Autism Spectrum Disorder - Faculty

Regina Moreno, EdD, has been working in the field of special education for nearly 30 years. She is an associate professor at Portland State University in the Graduate School of Education Department of Special Education. Dr. Moreno’s research focus is on paraprofessionals in relationship to the instruction of students with significant disabilities. Her area of expertise includes the assessment, program development and instruction of individuals with significant disabilities, including students with ASD. Dr. Moreno provides consultative support to schools and families in need of special education services for students with disabilities in Oregon and Washington State. Her private practice includes providing staff development services, site-based training, workshops, student behavioral/educational program development, and other supports to school districts and families.

Arlene Raphael, MS, has over thirty-five years of experience working with children from infancy through young adulthood who display mild to severe disorders of communication, social relatedness, sensory processing, and behavior. Ms. Raphael is an experienced team leader providing training and consultation to educational staff and support to families through parent education and individual consultation. She was an autism specialist and early intervention/early childhood specialist with the Clackamas Educational Service District for 18 years. A co-author and writer on special education topics including Positive Discipline, Ms. Raphael currently is an adjunct instructor and university supervisor in the Department of Special Education at Portland State University.

Tamra Hass, MS, is a licensed speech pathologist and has worked with children with communication delays in school districts and in private practice. Currently employed as a autism specialist in the Beaverton School District, Ms. Hass has worked for the Columbia Regional Program as an autism specialist/speech pathologist, and as the Columbia Regional Program’s autism program chair, where she trained and mentored new autism specialists and collaborated with school administration on issues of policy and procedures. Ms. Hass has authored two computer-based assessments and curricula for autism spectrum disorders, developed and presented regional workshops on the subject of autism, and has extensive experience applying and individualizing positive behavioral intervention strategies.

Sarah Anderson, MS, is an educational facilitator and autism specialist with the Tigard Tualatin School District. Ms. Anderson has over nine years of experience facilitating parent trainings, mentoring and developing curriculum guides for learning specialists, designing and evaluating functional and academic instructional curriculum, and designing, training and managing instructional strategies including discrete trail, pivotal response, social stories, sensory integration, inclusion and environmental designs for individual students.

Lisa Ortiz, MA, has over 25 years experience teaching in general education and special education settings. She has served as an Instructional Assistant, ECSE teacher, special education teacher in a self-contained classroom, community preschool consultant/case manager, K-2 general education teacher, and an elementary resource teacher. As an autism specialist for the past 8 years, she has worked with teachers, administrators, parents and students collaboratively to develop and implement quality programs and interventions for students kindergarten through post high. Ms. Ortiz specializes in coaching and training staff in topics including instructional coaching, teaming, differentiated instruction, and special education procedures, as well as a 10 module series working hands on with general/special education staff, in districts to support students with ASD in general education environments. Ms. Ortiz is currently an autism specialist with the Willamette Educational Service District.

Jill Wood, MS, has over 14 years experience as an EI/ECSE specialist, parent educator, community preschool consultant/trainer, and specialist. As an autism specialist with Willamette Education Service District for the past 7 years, Ms. Wood has worked with districts and teams performing evaluations, developing and implementing effective supports and interventions for students, and supporting the needs of community preschools. Ms. Wood specializes in coaching and training parents and staff in topics including IDEA and inclusion, PBIS, instructional coaching, teaming, and sensory issues, as well as a ten module series working hands-on with general and special education staff in districts to support students with ASD in general education environments. In addition to being an autism specialist, Ms. Wood has two teen-aged sons with autism spectrum disorders.

Jon Morris, MA, is currently an Autism Specialist with Willamette Education Service district. He began teaching Early Childhood Special Education in upstate New York. He taught in a self-contained school age classrooms in Hillsboro and Beaverton. Jon provides services to schools including consultation, leadership, Evaluation for the Identification of Autism, direct services, and coaching with teachers and staff. He has provided trainings to teachers, staff, administrators, and families in a variety of settings with coaching follow-up. He has also provided trainings to the State of Oregon Department of Human Services, Parent Child Preschools of Oregon, and other organizations. Mr. Morris recently completed the Initial Administrator Program at George Fox University.