About Us
Co-founders Caitlin and Kathleen are both moms, educators, Licensed and Board Certified Behavior Analysts, and passionate about inclusion in our local community of Warwick, NY.
Kathleen Penland holds a Master of Education in Early Childhood General and Special Education from Hunter College (CUNY) and completed her post-graduate certification in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) at Penn State University. Kathleen is a Licensed and Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA, LBA) specializing in autism and intellectual and developmental disabilities. She has a passion for caregiver and community training in ABA, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and social and emotional development. She lives in Warwick, NY with her husband and two children.
Caitlin Bennett has worked in special education for 20 years. Caitlin discovered her passion for the neurodiverse community working at an after-school program in college. Caitlin was named to the DC Teaching Fellows in 2006, where she earned her Master’s of Art in Special Education K-12 at The George Washington University while teaching in DC Public Schools. Caitlin returned to NY and worked at The Center for Discovery and then in the STRIVE Program at OUBOCES, Caitlin obtained her Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) certificate through UMASS-Lowell and her School Leadership Certificate through Long Island University. Caitlin currently works as a District Evaluator. Caitlin is interested in working with neurodiverse people in Orange County. Caitlin lives in Warwick with her husband and two children.
Speech Therapist
Stephanie Harrigan is a NY State certified speech language pathologist working in the special education field for over 13 years. She has dedicated her practice to working with the neurodiverse population in a variety of settings, including school based residential programming (The Center for Discovery) and public education (Valley Central/New Paltz Central School District). She specializes in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), feeding therapy, and caregiver training. Her therapeutic approach prioritizes connection, regulation, and natural learning through a child led approach. She is married with two children and is based in New Paltz, NY.
Occupational Therapist
Rachel Chaiet, MS, OTR/L is an occupational therapist from Bethel, New York who has worked with children, adolescents and adults with developmental disabilities for over 15 years. She obtained her bachelor’s and master’s degree from Misericordia University in Dallas, Pennsylvania in 2010. She has presented at multiple conferences for the American Occupational Therapy Association, American Speech-Speech-Language-Hearing Association, and American Music Therapy Association alongside her colleagues on humor-based interventions. She has also published articles in OT Advance and OT Practice on various interventions related to improving social participation for this population. In her spare time, she can be found listening to podcasts, working on craft projects, and spending time with her daughters, Mikala and Adelyn, and husband, Max.
Adaptive Fitness Instructor
Diana Welch is a ACE certified personal trainer and currently is the wellness director at the YMCA of Middletown. She is also a certified group exercise instructor and teaches classes such as cycling, strength and cardio, Pilates and yoga. She has worked at BOCES through the Strive program as well as is currently a trainer with GYMGUYZ, where she trains individuals with developmental and physical disabilities.
Meet the Artist
Michael Noseworthy is a 21-year old artist that Into Inclusion commissioned to create their logo. He graduated from the Including Communities Program through Orange-Ulster BOCES in Goshen, NY. Michael lives in Florida, NY with his twin brother, Victor and his parents. Michael has one dog named Sammy and 3 cats named Tux, Cry Baby and Cuddles.
Michael’s favorite artists are:
Butch Hartman (The Fairly Odd Parents, Danny Phantom, etc.)
Stephen Hillenburg, (Spongebob Squarepants)
Dr. Suess, (The Grinch, The Cat in the Hat, etc.)
Tim Burton (Beetlejuice, The Nightmare Before Christmas, etc.)
Genndy Tartakovsky (Hotel Transylvania, Dexter's Laboratory, etc.)
Matt Groening (The Simpsons, Futurama, etc.)
Seth Macfarlane (Family guy, American Dad, etc.)
Traci Paige Johnson (Blue's Clues, Gabby's Dollhouse, etc.)
Contact us
We would love to hear from you! What kinds of community offerings would be most valuable to you and your family?