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

    is 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.

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  • Shivohn N. García, PhD

    Director, Equity Research and Insights, Understood

    is an experienced educator who leads Understood’s impact and efficacy work, including the implementation of culturally responsive practices.

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  • Bob Cunningham, EdM

    Executive Director, Learning and Development, Understood

    has 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.

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  • Andrew Kahn, PsyD

    Associate Director, Expertise and Strategic Design, Understood

    is a licensed psychologist who focuses on ADHD, learning differences, anxiety, autism spectrum disorder, behavior challenges, executive function, and emotional regulation.

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  • Roberto Olivardia, PhD

    Clinical Psychologist and Lecturer, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School

    is an expert in the treatment of ADHD, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and body dysmorphic disorder. He also focuses on issues facing students with learning disabilities.

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  • Claudia Rinaldi, PhD

    The Joan Weiler Arnow ’49 Professor of Education, Chair of Education, Lasell University

    is 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.”

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  • Juliana Urtubey, NBCT, MA

    Special Education Bilingual Teacher, Program Director, Arizona K12 Center

    is 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.”

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  • Thomas E. Brown, PhD

    Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, University of California Riverside School of Medicine

    has 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.

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  • Lakrisha Howard, MA

    Fourth-Grade Teacher, Newark Public Schools

    is a dedicated educator who has spent her career working with exceptional learners, teaching special education, and advocating for inclusion and resources.

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  • Julian Saavedra, MA

    Assistant Principal, School District of Philadelphia

    is a school administrator who has spent 15 years teaching in urban settings, focusing on social-emotional awareness, cultural and ethnic diversity, and experiential learning.

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  • Karen Wilson, PhD

    Clinical Neuropsychologist, Founder of West LA Neuropsychology, PC, and ChildNEXUS

    is a specialist in the assessment of neurodivergent children and teens. She is passionate about helping children who struggle with learning or social-emotional issues.

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  • Dia Jackson, MT, EdD

    Senior Researcher, American Institutes for Research

    has spent much of her career researching, writing about, and presenting nationally and internationally on special education best practices.

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  • Rayma Griffin, MA, MEd

    Education Consultant

    has spent her 40-year career advocating for the rights of children with learning and thinking differences.

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  • Mark J. Griffin, PhD

    Education Consultant

    has been a professional in the field of learning disabilities for over 45 years. He was the founding headmaster of Eagle Hill School.

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  • Shira Moskovitz, MA

    Technology Specialist, Special Education Teacher, New York City Public Schools

    is a special education teacher and technology specialist in the NYC Public Schools.

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  • Kade Friedman, MSEd

    Director of Education, PINE, the Program for Inclusion and Neurodiversity Education

    is a white, queer, nonbinary, neurodivergent 40-something human who teaches educational organizations how to create and sustain a culture of inclusivity.

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  • Monica Johnson, PsyD

    Psychologist, Host, Author

    is 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.

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  • Renee Schneider, PhD

    Lead, Mental Health Center of Excellence, Google

    is a licensed clinical psychologist who is passionate about the dissemination of evidence-based interventions for mental health problems.

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  • Ellen Braaten, PhD

    Associate Professor, Harvard Medical School

    is a child psychologist, professor, and founding director of the Learning and Emotional Assessment Program (LEAP) at Massachusetts General Hospital.

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  • Jerome Schultz, PhD

    Clinical Neuropsychologist and Lecturer on Child Psychology, Harvard Medical School

    is a specialist in working with children, adolescents, and young adults with learning or behavioral needs.

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  • Kristin J. Carothers, PhD

    Clinician in Private Practice, Assistant Professor of Psychology, Morehouse University

    is an expert in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and behavioral interventions. She also provides co-parenting therapy for families experiencing high conflict.

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  • Shaquala Holmes, MEd

    Regional Literacy Specialist, Alabama Reading Initiative

    has 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.

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  • Stephanie Moulton Sarkis, PhD, NCC, DCMHS, LMHC

    Psychotherapist

    is an author, mental health counselor, and Florida Supreme Court certified family and circuit mediator. She specializes in anxiety, gaslighting, narcissistic abuse, and ADHD.

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  • Katharine I. Ransom-DiCerbo, PhD, MBA

    Interdisciplinary Researcher

    is an applied researcher with a background in project management, politics, and education. She embraces inclusive methodologies, intersectionality, and diversity in her work.

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