Our Story
REConnections Education Center was created to fill a gap that many families know all too well—a lack of school options that truly understand and support special needs and neurodivergent children.
Co-founders Joleen R. Fernald and Lilibel Bernhardt spent years working with families in private practice. They saw firsthand how traditional schools often fell short, focusing on compliance, not connection, offering surface-level support instead of real, integrated care. They wanted to create something different, a place that not only provides the support children need but also honors their differences and doesn’t try to fit them into a box.
REConnections Education Center was built to be that place. It’s a place where speech and occupational therapy are integrated into the school day and where developmental approaches take the lead. At REConnections, students are seen, supported, and celebrated for who they are, not who someone else expects them to be.
What We Believe
At REConnections Education Center, we use a neurodiversity-affirming approach rooted in the DIRFloortime® model. Our mission is to provide a therapeutic approach to education by integrating speech and occupational therapy into a supportive, relationship-based school environment.
Our core values:
Individualized support for every student
Collaboration between educators, therapists, and families
A deep respect for each child’s unique way of learning, communicating, and connecting
The DIR® approach honors each child’s individuality by fostering safety, trust, and meaningful development at their own pace and on their own terms. Our approach is relationship-based and respectful—we never ask students to mask or perform.
Meet Our Founders
Joleen R. Fernald, PhD, CCC-SLP, BCS-CL
Executive Director and Cofounder
Joleen is a speech-language pathologist with nearly 30 years of experience and a PhD in Infant and Early Childhood Development. She is a Board Certified Specialist in Child Language and an expert-level DIRFloortime® provider. As a parent of a neurodivergent child herself, Joleen brings both professional expertise and personal insight to the work she does every day.
Lilibel Bernhardt, PhD, COTA/L
Director and Cofounder
Lilibel is a certified Occupational Therapy Practitioner with a PhD in Organizational Psychology. She has worked with neurodivergent children since 2013 and brings a strong background in sensory integration and relationship-based therapy. At REConnections Education Center, she leads with intention, ensuring every aspect of the program stays aligned with the school’s mission.
Board of Directors
Joleen Fernald - President
Lilibel Bernhardt - Vice President
Emily Moniz - Secretary and Treasurer
Matthew Anderson - Matthew Anderson and Associates
Natalie McElwain - The Social Circle by Natalie
Michael Hill - Financial Advisor with Edward Jones
Erin Haney - Co-owner of Spectrum Fudge
Ryan Chissell - Chissell Mortgage Group
Meet Our Team
Leadership & Administration
Michelle Pecora, COTA/L – Occupational Therapy Program Director
Linda Obenshain – Floortime Player Supervisor / Lead Teacher
Emily Moniz – Education Coordinator
Lorie Collum – Accounts Payable
Occupational Therapy Team
Amanda Bookman, OTR/L – Supervisory Occupational Therapist
Lilibel Bernhardt, COTA/L – Certified Occupational Therapy Practitioner
Michelle Pecora, COTA/L – Certified Occupational Therapy Practitioner
Elizabeth Foster, COTA/L – Certified Occupational Therapy Practitioner
Speech Therapy Team
Joleen R. Fernald, PhD, CCC-SLP, BCS-CL - Supervisory Speech-Language Pathologist
Hailey Mullis, SLPA – Speech-Language Pathology Assistant
Donelle Sinnott, SLPA – Speech-Language Pathology Assistant
Education Team
Linda Obenshain – Teacher
Ashley Pado, SLPA – Teacher
Yuliya Tate – Teacher
Abby Schreiner – Teacher
Alicja Rolek – Teacher
Laura Sauer - Teacher
Floortime Players
Ava McArthur
Brittany Whitaker
Valencia Williams
