Our Team

Cajal Academy was co-founded by a mom to two “twice exceptional” kids who is also a social entrepreneur and former litigator, together with the occupational therapist who has transformed both her kids. Soon they were joined by Dr. Steven Mattis: a neuropsychologist and medical school professor who has been recognized as a leading figure in the development of modern neuropsychology in the United States, who shares their passion to turn neuroscientific research into new educational practices empowering kids.

Find out more about the educators and multi-disciplinary clinic at the heart of our program, and contact us to find out how you can join our mission.

Cheryl

Cheryl Viirand, B.A., J.D., Co-Founder, Head of School, Member of Board of Directors

Cheryl is the visionary behind Cajal Academy, and a “mom on a mission” to revolutionize education by creating models, practices and approaches that actually match to what neuroscientists have learned in the last thirty years about how kids learn, socialize and grow.

Cheryl is a social entrepreneur, a generalist problem solver and a former corporate litigator at the esteemed firm of Davis Polk & Wardwell. As such, Cheryl brought a keen eye for detail and a fresh set of eyes to the field of education. Not held back by “how it’s always been done,” Cheryl built an expert team and, with them, resolved to dig into what scientists know today—and then built systems for applying that science to the data in each child’s profile. This jumping off point is what led to the creation of a whole new approach to education, that is already raising the bar on “what’s possible” with transformative results for kids having a range of different learning, social-emotional and neurophysio needs.

This mission started out as a problem that is all too common for parents with atypical strengths and weaknesses (let alone complex, chronic medical conditions like her own family’s Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome). For years, she had worked with her school district to help them understand her children’s unique mixes of strengths and challenges, bringing them experts to explain their unique medical profiles and articles to at least help predict how those challenges might be connected to the learning and social ‘quirks’ that were becoming ever more common. She had sought out expert therapists in the community who understood not only treatment protocols but the neurological basis of how they work, and learned from them how to understand her kids’ life-lived-experiences as they composite of the skills they give to any given moment—as it is for us all.

For years, Cheryl had sought to bring this same data-driven approach to her kids’ school district teams. She pointed out how these same “specific, addressable problems” that were undermining their academic and social success. And for years, she walked away from PPT meeting after PPT meeting with an IEP full of accommodations and a “whack-a-mole” of tutors and re-regulation services to bridge the gap between those challenges and the general ed curriculum—but no roadmap to address the problems that created the gaps in the first place. The more information she brought to her kids’ team about what was possible, the more it became clear that they were simply having a different conversation: the district leaders understood it to be their job to figure out what her kids can’t do and make accommodations to fill those gaps—and then to “help” Mom realign expectations about their futures that were “realistic” for the challenges they’d have to manage. But as their mom, Cheryl was far more interested in what they can do, and what we can do to help them develop those skills to empower the child to chart their own future, based on their passions and their strengths.

Cheryl realized it was time to pivot, and started reaching out to special education schools across the region in search of a new educational home—only to discover that there was no outplacement school anywhere in Connecticut or Westchester County that provides academics appropriate to kids with high analytical reasoning skills, paired with therapies to address any number of occupational, physical, social-emotional or learning needs. So she and her kids’ occupational therapist, Heather Edwards, vowed to create one—because every kid deserves a school.

Cheryl believes firmly that the only thing more valuable than solving problems for one child is solving problems for many of them. Cheryl was privileged to attend an experimental public high school in Columbia, MD with a “gifted and talented” program where extraordinary educators emphasized that intellectual gifts come with an obligation to apply them to help others. (Go Wildcats). One week after graduating from Barnard College, she was on a plane to Ukraine, where she worked with the Crimean government to help them catalog their hulking post-Soviet tourism assets in preparation for privatization—and then got her first taste of startup work creating the first restaurant guide to the city of Kiev. Returning to the states, she plunged into “dot com bubble” era startups Internet Trading International and Juno Online Services, where she learned the principles of lean startup, and what it means to be part of an organization dedicated to innovation and constant iteration towards your own standard of excellence. Unable to set aside her passions for civil rights, Cheryl went back to school to get her J.D. at New York University School of Law, with a focus on international human rights.

Cheryl left the practice of law in 2008 to dedicate herself to building businesses and non-profit organizations that apply science to increase social inclusion and empowerment for vulnerable populations. Prior to Cajal Academy, Cheryl was the founder, creator and CEO of Freedible, Inc.: a social sharing platform where families with dietary constraints can find and share the recipes, life hacks and community they need to thrive.

Cheryl lives in Connecticut with her husband, dog and two kids—or she will until her oldest goes off to college in the fall, setting forth to chart his own future based on his passions and strengths.

Heather

Heather Edwards, MSOTR/L, Director of Therapeutic Services  

Cajal Academy is founded on Heather’s core philosophy that children of all abilities should be empowered to optimize their own experiences through an understanding of the science behind their differences, how this fits into the broad spectrum of what it means to be human, and personalized strategies they can use to self-monitor, self-regulate and self-advocate.

Heather came to this philosophy through over a decade of experience with children across the full spectrum of physical, intellectual and social abilities. Heather has deep expertise in sensory integration disorders, including how carefully-sequenced sensory inputs can be used to re-balance neurochemical imbalances affecting learning and emotional regulation. She connects deeply and authentically with children from across the full spectrum of intellectual and physical abilities, finding and fostering the spark that motivates and empowers them each to live their best lives, while deftly identifying practical steps their teachers and caregivers can take to help take challenges out of the way while work proceeds to address them. She is often found commando-crawling through a kid-sized obstacle course of her client’s creation, hoisting a sensory-seeking child through flips in the pool or quietly lying on the floor playing a visually-challenging board game. In short, she meets each child where they are and is a consummate cheerleader for their abilities.

Heather received her Bachelor of Science, Health Sciences, and her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from the University of New England. She has extensive training in sensory integration, visual perceptual development, oral motor/feeding, fine motor/handwriting and motor development. Heather has provided occupational therapy in numerous settings including Birth to Three / Early Intervention, elementary and middle school, and out-patient pediatric services. Currently, she contracts with Angelfish Therapy (Aquatic Therapy) and has a private practice providing pediatric therapy in homes, at schools and other natural environments.

Together with physical therapist Elizabeth Upton Tynan, Heather is also the co-founder of Upwards Pediatric Therapy. Upwards Pediatric Therapy provides Physical and Occupational Therapy services to children of all ages, empowering them to achieve their maximum potential and making a positive difference in their lives, their families and the community at large. Based in Fairfield and Wilton, Connecticut, they provide services for children (infants to 18 years of age) who have physical, neurological and developmental challenges that affect core strength, coordination, learning, motor planning, movement and sensory planning. 

Dr. Mattis

Steven Mattis, PhD, A.B.P.P., Director of Programs and Member of Board of Directors

Dr. Steven Mattis is an internationally known neuropsychologist and licensed psychologist who has been recognized as a leading figure in the development of the field of clinical neuropsychology in the United States. He is also a highly-experienced psychologist.

Dr. Mattis brings this depth of knowledge to developing innovative models for integrating academic and therapeutic programming for our school as a whole and for individual students, as our Director of Programs and as a member of our Board of Directors. He also provides direct psychological counseling services, social skill development through co-taught classrooms and guides our efforts to identify the specific cognitive, physiologic and emotional elements driving a given child’s learning, social and emotional experiences and behavioral presentations.

Dr. Mattis has over 80 articles in peer reviewed journals, multiple chapters in edited books, and is the author of the Dementia Rating Scale. Dr. Mattis has been a reviewer for six professional journals and served on the Research Review Board for the Human Development section of the National Institutes of Health. For the last 10 years, Dr. Mattis has focused his research and clinical interests on the neurogenic components of mood, executive function, and learning disorders—work that directly informs our programs and interventions at Cajal.

Dr. Mattis has been on the Board of Directors and President of the International Neuropsychological Society; on the Board and President of the Clinical Neuropsychology Division of the American Psychological Association and a Fellow of the American Psychological Association. Dr. Mattis was a founding member of the Board and President of the American Board of Clinical Neuropsychology, the Specialty credentialing agent of the American Board of Professional Psychology; and on the Board and President of the American Board of Professional Psychology.

Dr. Mattis received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Columbia University and his Postdoctoral training in Neuropsychology in the Department of Neurology at Albert Einstein Medical College, eventually becoming the Director of Clinical Neuropsychology. In that role, he founded and co-directed a multidisciplinary learning disability center in the South Bronx. He was subsequently recruited by Cornell and served as the Director of Clinical Neuropsychology in the Department of Psychiatry at Weill-Cornell Medical Center. He is currently Clinical Professor of Psychology, Department of Psychiatry, New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center and in private practice at Mattis & Luck Center for Neuropsychological Services.

Jennifer

Jennifer Gerometta, PhD, CCC-SLP, Speech and Language Pathologist  

Jennifer Gerometta PhD, CCC-SLP is an award-winning certified speech-language pathologist and faculty member. She is the former chair and current faculty of the Communication Sciences and Disorders program at Iona University.

Dr. Gerometta earned her Bachelor of Social Work and Master of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders from James Madison University and her doctoral degree in Speech and Hearing Sciences from CUNY Graduate Center. Her areas of interest include speech perception and speech production, phonological awareness and its role in speech perception, language development and literacy.

Dr. Gerometta has practiced as an SLP for over 20 years. She began her career as an SLP at Lenox Hill Hospital’s cochlear implant center, working with children who are deaf and hard of hearing. She continued her career as an SLP in early intervention and with school-aged children, and transitioned to researching speech perception in the Developmental Neurolinguistics Laboratory at CUNY’s Graduate Center, where she earned her Ph.D. in Speech and Hearing Science.

Dr. Gerometta uses a child-centered, strengths-based approach to addressing speech and language learning. Her background in the neurocognitive underpinnings of speech and language development informs her practice.

Jennifer enjoys spending time with her husband, two sons and two dogs. In her free time, she is a museum educator and enjoys meditating, yoga and reading sci-fi.

Deb

Deborah Faulkner Crowell, PT, Physical Therapist  

Deborah Faulkner Crowell has over 32 years of experience as a physical therapist. She treats both adults and children with a specialty in manual therapy.

Deborah has a passion for helping others and values the power of physical therapy to improve quality of life.  Her treatment approach is one to one individualized care, ensuring the well being of her client and adjusting to their specific needs.   Deborah utilizes manual therapy techniques such as myofascial release, soft tissue mobilization, craniosacral therapy, visceral mobilization and muscle energy techniques to address the body’s imbalances. She uses a holistic approach to the whole body, understanding the mind body connection.  Addressing these issues allows the whole body to function properly. 

Deborah has extensive experience working with individuals with autism, neurological dysfunction, learning disabilities, headaches and facial pain, joint hypermobility, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and chronic pain issues and dysfunctions. Deb also has extensive experience with constipation, incontinence, digestive issues (including the dysmotility associated with EDS and other connective tissue disorders) and women’s health, and issues associated with breast cancer and lymphedema. 

Deb graduated from Boston University in 1990 with a BS in Physical Therapy. Deb has extensive education in numerous manual therapy techniques including  lymphatic work, craniosacral therapy, myofascial release and visceral mobilization. Deb has a private practice with locations in Fairfield and Stamford.

Kathy

Kathy Gannon, Licensed Physical Therapist

Kathy has been a dedicated and treating physical therapist for 46 years, with focus on manual therapy for the treatment of pain and disability. Kathy’s manual skills include craniosacral therapy, myofascial release, soft tissue mobilization, visceral mobilization and muscle energy techniques that facilitate tissue repair and modeling. Kathy has certification in Upledger and Barnes craniosacral therapy. Her manual therapy approaches include Cyriax, Kaltenborn, Maitland, McKenzie and Mulligan techniques. She is a certified orthopedic therapist with a concentration in spine and chronic pain. She has additional certification and expertise in vestibular and lymphatic treatment. She is an aquatic therapist. Kathy is a certified case manager in the State of Connecticut and has extensive experience in workers compensation, functional capacity testing, job analysis and has acted as an expert witness for worker compensation.

Kathy graduated from the University of Connecticut in 1977 with a BS in Physical Therapy. She has been a licensed provider in New Jersey, California and Connecticut. Kathy is an adjunct teacher for UCONN and NVCC and she is an APTA Clinical Instructor. She has been owner/ administrator since 1983 and recently joined Faulkner Crowell Physical Therapy.

Meredith

Meredith W. Vickery, M.A., English Language Arts

Meredith brings to Cajal deep experience teaching kids across a wide range of ages, backgrounds and learning profiles—and a passion for doing so through project-based learning. This includes experiences as a high school English teacher, a middle school  ELA teacher, and a college composition instructor, over a span of 13 years in the academic field.

Meredith has devoted her professional career to enriching the lives of her students. She has a passion for Projected-based learning, a method that she has successfully implemented with varying ages and grade levels. Her experience in a heterogeneous teaching environment has provided her with years of experience differentiating curriculum and instruction to accommodate intellectually-gifted children, “at risk” youth, English language learners and refugees.

Much of Meredith’s experience in the classroom has revolved around college readiness, including the college application process. In order to develop a community invested in academic achievement, Meredith designed curriculum and team building experiences with colleagues for incoming at-risk freshmen to gain credit toward graduation. She furthered the development of the program by creating various engaging courses using Project-Based Learning competency assessments for students who were unsuccessful in traditional English classes. 

The experience of teaching other teachers through the National Writing Project also allowed Meredith to collaborate extensively  with teachers of all grade levels with an emphasis on writing across the curriculum. 

Meredith graduated from Plymouth State University with a degree in secondary English education and a masters in the teaching of writing. She now lives in her hometown of Norwalk, CT, after many years in New Hampshire with her husband and son.

Odingo

Odingo Mitchell, M.A. in Physics; Science, Math and STEM Teacher

Odingo comes to Cajal as an experienced math and physics teacher who is passionate about empowering bright kids with learning differences from the elementary to the high school level. He couples this with a dedication to the scientific process that is borne of his lab experience as a theoretical physicist, and a love for project-based learning as a means to ignite kids’ love of learning.

In the classroom, Odingo’s energy, enthusiasm and positivity helps kids connect to math and science through hands-on experiments and real world applications ranging from engineering to sports. A former professional table tennis player, Odingo uses athletics as a tool to develop executive function skills and looks for opportunities to integrate sports and leisure to teach science and math curricula—like learning about momentum in a bowling alley!

Odingo grew up in Jamaica and has a Master of Arts in Physics from CUNY Brooklyn college.

Kaitlin

Kaitlin Mochi, M.S, Science and Project Based Learning Teacher

Kaitlin comes to Cajal with a background in biology, environmental and marine sciences. She has experience developing and delivering differentiated curriculum through the high school and Advanced Placement levels. This passion began with her undergraduate thesis, which focused on creating a model curriculum utilizing activities-based learning to reach learners with a wide range of atypical learning styles. Kaitlin is also as an adaptive water safety instructor with students from 6 months to 73 years old, including kids with autism spectrum disorder, the hearing impaired, ESL, ADHD and other diagnoses. This work has given her the opportunity to apply this passion while honing her skills in how to listen to and meet students’ needs, wherever they may be.

Kaitlin has a particular passion for finding real world applications that lead students to engage more deeply with the sciences. At Cajal, she thrives on the opportunity to do this through collaboration with colleagues in other academic areas to develop multi-disciplinary project-based learning. Kaitlin is also passionate about engaging students from vulnerable populations and diverse socio-economic backgrounds with the sciences, and helped to create the summer program, “Marine Biology Book Club” for local non-profit New Haven Reads. This exciting program used the natural resources of the Connecticut coastline as a gateway to the world of marine biology for kids aged from 6-14 years old. As a master’s degree student, Kaitlin partnered with Connecticut Audubon Society to develop strategies for influencing consumer behavior to improve environmental outcomes through the use of social media tools and engagement.

Kaitlin graduated from Unity College with a master’s in marine science and a concentration in the preservation of marine predators. She enjoys spending her time volunteering in environmental organizations in Connecticut and cleaning trash at her local beaches in Milford CT.

Kenneth

Kenneth Moore, M.A., Elementary Education; M.A., Foreign Affairs

Kenneth comes to Cajal as an experienced elementary English Language Arts teacher. Kenneth holds children at a high regard and loves using his educational platform to empower them. In the classroom, Kenneth helps children establish a positive relationship with reading and writing through his enthusiasm, optimism and general aura. 

Kenneth grew up in upstate New York. He attended the University of Bridgeport where he received a B.A. In Criminal Justice/Martial Arts Studies and a M.A. Foreign Affairs as well as Southern Connecticut State University where he received his M.A. In Elementary Education.

Kenneth is also an accomplished, fourth degree black belt in martial arts and has competed internationally in Asia and Europe. He marries this grit and determination with a genuine gift and enthusiasm for connecting with students for whom things don’t come easily, who have experienced academic or other traumas or who struggle socially, making him a popular role model outside the classroom and “Pied Piper” within it!

Tom

Thomas McLaughlin, M.S, Social Studies and Project Based Learning Teacher

Tom has worked with youth for over 20 years, in the education field and in community-based programs as a swimming coach, YMCA program director and community mentor. Tom is an experienced civics, U.S. and World History Teacher who has worked in both mainstream and therapeutic environments.

Tom brings to Cajal his infectious appreciation for the Constitution, policymaking, and the American Governmental System. He adheres to the idea that the best investment anyone can make is in the people and community around them. As a teacher, Tom brings great patience, care, and a strong ability to see the world through the eyes of the student before him, leading to not only empathy but the ability to see new opportunities to help them move forward. As a  perpetual optimist, Tom is insistent that through knowledge and understanding, people have a great ability to create positive change and growth. In the classroom, he draws on his knowledge of U.S. and World History to give students examples of how humanity has achieved success in the past--and how these successes can be a beacon to how we can achieve success in the future. His nature, passion, knowledge, and positivity make him pivotal when challenges present themselves, rallying those around him to identify and work towards common goals.

Tom received his bachelor’s degree at Mount Saint Mary College in New York and earned a master’s degree in American History from Providence College. He is a New England native and has a strong passion for community and family. He enjoys playing disc golf, road trips, and has a great interest in local sports. Always up for a good conversation or a high five, Tom sees the world through a lens of optimism and finds hope and adventure in each new day.

Stephanie

Stephanie Niles, Visual Arts and Operations Manager

Stephanie joins Cajal with a dual role as our Visual Arts Teacher, and as our first Operations Manager. Stephanie holds a degree in Studio Art, with a focus in art education and photography, and vast experience as a Teaching Artist. She is always eager and ready to meet students where they are–whether that be their first creative discoveries or learning college-level drawing techniques and portraiture. In the classroom, Stephanie’s hope is to give her students the opportunity to discover more about themselves through the art that they create. She brings an intuitive nature, patience and creativity to all she does, and is passionate about creating opportunities for her students to develop their skills in a safe space. 

Stephanie is a lifelong learner who has taken joy in learning alongside her students in both traditional and non-traditional learning environments, including Workspace Academy. She is a devotee of project-based learning and naturally a multi-disciplinary thinker, so she is very much in her element integrating visual arts into Cajal Academy’s interdisciplinary projects. 

Stephanie also has extensive experience facilitating project and community based learning, teaching archery as an USA Archery certified level II instructor, and helping kids to discover and foster connections to nature through close to a decade of teaching both adults and children in nature based education and outdoor survival skills.

Stephanie was Program Director for educational non-profit Two Coyotes Wilderness School and assisted in navigating upwards of 350 children and a staff team of 30 through the pandemic. This has given her a deep understanding of what goes into the heart of a school; knowledge she is excited to bring to Cajal Academy as its first Operations Manager. She also is passionate about diversity and equity work and continues participating in programming with CEIO, Co-Creating Effective and Inclusive Organizations, and is a past participant in the Teaching Artist Training Institute.

As a professional artist, Stephanie continues to enjoy expanding her experience creating art through natural mixed media, sculpture, and a love of fiber arts. Stephanie lives in Easton with her two kids (and her daughter when she’s home from college) and their cat, rabbit, guinea pig and five chickens.

Robin

Robin Marcus, MS (Mathematics), Member of the Board of Directors

Robin Marcus is an expert in math and STEM education, competency-based education, and school transformation; an experienced educator, instructional coach, curriculum writer, and facilitator of professional learning; an accomplished program designer from vision through implementation, evaluation, and refinement; and a respected change agent known for hard work, competence, passion, listening, and reflective thinking.

Robin comes to her role as Advisor on Mathematics and STEM curriculum more than two decades of experience improving teaching and learning, particularly for students traditionally under-served in our educational system, to consulting work with the Teaching Institute for Excellence in STEM (TIES), the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB), and other educational organizations. Current work focuses on building the capacity of school districts to implement, scale, and sustain powerful teaching and learning practices grounded in formative assessment to achieve college and career readiness math standards.

At NC New Schools, Robin led the turnaround of ten chronically underachieving high schools through a focus on inquiry-based teaching and learning and formative assessment. She went on to oversee the design, facilitation and continuous improvement of the organization’s professional learning offerings for a network of 150+ schools and, later, to launch and lead a new Research & Development department, growing the organization’s capacity to both improve its current approaches, as well as innovate to design future approaches.

Prior to joining NC New Schools, Robin served as an instructional coach and teacher in an innovative high school in Baltimore, where she increased the school’s pass rate on the state math test for AYP from 11% to more than 80% in just one year through a focus on inquiry-based teaching and learning and formative assessment. Robin has provided thousands of hours of professional development for district, school and classroom leaders in national, regional and local workshops and served on the development team of Core-Plus Mathematics, an innovative high school math curriculum.

ABD, Robin completed coursework for a PhD in curriculum and instruction at the University of Maryland. She holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Drake University and a master’s degree in mathematics from Michigan State University. She and her husband have four children spanning preschool to college and live in Durham, NC.