Noreen O'Mahoney's commitment to collaborative advocacy has been developed professionally as well as through her role as a parent of children with special needs. Ms. O'Mahoney is a licensed School District Administrator and a Certified Social Worker with more than 40 years of experience.
She has served in many capacities: as a member of numerous child study teams chair of parent advisory committees Chair of Committees on Special Education program development specialist of individualized case coordination councils and clinical coordinator of an alternative high school. Ms. O'Mahoney also trained school personnel on a statewide level to identify and service children's unique academic and emotional needs.
As a special education advocate, she has completed numerous special education training programs, including the State of CT's respected Partners in Policymaking program. She is a past member of the Executive Board of SPED*NET, the Special Education Network, a non-profit corporation organized exclusively to educate the public about special needs, special education and disability-related issues.
Ms. O'Mahoney is the co-author of the well-received web book: Bringing Knowledge to The Table: How To Be an Effective Advocate For Your Child, as well as other professional articles on special education advocacy.
Ms. O'Mahoney has been an invited presenter at statewide conferences and numerous parent training seminars. In addition, she makes herself available to speak to organizations seeking to educate and empower parents with the information they need to become effective advocates on behalf of their children.
She received her advanced degree in School District Administration from the State University of New York, and her Masters Degree in Social Work from Syracuse University.

Amy Young has developed a broad understanding of the challenges facing families of children with special learning needs through both her professional and personal experiences. Her diverse teaching career has taken her from NYC private schools and charter schools to special education teaching in Fairfield County public school districts. And as the parent of a child with special learning needs, she has the added recognition of the need that such families have for support as they navigate the special education system.This is why she has chosen to focus on sharing the knowledge and expertise she has acquired with these families through special education advocacy.

Over the course of her 12-year education career, Ms. Young's experiences have built a solid recognition of both student needs and teacher perspective that supports a collaborative approach to parent-school teams effectively addressing a child's educational needs. Given her in-depth involvement in analyzing testing results and evaluations, understanding the appropriate services or accommodations and modifications that should be recommended in response to testing results, and active engagement in the Individualized Education Program (IEP) process - focused especially on goal writing - Ms. Young is well-prepared to help families assess whether a child's identified special learning needs are truly being addressed.

Her teaching career has led from New York City private and charter schools (Claremont Preparatory School, Hyde Leadership Charter School, Girls Prep Charter School) to several years in each of two public school districts in Connecticut: Greenwich Public Schools and Darien Public Schools - most recently as a special education teacher at Holmes Elementary in Darien.

Ms. Young has a Bachelor of Arts, as well as a Masters Degree in Elementary Education from Lehigh University (PA), and additional Masters Degrees in Special Education from Mercy College (NY) and Fairfield University (CT). She also has her certification in special education from both NY and CT.

Carole Pakkala's considerable expertise in the development and implementation of IEPs and SPED programs is based not only on her nearly 15 years as a SPED Administrator in CT public schools, but also on her extensive and varied SPED teaching experiences in both public and private schools. These combined experiences have created a professional who has expansive knowledge of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and how it has been interpreted through CT SPED Regulations, and the ability to write IEPs and 504 Plans that utilize best practices and evidence-based/research based programs to promote learning opportunities for the SPED community.

Her understanding of an individual student's learning characteristics and learning styles, linked with her knowledge of effective teaching practices, help Ms. Pakkala to be a student centered and solutions-oriented problem solver within the special education arena.

As a member of the CAA Team, she uses her significant skills to continue to contribute to the education of students with special learning needs by working directly in support of them and their families.

Ms. Pakkala retired from her most recent position as Special Education Administrator for the New Canaan Public Schools, overseeing all aspects of middle and high school SPED programs since 2005. Previously she provided direct instruction as a SPED teacher for high school students with challenging learning and behavior needs, working with students with ASD, learning disabilities, by targeting instruction for post-secondary outcomes, including college readiness, social skills, and independent living skills.

She graduated from The Pennsylvania State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Special Education and earned her Master of Arts Degree in Special Education from Fairfield University. Ms. Pakkala has also completed the advanced certification program in Educational Leadership from Southern Connecticut State University.

She is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of Saint Joseph in West Hartford, CT, as an instructor in the school's Master of Special Education Program, teaching courses including assessment, learning adaptations, and reading instruction.