Virginia Spielmann (she/her), PhD, OTR/L 
Executive Director
STAR Institute
Host

Virginia is a well-travelled speaker, coach and educator on topics including sensory integration, DIR/Floortime, child development and infant mental health. She has conducted trainings in Kenya, Australia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Hong Kong, and the USA and leads workshops at international conferences.

Virginia is a founder and former Clinical Director of SPOT (Speech, Physical, and Occupational Therapy) Interdisciplinary Children's Therapy Center in Hong Kong, where she led a large and widely respected inter-disciplinary team.

Virginia obtained her BSc in Occupational Therapy in Oxford England (2002) and her Masters in Occupational Therapy from Mount Mary University, Milwaukee (2018). She is a DIR/Floortime Training Leader and Expert and clinical consultant for the Interdisciplinary Council for Development and Learning (ICDL). Her extensive pediatric experience includes children on the autism spectrum, as well as those with Sensory Processing Disorder, infant mental health issues, adoption, developmental trauma.

Virginia has considerable post-graduate training, she is certified on the SIPT and is currently completing her Ph.D. in Infant and Early Childhood Development with an emphasis on mental health, with Fielding Graduate University, in Santa Barbara. She is a published author and contributed to the STAR Frame of Reference as part of the 4th Edition of Frames of Reference for Pediatric Occupational Therapy, alongside Dr. Miller and Dr. Schoen.

Carrie Alvarado, PhD, OTR 
Chief Operating Officer
Autism Community Network

Dr. Carrie Alvarado serves as the Chief Operating Officer for Autism Community Network (ACN), which is a non-profit in San Antonio Texas that provides autism diagnostic and peri-diagnostic support for families of children 0-6 years of age. Carrie has a PhD in Infant and Early Childhood Development with an emphasis on Infant Mental Health and Developmental Disorders. Dr. Alvarado was the first in the United States to become a Pediatric Autism Communication Therapy (PACT) Accredited Practitioner. She serves as an Associate with PACT UK. Carrie is a DIR®Floortime™ Certified Expert Clinician, and she serves as an Assistant Faculty for the Profectum™ Foundation. 

Dr. Alvarado also serves as the lead for the Clinical Advisory Committee for STAR Institute in Colorado. Dr. Alvarado is passionate about building bridges where none yet exist, about innovating and expanding the boundaries of our knowledge, and about meeting families and fellow clinicians where they are and empowering them to find the gifts they all have to give.

Amy Laurent (she/her) PhD, OTR/L 
Developmental Psychologist, Occupational Therapist, Co-Director
Autism Level UP!

Dr. Amy Laurent is a developmental psychologist and a registered pediatric occupational therapist. She is a co-author of the SCERTS model, a comprehensive, evidence-based model for supporting autistic individuals across the lifespan. She frequently lectures and provides training throughout the United States and internationally on topics related to neurodiversity and helping others to understand and honor the implications of "different ways of being" in relation to navigating the physical and social world. Her research interests include emotional / energy regulation and active engagement in natural contexts. Dr. Laurent strives to practice what she preaches and uses her love of play and movement to meet her own regulatory needs.

Jacquelyn Fede (she/her), PhD 
Psychologist, Autistic Self-Advocate
Autism Level UP!
USA

Jacquelyn Fede, PhD is a super fun, Autistic Self-Advocate, developmental psychologist and program evaluator.  Her research interests include immigration policy, autism, and community engagement.  She uses her experience to help educate others about autism through lecturing, blogging and consulting on evaluation projects.  A full scholarship Division 1 athlete in college, Dr. Fede continues to meet her sensory needs by seeking extreme physical activity.  She also enjoys the use of creativity and art for expression.  

Alexa Herrera (she/her), OTD, OTR/L 
Occupational Therapist
STAR Institute

Alexa graduated from Colorado State University with a Bachelor of Science in Health and Exercise Science. She then went on to complete her Doctorate of Occupational Therapy at Belmont University. Alexa’s doctoral capstone was on the role of occupational therapy in postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) and sensory modulation in POTS. She has spoken on POTS at the AOTA Inspire Conference and Dysautonomia International Annual Conferences. 

Alexa has experience practicing in outpatient, early intervention, and home health settings. Alexa is passionate about providing neurodiversity-affirming care. She also has experience with adapting augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices to facilitate access and navigation. Alexa has completed the STAR Institute Intensive Mentorship Program Level 1.

Hannah Robertson (she/her), OTD, OTR/L 
Occupational Therapist
STAR Institute

Hannah graduated from the University of Iowa with a Bachelor of Arts in Health and Human Physiology, with a minor in psychology. She then went on to complete her Doctorate of Occupational Therapy at St. Ambrose University. During her time at St. Ambrose University, she worked closely under a faculty mentor to support efforts towards establishing test-retest reliability and collecting normative data for the Evaluation in Ayres Sensory Integration (EASI) standardized assessment. Hannah's doctoral capstone project was on the role of occupational therapy in neurodiversity affirming feeding therapy. 

Hannah has clinical experience in sensory integration, outpatient and school-based pediatrics, and acute care. Her special interests include continuing research to support evidence-based practice and providing neurodiversity-affirming care to clients and their support systems. She is passionate about celebrating clients as they discover their most authentic versions of themselves. Hannah has completed STAR’s Level I Intensive Mentorship program and Proficiency Level I, as well as DIR Floortime 201 and SOS Approach to Feeding trainings, further deepening her knowledge in relationship-based, sensory-informed care.