Mentors

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  Maggie Jaynes, MD

  WV LEND Director
  Neurology Mentor

  
  
  

  Maggie Jaynes, MD

  LEND, Director
  Pediatric Neurology Mentor

  Maggie Jaynes is a Pediatric Neurologist in the West Virginia University Departments of Pediatrics and Neurology. Her clinical practice has revolved around children with Tourette syndrome, learning disabilities and attention deficit disorder. She has been providing telehealth services to children with neurological disorders since 1996. Dr. Jaynes has been the Primary Investigator for the WV LEND grant for about 15 years. She has served on the Medical Advisory Board for WV Children with Special Health Care Needs program. Prior to obtaining her medical degree, she worked for ten years as a learning disability teacher and IEP specialist for Marion County Schools.

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  Cassaundra Corbett Miller, EdD, MS, CCC-SLP

  LEND, Project Manager
  Speech Language Pathology Mentor

  
  
  

  Cassaundra Corbett Miller, EdD, CCC/SLP

  Clinic Director
  Speech Language Pathology Mentor

  Dr. Miller serves as the clinic director and speech language pathologist for the West Virginia University Center for Excellence in Disabilities Feeding & Swallowing Clinic. She is also an instructor for undergraduate and graduate Disability Studies coursework. Dr. Miller provides clinical supervision for speech pathology graduate students and serves as the Program Manager for the West Virginia Leadership Excellence in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) Program. She is also involved in Not Your Standard Patient through the WVU STEPS Center and is part of the LEND Rural Workgroup. Her research interests include telehealth, interdisciplinary practices and pediatric feeding and swallowing.

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  Amy Burt, EdD, MOT, OTR/L

  LEND, Training Director
  Occupational Therapy Mentor

  
  
  

  Amy Burt, MOT, OTR/L, EdD

  LEND Training Director
  Occupational Therapy Mentor

  Dr. Burt joined WVU in 2012. Her clinical expertise focuses on pediatrics, especially children with autism, sensory processing challenges, and visual system deficits. She also works with the Country Roads Program as an instructor. Dr. Burt is involved with numerous campus wide interprofessional education activities for the occupational therapy students and serves as a LEND Mentor at the WVUCED.

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  Jennifer Forester, LCSW

  Social Work Mentor

  
  
  

  Jennifer Forester, LCSW

  Social Work Mentor

  Jennifer worked for 31 years as a social worker before retiring in 2022. She continues to work with the WV LEND program as a social work mentor in her retirement. Jennifer’s areas of expertise include children and families, policy, attention deficit syndrome, Tourette syndrome and family services.

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  Cheryl Childs

  Lived Experience Mentor

  
  
  

  Cheryl Childs

  Lived Experience Mentor

  Cheryl Childs is the Administrative Secretary for the Paths for Parents and Family to Family programs at the WVU Center for Excellence in Disabilities. She has an associate degree in secretarial studies. Cheryl also works as a mentor in the WV LEND program at the CED, contributing valuable input from her lived experience with a disability.

  Outside of her employment, she is a busy single mom of three children.

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  Kristi DeLeurere, OTR/L

  Family Mentor

  
  
  

  Kristi DeLeurere, OTR/L

  Family Mentor

  Kristi has worked for WV Birth to Three for 14 years as an occupational therapist. She is a parent and grandparent of children who have disabilities and has many years of experience advocating for them.

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  Tori Gilbert, SLPD, CCC-SLP

  Disability Studies Mentor

  
  
  

  Tori Gilbert, SLPD, CCC-SLP

  Speech Language Pathology Mentor

  Dr. Tori Gilbert is the Education Coordinator for the WVU CED as well as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Disability Studies. Her research interests focus on effective teaching and mentorship models, including the training of students, professionals, individuals with disabilities and their family members. She has clinical expertise in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and is passionate about working alongside AAC users and their families to change the landscape of AAC education and destigmatize communication differences. In her free time, she can be found at a ballfield or gymnastics arena cheering on one of her three children.

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  David Huss, MD

  Developmental Pediatrics Mentor

  
  
  

  David Huss, MD

  Developmental Pediatrics
  Neurology Mentor

  Dr. Huss is a pediatric neurologist at WVU Medicine. He specializes in the areas of neurodevelopmental disabilities, assessment of neurodevelopmental disorders, autism, epilepsy and telemedicine. He is an assistant professor in the WVU School of Medicine Department of Neurology.

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  Autum Johnson

  Family Partnership Mentor

  
  
  

  Autum Johnson

  Family Partnership Mentor

  Autum is a mother of three children, two of which have special health care needs. She became a self-taught expert of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) after her son was diagnosed as an infant and the doctors and medical professionals knew so little about the condition that she was told to research it on her own. Autum has spent the last 10 years fighting for the medication and standard of care that her son with SMA requires. Her advocacy has saved his life and hindered the progression of his disease.

  Learn more about Autum by listening to this podcast episode where she shares her experiences to help other families.

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  Ketaki Inamdar, PT, PhD

  Physical Therapy Mentor

  
  
  

  Ketaki Inamdar, PT, PhD

  Physical Therapy Mentor

  Dr. Inamdar is an assistant professor in the division of physical therapy, human performance in the WVU School of Medicine and the director of the CRADLE (pediatriC neuRomotor Assessment anD functionaL rEhabilitation) lab at WVU. Her research is dedicated to developing novel assessment methods for early detection of motor control and motor learning deficits in children at risk for developmental disabilities. She is also interested in investigating the profound impact of environmental influences and caregiver behaviors on infant development. Dr. Inamdar is a licensed pediatric physical therapist with specialization in management of children with cerebral palsy and infants at risk for neurodevelopmental disabilities, with a focus on early intervention.

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  Kari Price, RD, LD

  Dietetics Mentor

  
  
  

  Kari Price, RD, LD

  Dietetics Mentor

  Kari Price is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and WV Licensed Dietitian with the WVU CED. Her main roles are working as the dietitian for the CED’s Feeding and Swallowing Clinic team and working with LEND trainees.

  She has a BS and MS in human nutrition and foods from West Virginia University and completed her clinical internship with WVU Hospitals. While working on her master’s degree she was part of a Maternal & Child Health LEAD Traineeship at the CED. The program was designed to train individuals from various disciplines in working with children who have developmental disabilities or delays in the Appalachian area. It emphasized family-centered care, interdisciplinary teamwork and leadership development. This encouraged Kari to become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist who specializes in pediatrics, developmental disabilities and feeding issues.

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  Krestin Radonovich, PhD

  Child Neuropsychology Mentor

  
  
  

  Krestin Radonovich, Ph.D

  Child Neuropsychology Mentor

  Dr. Radonovich is a pediatric neuropsychologist who has a particular interest in the relationship of movement and cognition. She is partnering with collaborators in the field of NeuroArts to show that movement/dance is good for the body and the brain. Her current projects with LEND are using dance in populations with cognitive challenges. This spring the LEND trainees helped develop an adaptive dance class for adolescents with varying abilities, such as Down syndrome and autism.

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  Courtney Ringstaff, MSW

  Trainee Engagement
  Social Work Mentor

  
  
  

  Courtney Ringstaff

  Trainee Engagement/Social Work Mentor

  Courtney Ringstaff is a social worker with the Paths for Parents program at the CED. Courtney began with the CED as a student in 2016 and returned to work with Paths for Parents in 2022, a few years after receiving her master’s degree. She has worked with individuals with disabilities since 2014 in multiple capacities and has developed a passion for supporting them through transitions of life while supporting their parents, caregivers and families.

  Shortly after starting her work with the Paths for Parents program, Courtney's own son was diagnosed with autism. Her personal journey as a parent to a child with special healthcare needs has enriched Courtney's ability to support and better understand other parents. She also hosts the monthly Adjusting the Sails podcast, which provides space for parents and caregivers of children with disabilities to share their stories.

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  Mackenzie Karl

  WV LEND Admin/Trainee Support

  
  
  

  Mackenzie Karl

  LEND, Admin