LEADERSHIP

THE FOUNDER/DIRECTOR of the INSTITUTE FOR LEARNING

& COFOUNDER of the  AUTISM INITIATIVE

Jen Townsend, M.Ed., is the owner of Universal Access Consulting, LLC. Jen is a collaborator who guides families, caregivers, educators and systems using appreciative inquiry techniques to support individuals with autism. Jen has written reader-friendly books on autism. She is the author of Think DIfferent:An Educator’s Approach to Appreciate What Works and coauthor of SEE, a peer-to-peer mentoring model that uses appreciative inquiry to enhance learner engagement.

COFOUNDER of the Institute for Learning Centered Education

Don Mesibov founded the Institute for Learning Centered Education, a 501 © (3) Non-Profit organization, in 1994 and, together with Jennifer Townsend, in 2022 they transformed the Institute to the Institute for Learning Center Education Autism Initiative. Don has conducted workshops on teaching strategies based on Constructivist theory of how people learn and autism for 37 years

COFOUNDER of the AUTISM INITIATIVE

Susan Hermann is the cofounder of the Institute. She is a retired special education teacher. After teaching students identified with learning disabilities at both the elementary and secondary levels for thirty years, Susan finds it rewarding to help a new generation of teachers find their way and develop their skills using constructivism.