Executive Functioning through the Developmental Lens: How the Functional Emotional Developmental Levels (FEDL’s) Foster the Evolution of Executive Functions

Griffin Doyle is a Clinical Psychologist in private practice treating children of all ages, adolescents, adults and couples. His work has focused for over twenty five years on the DIR developmental model and practice with developmentally delayed, regulatory and autism spectrum disordered children. He also consulted to the Milton and Ethel Harris Research Initiative at York University studying the effectiveness of the DIR model intervention. As an expert witness on attachment/separation, early development and autism spectrum disorders he has served for over ten years in several jurisdictions throughout Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia. Dr. Doyle has been a faculty member of the DIR model Training Institute Program since 2001, a member of the ICDL Advisory Board and a past faculty member (2007 – 2011) of the ICDL Doctoral Program in Infant Mental Health and Developmental Disorders. In addition, he has been a core faculty member for fifteen years and past Co-Chair of the Infant Mental Health Postgraduate Seminar Program at the Washington School of Psychiatry (Washington, DC). His published articles include the subjects of forgiveness, the internal world of the infant and in-depth book reviews on child development and neuro-relational treatment approaches to infants and children. In 2009, Dr. Doyle was cited through a randomized, peer survey conducted throughout the Washington, DC metro area by WASHINGTONIAN magazine as a regional expert clinician in the treatment of autism spectrum disorders.

Celebrate the Children’s founder, Monica G. Osgood, is an experienced behavioral consultant and therapist who specializes in using developmental approaches to support children with autism and other differences in relating and communicating. She is also the Founder and Director of the Developmental Center for Children and Families and Executive Director and a founding member of the Profectum Foundation. Monica has worked in homes, therapy centers, and private and public school settings for over 20 years. Some of her experience has included assessment and the development of intervention programs, curriculum and IEP development, and parent and professional training. In 1998, Monica created the first public school program with the Developmental Individual Relationship-based (DIR model) approach as the core philosophy. ​In 2000, she was the first educator to join the senior faculty of the Interdisciplinary Council on Development and Learning(ICDL) to provide interdisciplinary training in the DIR model. During her time with ICDL, Monica served as faculty for all of their yearly training institutes, spoke at many of their conferences and had the opportunity to work closely and collaborate with Drs. Greenspan and Wieder to further develop the DIR model in school settings. ​In 2004, she collaborated with Lauren Blaszak to open a state-approved, DIR model school for children ages 3-21 in Denville, New Jersey, now serving over 70 school districts and 130 families. Additional accomplishments include, many speaking engagements at conferences and participation in television, radio and newspaper interviews across the USA, Wales, Ireland and Amsterdam. Monica has appeared on Welsh Channel 4 and BBC1 documentaries, sharing the DIR model approach with British parents and professionals. Monica and the Celebrate the Children school were featured in a TIME Magazine cover story in May of 2006. ​She serves on the Advisory Board for 3LPlace and the National Advisory Council for The Centers for Exceptional Children​. Monica also serves on the Economic Development Advisory Council and the Sustainable Economic Development Plan Steering Committee for her local Town Council. Finally, she collaborated with twice Grammy nominated children’s artists Dan Myers and Brady Rymer on an album and music video celebrating diversity in children with all abilities released April 2011. https://www.monicaosgood.com/