Our Mission

The Special Education Network Inclusion Association (SENIA) is an association of educators, professionals, and parents whose mission is to advocate for and provide resources/supports for differently-abled individuals.

Our Vision

To live in an inclusive world where every individual is supported, resources are accessible, potential is maximized, and action is inspired. SENIA Bulgaria also aims to help educational professionals establish effective ways to promote inclusion and diversity.

Amanda Frank

Co-Chair

Amanda Frank is one of the co-chairs for SENIA Bulgaria. Amanda has worked in the field of special education in Los Angeles, Boston, Ecuador, and Bulgaria supporting children and adults aged 2-22 for 15 years. She has been a board-certified behavior analyst for 10 years and has worked in both in-home and school environments. She is currently the PreK-12 Behaviour Specialist at the Anglo-American School of Sofia.

 

Joe Gorski

Co-Chair

Joe Gorski has been an educator for over 15 years and worked in Japan, Canada, New York City, Denmark, and Bulgaria. He was part of SENIA Japan for many years (and former co-chair of the board). Currently, he is the Director of Student Support Services at the Anglo-American School of Sofia.

 

 

Kat Harjula

Communications and Social Media and Community Liason

Kat Harjula has been teaching in international schools for nearly twenty years in South Korea, Thailand, Bangladesh, Latvia, and Bulgaria.  She is currently a homeroom teacher in the elementary school at the Anglo-American School of Sofia.

 

 

Eleftheria Patsika

Treasurer, Graphic Designer

Eleftheria Patsika is a talented designer and skilled learning support teacher.  She has been in the Elementary School of the Anglo American School of Sofia for the past three years.  Originally from Greece, she has been in Bulgaria for 6 years.

 

 

 

 

Amy Dincuff

Secretary

Amy Dincuff has been teaching Learning Support and English as a Second Language for 16 years. She is originally from the United States where she taught K-12 in the suburbs of New Jersey as well as in Spanish Harlem in New York City. Internationally, she has worked in London, England and is currently a middle and high school learning support specialist at the Anglo-American School of Sofia.

 

Ruslana Anastasova

Local Service Provider Representative

Ruslana Anastasova is an occupational therapist and learning support specialist. She has been supporting children and their families for more than 20 years. Ruslana served the Anglo-American School of Sofia for 10 years as a learning support specialist. She is also an active member and one of the the chair members of Bulgarian Occupational Therapy Association. Currently, she has her own private practice as an occupational therapist located in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Fill this out in order to become part of SENIA Netherlands. SENIA NL is a sub-chapter of SENIA International and is geared to bringing professionals that work with students with special needs together. From SLPs to OTs to Psychologists to Counselors, and even Learning Support Teachers.

By joining you will become part of the directory, and we will let you know about upcoming events, special interest groups, and more.

MEMBER SIGN-UP

 

MORE COMING SOON!

This page is dedicated to an ongoing vetted directory of professionals in the Netherlands who provide services such as therapy, pscho-educational assessments, Speech Language Pathologists (SLPs), Occupational Therapists (OTs) and more.

We know how hard it can be to find a professional that you feel comfortable with, or find a professional at all, so this will be a resource for people in the NL community.

MORE COMING SOON!

 

This page will have more information about our annual conference coming up in Spring 2022.  More to come!

Top Row (From Left): Denu, Lin, Chris
Middle: (From Left): Emy, Jac
Bottom: (From Left) Peggy, Soo Leng, Dr. Choy

We are excited to welcome our newest members to the board!
Chris Wright: Chair Person
Chris returns to the SENIA Malaysia board after a year’s absence. With a focus on mindfulness and being aware of present experiences, she advocates for the value and dignity of all people. Chris believes in always presuming competence first. She is passionate about children believing in themselves and become their own problem solvers.

Jacqueline Vincent: Membership Coordinator
Jacqueline leads the Inclusion Department in an international school based in Malaysia empowering teachers through collaboration to teach in diverse classrooms while ensuring students are well assimilated both academically and socially.

Emy Hieber: Penang Representative
For the last 6 years, I have lived and worked in Penang with Dalat International School. I am the coordinator for Learning Support. My husband and I have two cats,  many fish, and dozens of plants to keep us company. I’m passionate about neurodiversity and empowering learners to advocate for their needs and embrace their own way of being in the world.

Denu Sankey: Local Network Coordinator (Community Outreach)
Denu is the Head of Inclusion & SENCo at Epsom College in Malaysia. She is also the proud mother of a 13 year old with additional learning needs.

Soo Leng: Social Media Coordinator
Beh Soo Leng is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and holds a Master of
Science in Applied Behavior Analysis. She has been working with individuals with autism
since 2011. Currently, she is a program supervisor at SEED Autism Services. She plans
and manages Individualized Educational Programs (IEPs), behavior support plans and
provide training to therapists, parents and other members of the community.

Returning Members:
Peggy Lam: Corporate Secretary
Peggy is currently the Lead Coach and a Special Education Consultant at Bridging Hope Transition Learning Centre. She now focuses her work on teenagers, adolescents and adults with learning differences. Her biggest desire is to help them live independently and dreams of starting an independent living community in Malaysia to cater to them. She aims to help them understand how unique they are despite their challenges and make a difference in their lives. She enjoys exploring alternative strategies to work with individuals and believes in creating awareness and advocate for the welfare of individuals.

Lin Khuan: Treasurer
Lin has been in the educational line for about 35 years spanning her experience from teaching toddlers all the way to elementary. She is a passionate educator who strives for quality education that is beyond academic excellence, that every child should be given an opportunity to learn and that the child is the most important person in the school.  She believes that every child will succeed when careful observation is done followed strongly by teacher –parent-led approach.

Fortunately for us, two of our founders of the board,  Kate Balsamo and Dr. Choy, and last year’s chair Lizzie Hudson will remain on as advisors to SENIA Malaysia this year!