Noel Woolard, M.Ed, BCaBA, has been working with people with autism since 1994. She holds degrees from the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) and Rutgers University. She worked as a behavior analyst under Mary Jane Weiss, David Celiberti, and Beth Glasburg at the Rutgers Autism Program at Rutgers University. In 2001, she moved to Virginia to serve as Program Director for Commonwealth Autism Services (formally The Autism Program of Virginia). Noel has worked in the public school setting as a paraprofessional and special education teacher and has supported student with autism, deaf-blindness, and developmental delays. In 2008, Noel created and is currently teaching autism coursework endorsed by the Virginia Autism Council at Rappahannock Community College. She is a founding member of the Virginia Autism Council and is certified in behavior analysis. Noel joined the ACE team in 2011 and supports divisions in the Northern Neck of Virginia as well as Hampton City Public Schools. Noel lives in the Northern Neck of Virginia with her husband and four kids.

Holly Whittenburg, M.S., is a special education coordinator with Hampton City Schools, where she works with the early childhood special education and autism programs. Holly also works collaboratively with the Autism Center for Excellence as the division lead for the ACE grant project. As a teacher, Holly worked with students with autism in middle school inclusion and elementary school self-contained classroom settings.

Jessica Davis, M.Ed, has taught grades K, 1, and 2 for 15 years and is currently an elementary administrator within Middlesex County Public Schools. She has taught students with autism within her classroom over the years and has served as a division instructional coach and mentor in Lancaster County Public Schools for VCU’s Autism Center for Excellence.

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Teresa Lyons, M. Ed., BCBA is a Technical Assistance Associate with the Virginia Commonwealth University – Autism Center for Excellence (VCU-ACE). In this role, Teresa provides embedded technical assistance to support long-term systems change in two SWVA school systems – Botetourt County and Wise County. Teresa is working with divisions in a process that engages them in assessment, planning and implementation leading to change starting with central administration then to school administration then on down to classroom teachers. Systems-change is being addressed through changes in policy, procedures, coaching and instruction.

Teresa became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) in 2012 after completing coursework through the Florida Institute of Technology. She received her Masters of Education from Lynchburg College with an emphasis in Special Education. Teresa received her undergraduate degree in Elementary and Special Education from St. Joseph’s College in Patchogue, NY.

Teresa comes to VCU-ACE with more than 18 years experience working with students with disabilities starting in the field as a paraprofessional in an ECSE program in NY to classroom teacher to autism specialist to technical assistance provider. Prior to joining VCU-ACE, Teresa worked with the VDOE Training and Technical Assistance Center at Virginia Tech. Teresa supported school divisions in the use of evidence-based practices in autism spectrum disorders and in the use of assistive technology for students with disabilities. Particular emphasis was placed on the development of autism and assistive technology teams, individual student and classroom consultations, professional development, as well as participation in the VDOE Autism State-Directed Project activities. Teresa also worked with a division in SW Virginia in the implementation of evidence-based practices through a collaborative grant with the National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders out of the FPG Child Development Institute at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

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Adam Dreyfus, M.A., BCBA, joined the VCU Autism Center for Excellence after working in a variety of school divisions across the Commonwealth. He served as a consultant in Alleghany County Schools, Lynchburg City Schools, and Westmoreland County Schools. He was also an embedded autism specialist in Caroline County Schools. He is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst who received his graduate education at Columbia University’s Teachers College under the supervision of Dr. Douglas Greer. At Columbia, Adam studied the CABAS (Comprehensive Application of Behavior Analysis for Schools) model. He graduated with a dual degree in Special Education and Applied Behavior Analysis. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Connecticut in Language and Child Development. He has worked with children diagnosed with autism as well as other neurobiological disorders including: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Angelman’s Syndrome, Oppositional Defiance Disorder, Intellectual Disabilities and many others. He has worked as a SEIT Teacher (Special Education Itinerant Teacher) in New York as well as working in schools in Morristown, New Jersey and Nyack, New York. He has experience with students of all ages and ability levels. He has most recently specialized in developing and designing ABA model classrooms in public school settings.

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