Think Inclusive

Debbie Taub — TASH board member and technical assistance provider with the TIES Center, a national TA center focused on building inclusive systems for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. Also brings a parent perspective as a mom advocating at the IEP table. Diane Ryndak — Professor at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro; co‑chair of TASH’s Inclusive Education Comm...

Charmaine Thaner is an inclusion advocate and founder of Collaborative Special Education Advocacy. She’s a former self‑contained special education teacher who became a general education teacher for 15 years, and now works alongside families and schools to make inclusive education real. She also hosts the long‑running Facebook Live series The Art of Advocacy . Her path runs from Slippery Rock State...

Kanwal Singh — former Director of the Vishwas school (India) and author of Hanging On: A Special Educator’s Journey into Inclusive Education (published in 2020). She began her career in 1988 at the Spastic Society of Northern India and has spent more than three decades moving from special education to integration to inclusion. Currently, she consults with the UK-based Enabling Education Network, s...

Russ Ewell — Founder of E‑soccer and Digital Scribbler; CEO of Hope Technology Group; host of the Lead Different Podcast; and father of children with disabilities. His inclusion journey began when his eldest son was born with Down syndrome, which led him to create inclusive sports programs so kids with and without disabilities could play together. When Russ Ewell saw his son segregated in youth sp...

Meg Grigal — Researcher and program leader at the Institute for Community Inclusion, University of Massachusetts Boston, where she directs multiple federally funded projects that expand access to higher education for people with intellectual disability (ID). Cate Weir — Project Coordinator for the Think College National Coordinating Center at UMass Boston; she supports colleges nationwide and has...

Jani Kozlowski is a Technical Assistance Specialist with the Early Childhood TA Center at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute (University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill). She previously served as the inclusion lead for the Office of Head Start’s National Center on Early Childhood Development, Teaching, and Learning, and is the author of Every Child Can Fly: An Early Childhood Educat...

Dr. Ross Greene is the New York Times bestselling author of Lost at School and Raising Human Beings. He developed the Collaborative and Proactive Solutions (CPS) model, a framework for supporting children with challenging behavior by focusing on problem-solving rather than punishment. Formerly on the faculty at Harvard Medical School for over 20 years, Dr. Greene is now the founding director of Li...

Dr. Mona Delahooke is a licensed clinical psychologist with over 30 years of experience supporting children and families. She is a senior faculty member at the Profectum Foundation and a member of the American Psychological Association. Dr. Delahooke is the author of Beyond Behaviors: Using Brain Science and Compassion to Understand and Solve Children’s Behavioral Challenges and Brain-Body Parenti...

Mazey Eddings is an author and dentist who identifies as neurodivergent (anxiety since childhood; ADHD and autism diagnosed later). She’s on a personal mission to destigmatize mental health and write “love stories for every brain.” She also proudly claims the title of stage mom to her cats, Yaya and Zedi. Host Tim Villegas talks with Mazey Eddings about neurodiverse representation in romance , the...

Liz Weintraub — Senior Advocacy Specialist at the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD); host of the monthly YouTube series Tuesdays with Liz: Disability Policy for All, where she breaks down complex policy terms and bills so everyone can understand and advocate. She’s interviewed legislators and has produced 200+ short episodes over ~5–7 years. Kenneth Kelty — Motivational spea...

Rasheera Dopson — Author, disability justice activist, researcher, and MPH student at Morehouse School of Medicine whose work explores the intersection of race, gender, and disability. She founded Beauty With a Twist in 2016 to build community among women and girls with disabilities and hosts the WomanHood & Disability podcast, creating a safe, intersectional space that bridges disabled and no...

Matt (he/him) — Disability advocate (legal name withheld in the episode), graduate of Wake Forest University, podcaster, and independent contractor. He lives with cerebral palsy and discusses the tightrope of earning income while maintaining essential Medicaid benefits. He also co-hosts the actual‑play Dungeons & Dragons podcast With Rolls and No Luck under the alias “Samurai Fooks.” Shirene H...

Ira Eidle (Decatur, GA) is an autistic self‑advocate and curator of Autistic Archive , a growing collection that preserves and teaches the history of the neurodiversity movement. He earned a B.A. in Theater & Performance Studies from Kennesaw State University, completed the 2020 Autism Campus Inclusion program with the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN), and founded the student group Neurod...

Haley Moss (she/her) — autistic attorney, author, artist, and advocate based in Miami, Florida. Known as Florida’s first openly autistic attorney, Haley now works as an educator and consultant to corporations and nonprofits on neurodiversity and disability inclusion, and is a frequent commentator on disability rights. Her books include Great Minds Think Differently , Neurodiversity for Lawyers and...

Lisa Drennan — inclusion expert, trainer, consultant, and founder of Merge Inclusion Consulting. She draws on 37 years of leadership supporting people with disabilities and helps community organizations (like YMCAs, rec programs, camps, libraries, and faith groups) build inclusive cultures where everyone has a meaningful role. Host Tim Villegas talks with Lisa Drennan about moving inclusion beyond...

Alida Miranda-Wolff is the CEO and founder of Ethos, a consultancy firm specializing in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) transformation. She is notable for her book, "Cultures of Belonging: Building Inclusive Organizations that Last," which explores strategies for fostering inclusive environments. Alida's background spans higher education at the University of Chicago, non-profit...

King Williams — Atlanta-based journalist and filmmaker who traces CRT’s history, explains how cases like Dred Scott and Plessy v. Ferguson reveal the gap between what is legal and what is moral, and describes how groups like the United Daughters of the Confederacy shaped school narratives in the South. Alida Miranda-Wolff — CEO and founder of Ethos, clarifies what CRT is (and isn’t), outlines core...

Diana Pastora Carson is an educator of 30+ years who has taught at both the elementary and university levels. She’s a consultant and trainer on disability and diversity, a board alum of Disability Rights California and current board member of Disability Voices United . She hosts the Beyond Awareness: Disability Awareness That Matters podcast and is the author of Beyond Awareness: Bringing Disabili...

Greta Harrison is the creator and host of the Born Fabulous Podcast . A passionate advocate for inclusive education, Greta is a mother of two daughters—her youngest has Down syndrome and autism. Her journey has been shaped by a commitment to learning, community involvement, and storytelling. Greta’s podcast amplifies the voices of self-advocates and their families, showcasing the power of inclusio...

Dr. Zerek Mayes — Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at a private school in Chicago, Illinois. Dena Slanda — Faculty at the University of Central Florida, working on teacher preparation grants through the Office of Special Education Programs. Lindsey Pike — Doctoral candidate at the University of Central Florida in Exceptional Education, focusing on diversity, equity, and inclusion at th...

Amanda Darrow — Director of Youth, Family, and Education at the Utah Pride Center. She holds an M.Ed. and a B.S. in Clinical & Counseling Psychology from Westminster College (Salt Lake City). Her work focuses on helping homes, schools, and community spaces become more inclusive for LGBTQIA+ youth and families, and educating current and future generations about the community. Shamby Polychronis...

Host — Tim Villegas Host of Think Inclusive, framing this “best of” episode and guiding four featured conversations on inclusion. Lou Brown Co‑founder of TASH; this previously unpublished 2019 clip covers “ultimate functioning,” vertical and horizontal teaming, and why inclusive, integrated settings matter for learning and behavior. Katie Novak Universal Design for Learning (UDL) expert and former...

Anthony Ianni is a national motivational speaker and autism self‑advocate, and the first known NCAA Division I men’s basketball player with an autism diagnosis. He played for the Michigan State Spartans , earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Michigan State, and is the author of Centered: Autism, Basketball, and One Athlete’s Dreams . He’s also a husband and dad to two sons, Knox and Nash....

Howard Shane, Ph. D. — Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School and Director of the Autism Language Program at Boston Children’s Hospital. A pioneer in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), Dr. Shane has designed numerous computer applications for people with disabilities, holds two U.S. patents, and has been recognized by national organizations for lifetime contributions to clini...

Karrie Shogren — Director of the Kansas University Center on Developmental Disabilities and Professor in the Department of Special Education at the University of Kansas. Sheida Raley — Assistant Research Professor at the Kansas University Center on Developmental Disabilities and Assistant Professor in the Department of Special Education at the University of Kansas. In this episode, Tim Villegas ta...