- BAT Regions and Staff
BAT Regional Offices of Education (ROEs) and Regional Specialists
|
| Region |
Regional Offices of Education (ROEs) |
Regional
Specialist |
Email Contact |
| 1 |
8, 4, 47, 49, 28, 33, 48 |
TBA |
TBA |
| 2 |
44, 34, 16, 31, 19, Cook, 56, 24, 35, 32 |
Joe Thoma |
BATregion2@siu.edu |
| 3 |
26, 1, 51, 40, 41, 53 |
Paula Stewart |
BATregion3@siu.edu |
| 4 |
17, 39, 9, 54, 11, 3 |
TBA |
TBA |
| 5 |
12, 13, 50, 45, 30, 21, 20 |
Jerrah Henson |
BATregion5@siu.edu |
BAT Regional Offices in Illinois
|
 |
- BAT Professional Learning Events
BAT Professional Learning Events
- Technical Assistance Library
- Conference Information
- Guidance Document and Resources
Updated October 2024: Behavioral Interventions in Schools: Guidelines for Development of District Policies for Students with Disabilities
Online Toolkit: Evidence-Based Culturally Responsive Behavior Interventions and Practices for Students with Disabilities - Coming soon!
Resources:
Behavioral Intervention Guidance Working Group
- Dr. Deborah Bruns, Professor Emerita, Southern Illinois University
- Travis Clayton, Special Education Teacher, Carbondale Elementary District #95
- Matt Cohen, Attorney & Family Member, Matt Cohen and Associates
- Michelle Connet, BAT Project Coordinator, Special Education Teacher & Family Member, Southern Illinois University
- Dr. Pamela Fenning, SOE Associate Dean for Research, Professor & School Psychologist, Loyola University-Chicago
- Christina Gibson, Director of Autism and Behavioral Support Services & SEL Coordinator, Belleville School District #118 & IAASE Representative
- Chrissy Harsy, School Nurse & Parent, Du Quoin High School
- Dan Holder, Director of School Improvement & Parent, ROE #4
- Cynthia Martin, Retired Special Education Teacher & Assistant Lecturer, Carmi-White County School Unit #5 & Southern Illinois University
- Dr. Nikki Michalak, Director of Autism Professional Learning and Universal Supports Project & BCBA, Illinois State University
- Brandon Wright, Attorney, Miller, Tracy, Braun, Funk & Miller, Ltd.
- Dr. Louise M. Yoho, Assistant Professor, Southern Illinois University
- Dr. Jessica Zanton, Assistant Professor, Eastern Illinois University
- Prior Webinars and Conference Archive
- Meet the BAT Team
Behavior Assessment Training Project Manager
|
|
Dr. Daniel L Brown
|
|
|
| Dr. Daniel Brown is a dedicated educator with extensive experience in P-12 administration, student assessment, curriculum development, and instructional leadership. His commitment to advancing STEM education is evident through his leadership role at the Southern Illinois University Carbondale's STEM Education Research Center (SERC), where he manages key initiatives aimed at enhancing STEM learning opportunities for students. Dr. Brown has played a pivotal role in designing and managing large-scale education projects, including behavior assessment training programs for special education and the development of high-quality science assessments. His passion for improving student outcomes is reflected in his innovative approaches to integrating technology, data analysis, and hands-on learning into the educational process. |
|
Contact: daniel.l.brown@siu.edu
|
|
Behavior Assessment Training Project Coordinator
|
|
Michelle Connet
|
|
|
For a decade, Michelle Connet dedicated herself to teaching special education from kindergarten through 12th grade. She served as principal for three years in a separate public day school. In 2022, Michelle took on a new challenge as the project coordinator for the BAT Project. Her commitment to education extends beyond the classroom; she is a a former school board member and an active member of several prestigious organizations, including the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), the Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders (CCBD), and the Division of Autism and Developmental Disabilities (DADD). Additionally, she contributes her expertise to the Towards Ending School Exclusion (TESE) Advisory Council, demonstrating her unwavering dedication to improving educational outcomes for all students.
Michelle earned a Bachelor of Arts from Carroll University, an alternative certification in Special Education from Southern Illinois University, and Master of Education in Elementary Administration from William Woods University. She currently is licensed as a LBS1 and General Administrative. Michelle has begun her course sequence to become a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) from Southern Illinois University.
|
| Contact: michelle.connet@siu.edu |
Behavior Assessment Training Content Experts
|
Dr. Louise Yoho
|
|
| Dr. Louise Yoho is an Assistant Professor in the School of Education located at Southern Illinois University. Dr. Yoho areas of interests are behavior, secondary and postsecondary students with disabilities, policies and practices that impact on educational access and access. She earned her Ph.D. from Claremont Graduate University. |
| Contact: louise.yoho@siu.edu |
|
Dr. Deborah Bruns
|
 |
| Dr. Deborah Bruns is a Professor and Program Coordinator in the School of Education located at Southern Illinois University. Dr. Bruns earned her Ph.D from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Bruns' area of interests are effective practices in early childhood special education, addressing feeding difficulties in young children, and developing a profile of care and interventions for children with low incidence trisomy conditions including trisomy 18, trisomy 13, and trisomy 9. |
| Contact: dabruns@siu.edu |
- Meet the BAT Regional Specialists
Regional Specialists
Region 1
TBA
Region 2
Joseph Thoma
- Joseph Thoma has worked with teachers and students across the curriculum landscape for almost three decades. He has spent his career trying to find ways to support the needs of all students. He has served in many leadership roles including assistant principal at a large middle school, behavior interventionist coordinator at a special education cooperative, and high school teacher. As a teacher, he taught advanced placement, conflict resolution, and social studies. He developed a mentoring program to support the needs of students with disabilities and at-risk students. Joe has worked with teachers providing professional development in the areas of PBIS, crisis prevention, and restorative practices.
- Joe earned his B.S. in Social Studies Education, his M.S. in Special Education, and his post masters K-12 Principal License from Indiana State University. He is really excited to work with educators across Illinois.
- Contact information: BATregion2@siu.edu
Region 3
Paula Stewart
- Paula comes to the BAT project with a multitude of experiences spanning over two decades in the special education field. Her career began in a dual role as a TMH classroom paraprofessional and as a 1:1 aide for a general education student with Asperger's Syndrome. These experiences across the special education continuum, among many others, led to a self-contained LIFE (Learning in Functional Environments) classroom within a special education cooperative, where she taught students with autism, multiple disabilities, and behaviors. Working predominantly with nonverbal students in this role, Paula always advocated to 'meet students where they are not where we think they should be'. Additionally, she was the Administrator of three Esser Grant programs for both ED and LIFE student populations.
- Paula holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from MacMurray College in Jacksonville; an LBS1 endorsement from the University of St. Francis in Joliet; and earned her Master's degree in Educational Leadership and Administrative certification from the University of Illinois at Springfield.
- Contact information: BATregion3@siu.edu
Region 4
TBA
Region 5
Dr. Jerrah Henson
- Jerrah Henson is a highly accomplished educational leader with a diverse background in teaching and administration. She earned her Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Illinois State University in 2021, following advanced degrees from Eastern Illinois University, including a Specialist in Education and a Masters of Science in Education, both in Educational Administration. Her academic journey began with a Bachelor of Science in Education, specializing in Special Education.
- Dr. Henson has demonstrated a commitment to professional development throughout her career. Notably, she served as a Teaching Assistant in Leadership for Social Justice at Illinois State University, where she co-instructed and planned content activities, providing valuable feedback to students. Her administrative experience includes roles such as Elementary Principal and Director of Special Education, where she facilitated school improvement processes, data analysis, and the creation of inclusive environments for students with special needs. Dr. Henson's leadership and dedication have been recognized with awards such as the 2018 Rising Star Leadership Award from the EIU Alumni Association and model classroom recognitions in 2005 and 2007.
- Her extensive work history includes positions such as a Yoga Educator, various teaching, and administrative roles in elementary setting throughout the southern region of Illinois. Dr. Henson has been active in presenting at state conferences on topics like PBIS and co-teaching, and she has contributed to cognitive guided math instruction initiatives.
- Contact information: BATregion5@siu.edu
- Meet the BAT Limited Content Writers
Limited Content Writers
Angie Hargrave
- Although Angie is an early career special education teacher, her career in education began several years ago as a paraprofessional. She has supported students within a separate public day school and in a classroom embedded in a district school. Angie is deeply passionate about understanding how childhood trauma affects education. She is committed to exploring how these experiences can help students and teachers develop positive "survival" qualities that enhance our educational journey.
- Bachelor of Science - Special Education from Southern Illinois University. Angie has begun her coursework in the Master of Science in Education in Curriculum and Instruction program with an emphasis on teacher leadership at Southern Illinois University.
Kim Nelson
- Kim recently retired as an administrator, capping off a successful 35-year career in special education. Her decades of experience touched on nearly every area of this field and included frequent collaboration with general education staff and administrators. Her specific roles included, but were not limited to, teaching students with moderate to severe disabilities; supervising special education staff and programs for member districts in a special education cooperative; and administering low incidence special education programs (Early Childhood and LIFE), as well as three other departments (Supervisors, Developmental Screening, and Diagnostic Clinic) within the same cooperative. Kim's career has been found by a passion and motivation for instruction that ensures all students' needs are met within the classroom and consistent support for students and programs from all areas of need, including concentrations in autism, multiple disabilities, and behavior. She lose forward to sharing her experiences and knowledge with the BAT team for a second year and to continue to support these students and programs across the state.
- Bachelor of Science in Special Education-Illinois State University. Master of Science in Educational Leadership - University of Illinois - Springfield
Aaren Ruten
- Currently, Aaren is a Kindergarten-2nd grade Special Education teacher. Prior to teaching, Aaren gained 10 years of experience in a special education classroom as a classroom paraprofessional for a school at an in-patient treatment facility for at-risk youth. This work provided experience with a wide variety of behaviors in the classroom stemming from social-emotional needs. Aaren has worked with students who are non-verbal, exhibit self-harm behaviors, physically aggressive, and have been unsuccessful within the general education environment. She is also a parent of a child who qualified for special education services from kindergarten through graduation which offers a unique perspective from both sides of the IEP meeting table. One of Aaren's interests is the importance of data collection in the IEP writing process and writing inclusive goals for Behavior Intervention Plans to include students with disabilities in school-wide incentive programming. Aaren is serving her first term as a school board member in her local school district.
- Bachelor of Arts in English from University of Illinois-Springfield, Master of Education-Special Education from Grand Canyon University.
