A very special place. Turning disabilities into abilities.
Speakers
Abila Tazanu
M.D.; Parent and Pediatrician
Abila is a pediatrician with greater than 20 years of health and community service provision. She is a mother of five inspiring adult children, three of whom have autism and related co-existing emotional concerns. She serves as Spectrum's Lead Medical Guide/ Consultant where she pursues her passion for enhancing the lives of those living with ASD and related different abilities; while enriching the communities in which we live! Abila received her B.S. in Microbiology and her Doctorate of Medicine from Howard University in Washington, D.C through an accelerated B.S.- M.D. Program. She then completed her pediatric residency at Inova Fairfax Hospital/ University of Virginia. A native of Washington, D.C., raised by parents who immigrated from West Africa and the Caribbean, she now resides in Maryland. Her cultural background and personal struggles to identify and support her own children created the vision for the One World Center for Autism, Inc. (a non-profit) where she served as director for 14 years. Her drive to give hope and genuine support continues to fuel her passion to help individuals living with autism and related special needs in a more focused and holistic manner. Her vision is to create a standard of centralized comprehensive medical care and linkages to therapeutic interventions for all individuals on the spectrum which incorporates family support, individual support and community awareness.
Alyse Marselle
M.A.; Special Educator
Alyse has been working with students with Autism and other disabilities for 16 years. She is in her 8th year as a classroom teacher. She is a lower school teacher at Kennedy Krieger School: Powder Mill Campus. Alyse graduated from George Washington University in 2015 with a Master’s Degree in Education and Human Development, and earned a second Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction for Autism Spectrum Disorders from Arizona State University in 2020. She is passionate about finding ways to help her students learn and thrive while also building strong relationships with families and caregivers.
Ebony Holliday
Ph.D.; Research Scientist/ School Psychologist
Ebony Holliday, Ph.D., NCSP, is a research scientist at Kennedy Krieger Institute’s Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD). She is a nationally certified school psychologist and is certified by Maryland State Department of Education as a school counselor and school psychologist. Ebony has worked as a school psychologist and behavioral consultant in public, nonpublic, and private school systems providing assessment and intervention services to students with developmental disabilities/differences. She has engaged in training, consultation, and coaching of teachers, related professionals, and caregivers in the implementation of evidence-based practices to support the multidimensional needs of students and families.
Ebony received her Ph.D. in school psychology from Lehigh University with a specialization in health/pediatrics for children with or at risk for disabilities. She completed her predoctoral internship at the Pediatric Developmental Disabilities Clinic and the Neurobehavioral Unit Outpatient Clinic at Kennedy Krieger Institute. Her postdoctoral fellowship was at the Christian Sarkine Autism Treatment Center at Riley Hospital for Children - Indiana University Health.