ANANDA S. ASPEN 

EDUCATION SPECIALIST AND AUTISM CONSULTANT

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

 

PROFESSIONAL TRAINING:

 

            California State University, Fresno

 

                        1981    B.A., Major in Art, Minor in Latin American Studies

                        1986    Multiple Subject Teaching Credential

                        1988    Bilingual Certification, Spanish

                        1994    M.A., Special Education, Severely Disabled Teaching Credential,

                                    Learning Handicapped Teaching Credential

                        2005    Administrative Services Credential

                     present    member, Cohort 11, joint doctoral program in Educational Leadership, CSU Fresno/UC Davis

                                    ABD as of June, 2005

 

            University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

2001        Advanced Level II  T.E.A.C.C.H. training

(TEACCH = Training and Education for Autistic and Communicatively Handicapped Children)

 

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

 

           2009-present    Education Specialist, California Department of Education (Central California Diagnostic Center)

 

              2005-2009         SELPA Austism Consultant, Fresno County Office of Eduction

    2000-2005         Educational Specialist, FUSD Department of Special Education

            2001-2002           Restructuring Consultant, Starr Elementary

 

            1999-2000           Adjunct Site Faculty, CSUF Cal State Teach Program

 

            1998-present        Adjunct Faculty, Fresno Pacific University, teaching special education courses and serving as

                                        coordinator for Early Childhood Education and Autism studies

                                   

            1998-2000           Teacher - Resource Specialist Program (50%) at Lowell Elementary

                                        ISGI (30%) FUSD Department of Special Education

 

1991-1998                  Fresno County Office of Education, Teacher - Severely Handicapped SDC,

                            Sunset School (Ramacher integrated site) and  Preschool Severely

                            Handicapped SDC, Ramacher Developmental Center

           

            1986-1991           Mendota Unified School District, Teacher - Bilingual Learning Handi-

                                        capped SDC

 

            1986-87               Sanger Unified School District Summer Programs, Teacher - Pre-Algebra

                                        and adult ESL

 

 

PROFESSIONAL AWARDS AND TITLES:

 

            2001-2005       District-wide Educational Specialist for Fresno Unified School District

 

            1996-1998       Fresno County Office of Education, T.E.A.C.C.H. Coordinator

                                    (TEACCH = Training and Education for Autistic and Communicatively

                                    Handicapped Children)

 

            1996-1998       Fresno County Office of Education, Mentor Teacher

 

            1995-1997       Ramacher Center, Principal Designee

 

 

STAFF DEVELOPMENT AND INSERVICES:

 

            Since 1996, I have given more than 200 inservice presentations throughout the San Joaquin

            Valley on the topics listed below.  While working for Fresno Unified, I gave as many as five

            or six inservices for state or district credit each week.  Topics presented include:

 

            Focused only on Autism:

                        Physical Structure for autistic students

                        Visual Structure for autistic students

                        Using Visual Schedules with autistic students

                        Autism: from the outside looking in

 

            Special Ed and Mainstreaming Topics:

                        TEACCH/Structured Teaching for SD Classrooms

                        Managing the Behaviorally Challenged Child in a Community Hospital Setting

                        Peer Tutors - How to Use them Effectively

                        Mainstreaming - Future Implications

                        Teaching the Medically Fragile Child

                        Technology for Severely Disabled Classrooms

                        Understanding Learning Disabilities

                        Legal Foundations for Inclusion

                        Inclusive Models - A Typical Day

                        Structuring Classrooms for Success

                        Collaboration and Conflict Resolution

                        Traumatic Brain Injury

 

            General Education Topics:

                        Language Arts through Technology

                        Leveling Math Curriculum

                        Leveling Language Arts Curriculum

                       

 

 

RECENT PROFESSIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

 

            Presented program (with Cristin Hubbell) on "Technology and Video Modeling to

                        Improve Academic and Social Learning" for the F.E.A.T. group at the University

                        of California MIND Institute, Sacramento, California, January 2004

 

            Published paper (with Michelle Austin) entitled "How to 'Visualize' Success in the

                        Treatment of Autism" in the California Speech-Language-Hearing Association

                        CSHA Magazine, Vol. 33, No. 2, Fall 2003, pp 10-12.  

 

            Appointed by FUSD School Board as one of five district-wide specialists working in

                        the area of professional development and providing guidance for general and

                        special education programs   2001-2005

           

            Appointed by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing to the CBEST

Committee on Reading and Writing (writing and reviewing new questions for the

CBEST test in conjunction with outside consultant)  1998-present

           

            California Schools Leadership Academy  1999-2001

 

 

PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS AND AFFILIATIONS:

 

            CATESOL   1998-present

 

            California Association of Bilingual Educators   1990-present

 

            California Teachers Association (1997-98 Negotiating Team Member)

 

            Task Force of Medically Complex Children, 1996-1998 (Fresno County, under

                        direction of Dr. Pete Mehas)

 

            Council of Exceptional Children   1991-present

 

            Blind Babies Association   1984-present

 

            Exceptional Parents Unlimited   1984-1986

 

 

COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES AND ORGANIZATIONS:

 

            Sierra Club, Tehipite Chapter Executive Committee Member 1999-2002

 

            Fresno High Historical Neighborhood Association  1994-present  (founding member)