
Dr. Howard C. Shane
Howard C. Shane is Director of the Center for Communication Disorders and the Autism Language Program at Children’s Hospital Boston, where he also conducts a clinical practice that concentrates on persons with autism spectrum disorders. He is an associate professor in the Department of Otolaryngology at Harvard Medical School and professor of communication sciences and disorders at the MGH Institute of Health Professions.
Dr. Shane is renowned internationally for creating inventive communication procedures and technology applications for persons with autism as well as innovative ways to operate and control computers for persons with difficulty with motor control. With Boston Children’s Hospital’s endorsement and using Dr. Shane’s visual-based curriculum, we are branding his cutting edge methodology and proven treatment program. Our future growth strategies are to expand throughout the US and internationally.

Elaine Crosby
Elaine is a Social Entrepreneur and Philanthropist. She is the Founder of Puddingstone Place™ who had the vision for building a national brand to support the growing number of families in need of communication, behavioral and occupational therapies. She is dedicated to promoting solutions to families impacted by autism and other developmental disabilities. She is a Committee Member of the “Night to Shine” for the Flutie Foundation. Elaine was a Member of the Board of Autism Speaks (NE Chapter). Earlier, she owned/operated multi-sites for Boston Chicken franchises where she oversaw operations and a staff of over 200 employees. Prior to that, Elaine was a Human Resources executive at Goldman Sachs and Deutsche Bank.

Greg Kelliher
Greg Kelliher is the Co-Founder of Puddingstone Place™. He is a trusted financial leader in the medical industry for the past 20 years. Greg managed the Department of Otolaryngology & Communication Disorders at Boston Children’s Hospital, overseeing more than 200 staff members and establishing processes and systems to streamline and enhance billing/collections. In addition, Greg was the founder of a medical billing company that provided the back-office operational and financial support for numerous medical practitioners across the US.

Claire Flynn
Claire Flynn is the Director of Operations and has over 30 years of experience in the educational, rehabilitative, behavioral, and health services. With her experience, she consistently uses the highest level of efficiency possible within the organization. Claire is an exceptionally thoughtful and detailed oriented individual who has a sharp eye for what is feasible and acceptable within the confines of our industry. She fosters a team environment; always supporting her colleagues and supervisees as a highly valued leader.

Kevin Crosby
Kevin is the Director of Business Development at Puddingstone Place. He oversees and manages fundraising campaigns, donor cultivation strategies, foundation relations and market research. He also coordinates developmental activities including company strategy, implementation, results measurement and evaluation.
Kevin has extensive experience raising equity capital from institutional investors for both public and private companies, for Wall Street firms including Hambrecht & Quist and JP Morgan. He earned an MBA with a concentration in Finance from the Isenberg School of Management, at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, where he also did his undergraduate degree in Business Management.

Dr. Anna Allen, Ph.D, CCC-SLP
Dr. Allen, a speech-language pathologist, received her Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Sciences from the MGH Institute of Health Professions in 2019. She has over 15 years of clinical experience providing speech-language intervention to children with developmental disabilities. Since 2013, she has been mentored by Dr. Shane at Boston Children’s Hospital, where she has participated in clinical research studies on the Visual Immersion System – VIS™*, and assisted in the creation of the VIS™ Clinical Compendium. Dr. Allen’s research focuses on the uses of mobile technology platforms for improving communication skills in children with moderate to severe ASD, and in training caregivers to apply strategies. Additionally, she is interested in caregiver stress and resilience in families of persons with disabilities. Dr. Allen will be overseeing the delivery of therapies and services at each Center.

Kara Morrison-Smith, MS, CCC-SLP
Kara Morrison-Smith, a speech language pathologist, earned her masters degree from Ithaca College. After graduating, she spent time volunteering in Quito, Ecuador at Instituto Mariána de Jesus and La Fundación Hermano Miguel before moving to Cleveland, OH where she began work at Monarch Center for Autism. It was there that she began collaborating with Dr. Howard Shane. As the assistive technology specialist at Monarch, Kara embedded the work of the Visual Immersion System directly into evaluations for communication devices during the school year. During the summers, she co-directed the Monarch Summer Social Language Program, leading activities that targeted social and future job skills. After moving back to New England, Kara gained experience working with children with complex communication needs at the Kevin O’Grady School before joining the team at Puddingstone Place™. She is excited to share the foundations of the VIS with families and educators as a practicing clinician and as the Director of the School Outreach Program.

Ann Essig, MS, LABA, BCBA
Ann became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst almost 10 years ago and has served a diverse population that includes individuals from 18 months old to young adulthood. Ann has a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Special Education from Adelphi University and a Bachelor’s degree in Special Education and Elementary Education from the State University of NY at Geneseo. Ann started her career as a special education teacher 30 years ago which is when she developed a passion for working with children with autism and behavior analysis. Ann continued her education and training at Simmons University where she studied Applied Behavior Analysis. Ann has had additional study and training in Applied Verbal Behavior, for which she is quite passionate. Ann also loves to provide training to family members, behavior technicians, and provide supervision to BCBAs and those studying to become BCBAs. She has worked in a variety of settings including homes, schools, and center-based programs. In the course of her career, teaching children with Autism to communicate has been a priority and a passion. She is excited to collaborate with Speech Therapists and Occupational Therapists at Puddingstone towards this goal. Ann will be overseeing ABA Services for Puddingstone Place™ across locations.

Ashok T. Kumar
Ashok Kumar will be primarily driving the technology enablement and adaptation for Puddingstone Place™. His passion is in harnessing the new leading edge technologies and creating solutions to solve real world problems. He holds numerous patents in the artificial intelligence area. He holds Master of Business Administration from University of Massachusetts. He has a bachelors in engineering with more than 2 decades in the Software Industry designing and leading software solutions across various domains including health care. Ashok has extensive experience in leading teams internationally including Germany, India and Brazil.
Speech Language Pathology Team

Meg Chicoine, MS, CCC-SLP
Meg received her Masters of Science degree from the College of Saint Rose in New York, where she is originally from. She has worked with all populations ranging from infants to adults but her passion lies in working with children specifically in the areas of Augmentative Alternative Communication (AAC) and early intervention. Additionally, she has experience and a special interest in hearing loss and aural rehabilitation. Meg’s therapeutic philosophy focuses on building strong relationships with clients and their families, while accentuating their strengths in order to provide the most motivating and effective treatment strategies. She will be treating out of the Wellesley, MA location.

Brittany Sorice, MS, CCC-SLP
Brittany received her Master’s degree in Communication Sciences & Disorders from Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts. Brittany has a background in Early Intervention and Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) and her passion lies within building communication skills through music and play. She can be found challenging herself with puzzles, reading books, and baking in her free time. Brittany will be treating out of the Middleboro, MA location

Molly Allen, MS, CCC-SLP
Molly received her Masters degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from MGH Institute of Health Professions in Boston, Massachusetts. Molly’s main areas of clinical experience and passion include Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) and working with individuals with autism spectrum disorders across the lifespan. As a speech-language pathologist, Molly emphasizes family-centered intervention and developing her clients’ self-advocacy skills to promote trust and engagement throughout therapy sessions. Molly will be treating out of the Wellesley location.

Lisbeth Petrozza, MA, CCC-SLP
Lissy is originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where she earned a Master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Pittsburgh. She prides herself on forming connections and building trusting, working relationships with patients and their families. She has worked in outpatient, public school, and home-based settings. Through her experience with diverse populations, she has developed a passion for working with people on the autism spectrum and Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). Lissy is also an animal-loving yogi who enjoys traveling, nature, and all things Disney.

Loretta Jacobs, MS, CCC-SLP
Loretta received her Master’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from MGH Institute of Health Professions in Boston, Massachusetts. Loretta’s clinical background involves Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC), Assistive Technology (AT), and working with individuals with complex communication needs, autism spectrum disorders, and/or multiple disabilities. Loretta has strong experience as a school-based speech-language pathologist as well as providing consultation and evaluation to school teams regarding AT and AAC. As a therapist, Loretta believes in building on clients’ interests and strengths and promoting functional and meaningful communication. She will be working out of the Middleboro location.

Alexa Carley, MA, CCC-SLP
Alexa is originally from Brooklyn, New York where she earned her Master’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Iona College. She is passionate about building connections and meaningful relationships with patients and families to promote therapeutic success. Alexa has provided services in settings that include home/community-based, private clinic facilities, public and charter schools, in addition to a specialized school for children and young adults with cerebral palsy. Working with a variety of populations, ranging from infants to geriatric patients, Alexa has ultimately developed a passion for working with children who benefit from Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). She will be treating out of the Danvers location.

Kathleen E. Cunningham, MS, CCC-SLP
Kate received her Masters of Science degree from Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts. Kate’s passion is and has always been Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) and Assistive Technology. She has over 30 years working as a speech-language pathologist. She has worked in outpatient, early intervention and pre-k and as a school based clinician for over 20 years working with children with multiple disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorders. Kate’s therapeutic philosophy centers on a building a strong partnership with her clients along with their families, staff and school teams in an effort to create a motivating, meaningful and effective treatment plan. She will be treating out of the Middleboro location.
Board Certified Behavior Analysts/LABAs

Ciara Bomengen, MS, LABA, BCBA
Ciara has her Master’s degree in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) from Bay Path University. She is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst who has worked with a diverse population, including children, adolescents, and young adults with Autism and other developmental disabilities. Ciara has provided ABA services in settings that include residential group homes, clinic-based facilities, schools, and local community settings. She has experience in developing and implementing behavior plans and provides research-based strategies. Ciara is passionate about verbal behavior, community integration, and training caregivers, staff, and families on the implementation of ABA procedures. She has seen the immense impact ABA can have on an individual and strongly believes in a collaborate approach to treatment. She looks forward to putting her knowledge and experience to work to improve the quality of life for individuals and their families. Ciara will be treating primarily out of our Wellesley, MA location.

Nikki M. Snizek, MS, LABA, BCBA
Nikki has her Master’s degree in Autism Spectrum Disorders from Elms College. She is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and has worked with a diverse population of individuals including children, adolescents, and young adults with autism, developmental disabilities, neurological disabilities, and individuals that are deaf and hard of hearing. Nikki has provided ABA services in a number of school and day program settings and has an extensive background creating and implementing behavior intervention plans and programming for individuals using research based methods and strategies. Nikki has a passion for ABA research, functional communication as a means to reduce challenging behaviors, and teaching functional and socially meaningful skills. She is always up for a challenge and loves to help individuals reach their greatest potential.

Justine Cabezas, MS, LABA, BCBA
Justine earned her bachelor’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from the University of New Hampshire and her master’s degree in Behavior Analysis from Simmons University. She is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst with over 4 years of experience working in the field of ABA. She has provided ABA services to children with ASD and developmental disabilities in home, center, community, and public-school settings. Joining the Puddingstone Place™ team in January of 2020, she looks forward to expanding her competencies in different areas within the field of Behavior Analysis as well as be a part of the new development of our center-based ABA program at our Middleboro location.

Erin Masoero, M.Ed, LABA, BCBA
Erin received her Master’s degree in Education from the University of Massachusetts-Lowell and a graduate certificate in Autism Studies in 2016. She is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and has worked with a diverse population of individuals ages 3 to young adulthood with autism, developmental disabilities, neurological disabilities, and individuals with a trauma background. Erin has provided ABA services in settings that include schools, homes, residential programs, and day programs. She has an extensive background in conducting functional behavior assessments, as well as developing and implementing research-based behavior plans and skill acquisition programs. Her main areas of interest include Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) and teaching functional communication as a means to reduce challenging behavior. Erin is excited to collaborate with Speech Therapists and Occupational Therapists to achieve this goal. She will be treating out of the Wellesley, MA location.
Registered Behavior Therapists/Behavior Therapists

Kelsy Banin
Kelsy graduated from East Stroudsburg University with a Bachelor’s degree in Rehabilitative Sciences and is currently working towards a Master’s degree and Board Certification in Applied Behavior Analysis from Northeastern University. Since moving to Boston, Kelsy has worked to implement the principles of ABA for individuals with Autism in home-based and community-based settings and enjoys working with the early intervention and early childhood populations. Kelsy is passionate about providing 1:1 support for individuals with Autism and aiding in the growth and development of the individuals she works with.

Jamey Ouellette
Jamey is a Registered Behavior Technician in our Wellesley office. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Northeastern University, and is currently continuing her studies there to obtain her Master’s degree in Applied Behavior Analysis. Jamey has provided behavior analytic services to individuals with ASD and developmental disabilities of all ages in school, center, and home settings. She loves working with our clients and helping them learn, grow, and succeed.

Allyson Seablom
Allyson Seablom is currently a senior at Bridgewater State University studying Special Education and Psychology. She has been a clinician and group leader in the Children’s Physical Developmental Clinic on campus and has experience working with both children and adults who have various developmental disabilities. She was also involved in implementing a program designed to teach children of all different abilities water safety skills along with vital swimming skills. Ally is extremely passionate about working with people of all populations and is eager to be a part of the journey of helping people achieve their full potential. She has been a part of Puddingstone since March 2019 and has enjoyed the opportunity to work with so many amazing children and families.

Shantel Sansone
Shantel is pursuing her Bachelor’s Degree in Human Services with a concentration in Child and Family services at Southern New Hampshire University. She has worked over ten years with children through all ages with Autism Spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, and other developmental disabilities. She has worked in a special education classroom, home-based and center-based settings providing behavior analytic services. Her favorite part of ABA therapy is watching the children’s growth, progression and success.

Bridget Haranas
Bridget is a Behavior Technician that has her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She is currently working towards her Registered Behavior Technician Certification from the BACB. She has worked with children with ASD and enjoys witnessing the pride and joy between clients and families as each learner progresses within their programs and outside the center.

Erika Dibiasio-Silva
Erika has her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Bridgewater State University, and is currently in a Masters program at Endicott College to obtain a masters degree in Applied Behavior Analysts. She has worked with children and adolescents with Autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, and other developmental disabilities. She has worked in home-based and center-based settings providing behavior analytic services. Her favorite part of ABA therapy is watching the children she works with succeed and progress. Erika will be primarily treating out of the Middleboro, MA location.

Amanda Porter
Amanda is currently working towards earning her masters degree from Regis College in Applied Behavior Analysis. She had worked primarily with elementary age children diagnosed with Autism, Down Syndrome, and other developmental disabilities. Amanda has a great interest in increasing functional communication to decrease challenging behaviors that may occur. As an aspiring BCBA, she hopes to make a difference in the day-to-day lives of the families here at Puddingstone Place™.

Natasha Winter
Natasha recently graduated cum laude from Boston University Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation with a bachelor of science in Behavior and Health and a minor in Psychology. She has worked with children and young adults aged 3 to 22 with a variety of abilities. Natasha has previously worked as a behavior technician in home-based settings and as an inclusion specialist in community-based settings in the Greater Boston area. She enjoys working with children because she loves their enthusiasm and watching them grow, succeed, and learn new skills every day.
Occupational Therapy Team

Gabriella Archbold, MS, OTR/L
Gabriella graduated from Boston University with her master’s degree in Occupational Therapy. She has worked with all populations, but her passion lies in working to better the lives of children with autism spectrum disorder, feeding difficulties, sensory processing disorders, and/or intellectual and developmental disabilities. Gabriella is trained in the SOS Approach to Feeding and looks forward to helping children with feeding difficulties learn to love food. She works out of the Danvers office and has been a member of the team since December 2018.

Morgan Henry, OTD, OTR/L
Morgan recently graduated with her Occupational Therapy Doctorate from the MGH Institute of Health professions. She has an undergraduate degree in Applied Behavior Analysis from the University of Kansas and worked as a behavior technician for 4 years before becoming an occupational therapist. Her special interests and previous research have been focused on delivering sensory strategies within a behavioral framework. She has worked in many settings, such as homes and specialized camps, and completed internships at an outpatient autism center and a pediatric hospital. She will be working out of the Wellesley, MA office.

Danielle Arcement, MS, OTR/L
Danielle received her Master’s of Occupational Therapy degree from Quinnipiac University. She has clinical, volunteer and work experience with various populations ranging from young children to the geriatric population. Danielle has always been very passionate about working with children of all abilities and she enjoys promoting independence in their everyday tasks. Danielle always strives to put the fun in function!
Administrative Team

Andrea Jensen
Andrea Jensen is an Insurance Specialist for Puddingstone Place™, LLC. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology at Bridgewater State University. Andrea’s ability to adapt and eagerness to learn has been extremely helpful during the growth of Puddingstone Place™. Andrea is reliable, compassionate, and most of all, patient communicating with insurance companies for the children and adults to receive the health and behavioral service needed.
At Andrea’s previous career, the Employee Recognition and Appreciation committee congratulated her for being selected for an Employee Spotlight Award in 2018. The award recognized the exceptional contribution of employees, and winners are nominated by their colleagues across the organization.

Maureen Kolvek
Maureen Kolvek joined Puddingstone Place™ in November. She is our office coordinator for our Danvers, MA location. Maureen comes from a senior living community where she was an activities instructor. She enjoys working with people and looks forward to helping our clients and their families.

Terry Smith
Profile Coming Soon

Jennifer Phillips-Walsh
Jennifer is the Office Coordinator at our Middleboro Office location. She is self-motivated, proactive and a quick thinker in our busy office setting. As a mother of four, she has creative problem-solving abilities that are a must in our ever-expanding office. Jennifer has a background in Business Administration and Human Services which has proven to be invaluable in her role, and as a recent addition to the Administrative Team, she looks forward to the knowledge and experience she will develop from working with the amazing team, clients and families at Puddingstone Place™, LLC.

Claudia Consoli
Claudia joined Puddingstone Place™ in August 2019. She is the office coordinator for our Wellesley location. Claudia comes from Riverside Community Care where she worked as an office administrator for 20 years in behavioral health services. She loves getting to know the clients and families in Wellesley and always looks forward to seeing clients reach their full potential.

Anne Marie Miscioscia
Anne Marie is currently a student at Boston University pursuing a major in business management with a concentration in strategy and innovation in addition to marketing. Within the last few years she has eagerly volunteered many hours within the autism community. In the past, some of her volunteering has included working on The Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation for Autism gala committee in addition to joining the Autism Speaks Walk Committee and becoming a designated grant reviewer for Autism Speaks. Within the last two years, she has obtained an internship with Puddingstone Place™, eventually becoming the company’s Director of Marketing and Social Media Management. Her favorite part about working at Puddingstone Place™ has been interacting directly with children and seeing their self confidence and happiness flourish with each visit to the Puddingstone centers.

Nina Miscioscia
Nina has worked at Puddingstone Place™ for the last year as a marketing intern and event volunteer. In addition to volunteering for Puddingstone, she has also enjoyed volunteering for the Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation for Autism and Autism Speaks. When Puddingstone was created, Nina designed the company’s logo, brightening the centers with her art!