Beth Deiter is an experienced pediatric speech-language pathologist whose home-based service delivery model holds a unique niche in Chicago’s northwest suburbs. As a therapist who sees the big picture, Beth also acknowledges the isolation that can accompany the responsibility of caring for a child who receives therapy services and appreciates the reassurance that can be gained from participating in a group of individuals with shared experiences and ideas. Therefore, over the past several years, Beth has become a strong advocate for establishing an inclusive community of compassionate and supportive caregivers both online and in-person. She looks forward to continuing this initiative as the Founder and Board Chair of C.I.T.Y. of Support, and she is so very appreciative of her own family’s support in this endeavor. Her husband, Chris, and her two children, Cecilia and Elliott, have been beyond patient in understanding her new time commitments, and yet they are just as excited to see what new adventures lie ahead.
James Weedon is a Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrician and works with families to evaluate, diagnose, and manage ongoing developmental or behavioral problems for children. He is the father to three young children who help keep him up to date on all the newest trends and video games to give him street cred with his patients, although he is young at heart himself. Dr. Weedon works with families to navigate the maze of Early Intervention, Special Education, private therapies, and medical interventions. He is a strong supporter of building communities where knowledge and acceptance of children with special needs is the norm and community programs and activities are accessible to all.
Maria Papanastassiou is an assistant manager/youth librarian in the NW suburbs of Chicago. She has worked with Beth and C.I.T.Y. of Support for the last several years developing programming and services focusing on supporting families with children who receive therapy services. Maria is part of her library's Disabilities Inclusion team and a member of SNAILS (Special Needs and Inclusive Library Services). Maria previously worked in special education as an inclusion teaching assistant at the middle school level instructing youth with various disabilities and/or learning differences by collaborating with classroom teachers and therapists to provide a supportive educational environment. Maria hopes that her involvement with C.I.T.Y of Support encourages other libraries to concentrate additional efforts on developing resources and services that are accessible and inclusive for all families in their communities. Maria is supported in her endeavors by her husband, Aleks, and two daughters, Sophia and Eliana.
Jeremy is a fiduciary financial advisor with over 15 years of industry experience. His practice is focused on helping families navigate the vast financial complexities involved with raising a child with special needs. Jeremy is a husband and father of two wonderful children, Parker and Remi. At 5 ½ months of age, Parker was diagnosed with infantile spams, a horrific form of epilepsy. Since his brain surgery in 2017, he has been completely seizure-free and is truly a walking miracle. However, Parker has also endured countless hours of various therapies that continue to this day and beyond. Having personally seen the benefits of our organization, Jeremy looks to bring a new perspective to our board with the hope of positively impacting even more families who could benefit from all that C.I.T.Y. of Support has to offer.
Amy is a mother of two boys and has 10 years of experience working as an RN, MSN. When her younger son Ethan was diagnosed with ASD at 2.5 years old, she shifted gears and became invested in finding the right support systems and services to help Ethan reach his fullest potential. She recently completed her coursework in becoming a BCBA and is looking forward to sitting for her exam soon. Her goal is to become a parent advocate in order to guide other families in similar situations to her own. Amy has connected with many families through C.I.T.Y. of Support who have become very close friends, and is thrilled to be able to work for such an impactful organization. She can’t wait to help spread acceptance, and help as many families as possible feel included within the community.
Michelle Worth is Co-Founder of TherapyWorks, a multi-disciplinary pediatric therapy practice in Northfield. Michelle started her career in finance but after one of her three children needed services through Early Intervention, she wanted to make these services more accessible to families. To do that, Michelle teamed up with her business partner, an experienced speech-language pathologist, to launch TherapyWorks. Remembering the emotions she experienced when her own child was in therapy, Michelle understands the importance of supporting parents and she is thrilled to be helping to build the CITY of Support community!
