and his M.S. in Mental Health Counseling from Nova Southeastern University. He worked at the Baudhuin Oral School at NSU for four years where he served a variety of professional roles, including Clinical Coordinator of the Therapeutic Intervention Program and Tier Leader and Classroom teacher in the preschool and elementary school programs for children with autism spectrum disorders.
Mr. Roselione is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and a Board Certified Associate Behavior Analyst. Currently Mr. Roselione coordinates and directs all services and staff at the NSU and Miami Children’s Hospital Dan Marino Center offices. In addition he facilitates the Broward County Asperger’s Support Group for family members and Teen Time social group for individuals with high-functioning autism and Asperger’s Syndrome.
Mr. Roselione is an adjunct professor in the Department of Behavioral Sciences at NSU and teaches courses in Behavior Analysis, Interpersonal Communication and Introduction to Psychology. Mr. Roselione has presented nationally and internationally on a variety of topics including applied behavior analysis in the school settings, communication and social skills trainings, and educational interventions for students with autism spectrum disorders.
Mr. Grana received his B.A. in Psychology from the University of Central Florida and his M.S. in Mental Health Counseling from Nova Southeastern University. He has had a variety of professional experiences working with individuals with autism, including his work at the Baudhuin Oral School at NSU, the Preschool Program for Autism at St. Mary’s Medical Center in West Palm Beach, Florida and Threshold Care Center for Autistic Adults and Children in Orlando Florida. Mr. Grana has experience with individual and family counseling as well as play therapy. He has presented internationally on developing appropriate and effective behavioral strategies for individuals with autism spectrum disorders. Mr. Grana is a bilingual clinician who speaks fluent Spanish and English.
In addition to his role as the Assistant Director of UM-NSU CARD’s NSU Satellite, Mr. Grana is responsible for the development and coordination of UM-NSU CARD’s support services, and is the facilitator of numerous support groups, including groups for parents who speak Spanish and groups for fathers. Mr. Grana has made appearances on Spanish language television speaking about autism spectrum disorders and UM-NSU CARD. He serves as co-advisor for NSU’s Best Buddies Program, a program that pairs people with intellectual disabilities in one to one friendships with college students.
Marlene Sotelo-Bumberg earned her B.A. in Music from the University of Miami and her M.S. in Diagnostic Teaching from Florida International University. She is certified by the State of Florida to teach Elementary Education, Specific Learning Disabilities K-12, and Music K-12. Ms. Sotelo-Bumberg worked in the Broward County School System for 3 ½ years where she acquired experience as a special education, general education, and inclusion teacher. She subsequently provided therapeutic interventions to children with autism both privately and at the Miami Children's Hospital Dan Marino Center for 5 years. Ms. Sotelo-Bumberg provides interventions in English, Spanish, and Italian. In addition to her teaching and music therapist certifications, she is a Board Certified Associate Behavior Analyst and has received training in Fast ForWord and the Interactive Metronome. Ms. Sotelo-Bumberg has presented and consulted internationally on a variety of topics including effective teaching strategies, curriculum development, program monitoring, and positive behavioral support strategies for children with autism. Ms. Sotelo-Bumberg co-authored an article published in Early Childhood Connections: Journal of Music- and Movement-Based Learning, Fall 2003.
As Assistant Director of the Nova Satellite Office, Ms. Sotelo-Bumberg is responsible for overseeing the services, programs, and clinical staff at the Miami Children’s Hospital Dan Marino Center Branch. Some of the services at this branch office include year round lecture/training series for parents and professionals, social skills/play groups for a variety of age groups, support and resource information to physicians and rehab therapists at the MCH-DMC Center, as well as a staffed lending resource library stocked with books, videos, articles, and other learning materials on a variety of neurological and developmental disabilities. Ms. Sotelo-Bumberg is the chair for the statewide CARD DOE committee and oversees the UM-NSU DOE Partnership Program.
Ms. DeVincentis received her Bachelor’s of Arts degree from Stetson University in 2004 where she majored in International Studies with minors in Psychology, History, and French. In 2006, she went onto to receive her Master of Science degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Nova Southeastern University. Ms. DeVincentis first began working with children with autism in high school as a camp counselor. Prior to joining UM-NSU CARD as an intake specialist, Ms. DeVincentis worked at Mailman Segal Institute for Early Childhood Studies conducting research and performing assessments on children with autism. In addition, Ms. DeVincentis served her masters’ internship at MSI/ Baudhuin Preschool. There, she facilitated parent, grandparent, and sibling support groups. She also was a family counseling intern at the Starting Right Program. She worked in this early intervention program assisting both the teacher and parents with the daily classroom activity as well as leading weekly parent support and psycho-educational groups. Ms. DeVincentis has attended many workshops and trainings on applied behavior analysis, discrete trial, autism assessment, treatment options, community resources, visual strategies for communication, and sensory integration. Currently, she is pursuing a specialty certificate in advanced applied behavior analysis.
Originally from New York City, Ms. Rivera earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Special Education from St. John’s University in Queens, New York. Ms. Rivera relocated to South Florida in 2003, along with her husband and six year old son. Ms. Rivera has taught children with disabilities for 12 years. Many of her previous professional experiences have been in early intervention center-based programs. Most recently, she worked in the Broward County Public Schools as a teacher of the mentally handicapped at the elementary level. She also spent two years as a bilingual Special Education Teacher with the Rochester City School District in New York, and five years providing home-based special education services to children ages 0-5. In addition, she has had specialized training in behavior analysis, implementing behavior intervention plans, discrete trial teaching, and verbal behavior programs, under the supervision of a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. Currently, she is working toward her Master’s degree in special education with an emphasis in behavior analysis at Nova Southeastern University. Ms. Rivera is a bilingual clinician who speaks fluent Spanish and English.
Miami Children's Hospital Dan Marino Center Professional Staff
While finishing her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Youngstown State University in Ohio, Ms. Green began working with children with autism through home programs and community services. Shortly after graduation, Ms. Green spent one year in Switzerland as a live-in therapist for a young child with autism.
Ms. Green moved to Miami in 2001 to take a position at The Victory School for Children with Autism in North Miami Beach where she received hands-on training in Verbal Behavior, as well as training in behavioral strategies and data collection. During her time at The Victory School, Ms. Green was promoted to Lead Teacher and helped develop and bring to life innovative classroom programs such as a classroom model for those students that would benefit from a curriculum that more closely resembled that of a classroom in general education.
Ms. Green recently graduated from the University of Miami with a Master’s Degree in Education specializing in Exceptional Student Education and Reading Disabilities. She is a Florida Certified Teacher in ESE K-12 and taught in an Autism Cluster for three years with the School Board of Broward County. In the summer of 2005, Ms. Green completed an internship with CARD at the Miami Children’s Hospital Dan Marino Center (MCH DMC) Branch where she created and implemented a curriculum focusing on communication and social skills for pre-teens and teens with autism.
Ms. Wise earned her Bachelor’s degree in Special Education, in the area of Mental Retardation, and her Master’s degree in Reading. Both degrees, for which she holds Florida teaching certificates, were achieved at Florida International University, in Miami, Florida. Ms. Wise has been working with children with autism spectrum disorders for over 12 years. Prior to joining UM-NSU CARD, she worked in home programs. She also worked in a Broward County School, where she was a Teacher-of-the-Year nominee for three years in a row. She taught students with autism in self-contained classrooms for four years. In addition, Ms. Wise supervised the educational programs of students included in the general education classrooms and supported their educational teams. She has experience creating curriculum, developing behavior support plans, creating individualized educational plans, and delivering instruction in the areas of academics, independent functioning, social skills, communication, and fine and gross motor skills. Ms. Wise previously worked for UM-NSU CARD for two and a half years, as the Coordinator of Educational Services and has recently returned to her post as an educational consultant. During her leave of absence, she designed and facilitated playgroups at UM-NSU CARD, teaching communication, pragmatic, play and social skills. Ms. Wise has presented on topics including Providing Visual Structure, Inclusion, Social Stories, Autism and Literacy, and Teaching Strategies for Students with ASD. Ms. Wise co-authored an article published in Early Childhood Connections: Journal of Music- and Movement-Based Learning, Fall 2003.
Carol Nigro is the Resource Specialist at UM-NSU CARD's Miami Children’s Hospital Dan Marino Center Branch in Weston. Carol moved from Alabama to Florida in 1975, and attended Florida State University and the University of South Florida in Tampa. She previously worked as a software consultant for five years in the tri-county area. She is fortunate to be the mother of two exceptional children, a daughter and a son. Her son was diagnosed with autism at the age of 28 months. Her experience as the parent of an individual on the spectrum brings a unique aspect to CARD, and a personal knowledge of the services,programs and resources available in the South Florida area. The Nigro family has recently become quite active in fundraising for several national organizations that serve individuals on the spectrum, and also are involved in increasing awareness in the community. In her spare time, Ms. Nigro enjoys arts and crafts, music, volunteering, and spending time with her family and friends.
