Our experts
Meet the professionals who make sure our resources are evidence-based, accurate, and up-to-date.
Behind our articles, podcasts, and digital experiences lies the expertise of professionals. Our experts come from a wide range of fields: education, mental health, medicine, activism, and public policy. And they share our commitment to support people who learn and think differently.
A professor of neuroscience. A child rights activist. A Harvard-trained psychotherapist. A National Teacher of the Year recipient. These are just a few of the exceptional individuals who serve as our thought partners, collaborators, and guides.
Our experts bring unique perspectives to our cause. Some have the lived experience of being neurodivergent or having a child who is. Together, they ensure that our work meets the highest standards.
Explore our experts below.
Sarah Greenberg, MA, MEd
Vice President, Expertise and Strategic Design, Understood
View biois a prevention specialist who leads Understood’s network of 80-plus subject matter experts. She has worked with thousands of adults and families to improve their well-being.
Shivohn N. García, PhD
Director, Equity Research and Insights, Understood
View biois an experienced educator who leads Understood’s impact and efficacy work, including the implementation of culturally responsive practices.
Bob Cunningham, EdM
Executive Director, Learning and Development, Understood
View biohas been part of Understood since its founding. He’s also been the chief administrator for several independent schools and a school leader in general and special education.
Andrew Kahn, PsyD
Associate Director, Expertise and Strategic Design, Understood
View biois a licensed psychologist who focuses on ADHD, learning differences, anxiety, autism spectrum disorder, behavior challenges, executive function, and emotional regulation.
Roberto Olivardia, PhD
Clinical Psychologist and Lecturer, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School
View biois an expert in the treatment of ADHD, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and body dysmorphic disorder. He also focuses on issues facing students with learning disabilities.
Claudia Rinaldi, PhD
The Joan Weiler Arnow ’49 Professor of Education, Chair of Education, Lasell University
View biois an expert on learning disabilities of English language learners (ELLs). Among her publications is a book for educators, “Practical Ways to Engage All Struggling Readers.”
Juliana Urtubey, NBCT, MA
Special Education Bilingual Teacher, Program Director, Arizona K12 Center
View biois the 2021 National Teacher of the Year. As a special educator, she believes all kids have a right to be included and celebrated in what she calls a “joyous and just education.”
Thomas E. Brown, PhD
Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, University of California Riverside School of Medicine
View biohas written many books on ADHD, including “Smart but Stuck: Emotions in Teens and Adults with ADHD.” He’s the director of the Brown Clinic for Attention and Related Disorders.
Lakrisha Howard, MA
Fourth-Grade Teacher, Newark Public Schools
View biois a dedicated educator who has spent her career working with exceptional learners, teaching special education, and advocating for inclusion and resources.
Julian Saavedra, MA
Assistant Principal, School District of Philadelphia
View biois a school administrator who has spent 15 years teaching in urban settings, focusing on social-emotional awareness, cultural and ethnic diversity, and experiential learning.
Karen Wilson, PhD
Clinical Neuropsychologist, Founder of West LA Neuropsychology, PC, and ChildNEXUS
View biois a specialist in the assessment of neurodivergent children and teens. She is passionate about helping children who struggle with learning or social-emotional issues.
Dia Jackson, MT, EdD
Senior Researcher, American Institutes for Research
View biohas spent much of her career researching, writing about, and presenting nationally and internationally on special education best practices.
Rayma Griffin, MA, MEd
Education Consultant
View biohas spent her 40-year career advocating for the rights of children with learning and thinking differences.
Mark J. Griffin, PhD
Education Consultant
View biohas been a professional in the field of learning disabilities for over 45 years. He was the founding headmaster of Eagle Hill School.
Shira Moskovitz, MA
Technology Specialist, Special Education Teacher, New York City Public Schools
View biois a special education teacher and technology specialist in the NYC Public Schools.
Kade Friedman, MSEd
Director of Education, PINE, the Program for Inclusion and Neurodiversity Education
View biois a white, queer, nonbinary, neurodivergent 40-something human who teaches educational organizations how to create and sustain a culture of inclusivity.
Monica Johnson, PsyD
Psychologist, Host, Author
View biois a clinical psychologist and owner of Kind Mind Psychology, a private practice specializing in evidence-based approaches to treating a wide range of mental health issues.
Renee Schneider, PhD
Lead, Mental Health Center of Excellence, Google
View biois a licensed clinical psychologist who is passionate about the dissemination of evidence-based interventions for mental health problems.
Ellen Braaten, PhD
Associate Professor, Harvard Medical School
View biois a child psychologist, professor, and founding director of the Learning and Emotional Assessment Program (LEAP) at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Jerome Schultz, PhD
Clinical Neuropsychologist and Lecturer on Child Psychology, Harvard Medical School
View biois a specialist in working with children, adolescents, and young adults with learning or behavioral needs.
Kristin J. Carothers, PhD
Clinician in Private Practice, Assistant Professor of Psychology, Morehouse University
View biois an expert in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and behavioral interventions. She also provides co-parenting therapy for families experiencing high conflict.
Shaquala Holmes, MEd
Regional Literacy Specialist, Alabama Reading Initiative
View biohas dedicated her career to making a lasting impact on the lives of students in Alabama. In her current role, she works to enhance the literacy skills of third-grade students.
Stephanie Moulton Sarkis, PhD, NCC, DCMHS, LMHC
Psychotherapist
View biois an author, mental health counselor, and Florida Supreme Court certified family and circuit mediator. She specializes in anxiety, gaslighting, narcissistic abuse, and ADHD.
Katharine I. Ransom-DiCerbo, PhD, MBA
Interdisciplinary Researcher
View biois an applied researcher with a background in project management, politics, and education. She embraces inclusive methodologies, intersectionality, and diversity in her work.