Katy chib: Founder & Education consultant

My passion for advocacy developed in the classroom.  I started out as a substitute teacher in rural Michigan but spent the majority of my teaching career working with students with disabilities in central and southern Los Angeles. Later, as an IEP chair and school administrator, I gained an intricate knowledge of best practice in writing and implementing hundreds of IEPs but also learned to navigate the “system”: the mechanisms through which school teams can deny services to students.

My related credentialing includes an M.S. in Special Education and Crosscultural, Language, and Academic Development (CLAD) Certification from the University of LaVerne, Autism Authorization from UCLA, and School Leadership and Administration from Johns Hopkins. COPAA member and registered special education advocate.

Swinita Shah: Special Education Advocate

My name is Swinita Shah and I use a skill set that doubles as a certified Speech-Language Pathologist. I moved into advocacy after growing up as a special needs sibling and my goal is to provide mindful advocacy that comes from lived experience.

With a Masters from Baylor University, my education further enhances my dedication to delivering tailored advocacy for parents as they navigate the special education process. I am a COPAA member and registered special education advocate.

I also own Charm City Speech and can offer interested Beacon clients specialized and inclusive speech pathology services. My goal is to be able to provide assessments, therapy sessions, in-school observations and caregiver coaching to optimize my approach to advocacy.

Christina Devling: Psychologist

Christina is a Registered Psychology Associate and Nationally Certified School Psychologist credentialed in Maryland and California.  She brings over ten years of experience in psychological testing and assessment. Throughout her career, she has worked with individuals across various age groups, providing in-depth evaluations to support accurate diagnoses and treatment plans. Christina specializes in administering a wide range of psychological assessments, tailoring each assessment to the unique needs of her clients.

Her extensive experience allows her to offer insightful, reliable results that help guide clinicians, families, and individuals in making informed decisions about next steps. Christina is passionate about collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to ensure holistic assessment and intervention approaches.  As a Registered Psychology Associate, she receives clinical supervision from Dr. Lauren Bynum.