The Oklahoma Autism Center (OAC) is comprised of an interdisciplinary team of professionals including special and general educators, speech/language pathologists, school psychologist, occupational therapist, family support coordinator, board certified behavior analysts and research personnel. In addition, the Oklahoma Autism Center team has access to a broader professional staff at the Child Study Center (CSC) for consultation and collaboration. These professionals include developmental and behavioral pediatricians, clinical child psychologists and other health professionals.
Our Vision
All children in Oklahoma with autism spectrum disorder (and related disabilities) have access to high-quality services in their local communities.
Our Mission
To improve the quality of life for children with autism spectrum disorder (and related disabilities) and their families by building capacity of public programs and other providers to offer effective services.
Our Strategic Process
Our mission will be accomplished by the advancement of knowledge and skills through continuing education, internships, coaching, mentoring and scientific inquiry; resulting in systems change at state, regional and community levels.
Our Values
- Community-based, inclusive services accessible to children and families
- Family-professional partnerships
- Team work and interdisciplinary practice
- Acceptance and respect for individual differences
- Use of scientifically validated strategies.
Meet Our Team
Kacey Armour provides consultation to public school professionals as part of the Oklahoma Autism Center team. She is a licensed speech language pathologist and has worked with children and youth with autism for over 7 years in a variety of settings including, hospitals, public schools, in-home therapy, and outpatient clinics. Kacey’s areas of expertise, related to ASD, includes teaching and implementing functional communication systems and positive behavior supports to reduce challenging behavior.
Margaret Bergant consults with the OAC on program development and evaluation goals. She is a retired special educator with experience in providing leadership in improving programs for children with disabilities in Oklahoma. She has been a classroom teacher and administrator in the public schools and held a leadership position at the Oklahoma State Department of Education, overseeing the implementation of Early Intervention services in the state. In addition, Ms. Bergant has written and implemented large federal grants, collected and analyzed data to improve service delivery, assisted in developing state performance plans based on outcomes, and developed a strategic plan for professional development.
Gina Bryan provides accounting support for all projects of the OAC. She has broad business management and human resource experience from working in the non-profit sector. Ms. Bryan also has over 15 years of experience as a social worker and working specifically with families of young children with developmental disabilities.
Jeanne Buchanan is a family support specialist and co-leads the Early Access Autism Project as part of the Oklahoma Autism Center. She has assisted with the development of the OAC projects and programs and has served as a resource for the community for over 11 years as part of the OAC. Ms. Buchanan helps promote family/school partnerships and has expertise in local autism resources, and making referrals for families, educators and other professionals. In addition Ms. Buchanan has personal experience raising a child on the autism spectrum and serves to assure that the family perspective and culture are considered and integrated into all services provided.
Kim Densmore brings her experience and expertise from working in non-profit, public, therapy, and home-based settings with individuals with autism of various ages from preschool to adulthood to help guide and support Oklahoma Autism Center’s programs. She holds teaching certificates in Special Education, Elementary Education, and English as a Second Language as well as a Registered Behavior Technician certificate. Kim has been a long-time advocate for Oklahoma Autism Center’s mission and programming since attending the Summer Symposium at Early Foundations Model Site in Oklahoma City as a Special Education teacher in 2009. Kim previously worked for 4 years at the Early Foundations site in Tulsa as well prior to moving to the Oklahoma City area.
Seth Kastner co-leads the Early Access autism screening project and also serves as technology support specialist. Mr. Kastner has worked collaboratively with OAC team to develop projects and programs. His work includes data collection, assessment and program support and evaluation. Mr. Kastner is trained to administer a variety of evidence-based screening and assessment instruments and conducts screening implementation training. Additionally, he assists in writing grant proposals and reports and provides technical assistance for various projects, including technology support and multimedia.
Kelli Marshall is an affiliate of the Oklahoma Autism Center. She provides consultative services for children and youth on the autism spectrum, conducts trainings and workshops and oversees projects of the OAC. Kelli is currently a licensed speech-language pathologist and has over 15 years of experience working with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Ms. Marshall’s areas of expertise, related to ASD, include developing and expanding functional communication systems and social skills instruction. In addition to her role with the OAC she also is the co-owner of Today’s Therapy Solutions.
Bonnie McBride is Director of programs and the co-founder of the Oklahoma Autism Center. She is also an associate professor of pediatrics in the Section of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. She has worked to develop a program of service to the community and a research agenda as part of her work with the OAC. She has over 25 years’ experience in the field of autism spectrum disorders and developmental disabilities as a certified teacher, Board Certified Behavior Analyst and researcher. Dr. McBride’s work has focused primarily on early treatment of ASD, program development and effective implementation of evidence-based practices. She works collaboratively with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) on the Learn the Signs. Act Early. She has numerous publications that appear in peer reviewed journals as well as serving on the editorial board of national journals. She is also co-investigator on multiple nationally funded research grants.
Kathryn Moore is a licensed psychologist and assistant professor of pediatrics in the Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics section at the OU Health Sciences Center. Dr. Moore supports training and research activities at the OAC, and she provides specialized services for children with neurodevelopmental disabilities and autism at the OU Child Study Center.
Marisa Singletary coordinates on-site consultations as well as conducting consultative services as part of the MESA Project. She has more than 20 years of experience working with children with mild, moderate, and severe/profound disabilities in the classroom and as a consultant. Ms. Singletary holds a B.S. in Elementary Education with a specialization in Special Education and a M.Ed. in Educational Psychology from Texas A&M University. Marisa has served as an Autism Spectrum Disorder Specialist in three public school districts and as a consultant with various agencies.
Tara Warwick leads the consultative team for OAC. She provides on-site consultation services for public school professionals, conducts workshops and on-site trainings. Ms. Warwick is a licensed occupational therapist and has over 20 years of experience working with children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Ms. Warwick’s areas of expertise, includes classroom based interventions for children with ASD and addressing challenging behavior through environmental adaptations. In addition to her work with OAC she is co-owner of Today’s Therapy Solutions.
