Who We Are:

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Dr. Phil Strain has spent 50 years in the Early Childhood Special Education field developing comprehensive inclusion service delivery systems; replicating inclusive systems in over 250 sites around the US and advocating for children and families affected by developmental disabilities.

He has been a consultant to the US Department of Education, dozens of state and local school systems, Ireland, Italy, Poland, China and Argentina. He has directed inclusive systems, designed and validated measures to track fidelity and outcomes and published over 300 chapters, journal articles and books.    

In our collaborative work with clients he brings special experience in coaching, children with the greatest support needs, and the intersection between race, ethnicity, culture and disabilities.

Lisa Grotting has served as an Administrator and Director in Early Learning since 2008. Beginning her career in rural Oregon, she progressed to become the Early Learning Director for the Multnomah Early Childhood Program in Portland, Oregon, providing early childhood services to children and families residing in eight school districts in Multnomah County. Currently, she holds the position of Director of Early Learning for Mesa Public Schools in Mesa, Arizona.

Ms. Grotting’s leadership has been characterized by a commitment to tangible change. She has led collaborative efforts to equip educators with essential tools, resources, and strategies. This dedication has yielded significant results in Mesa, with all 91 Early Childhood classrooms now fully inclusive settings, reflecting her steadfast commitment to ensuring every child, irrespective of ability, has access to quality education and support.

Ted Bovey, MA. has been working with young children, young children with autism and children with other developmental disabilities and their families for over 25 years. Ted is the implementation coordinator for the LEAP Preschool Model for young children with autism and provides training and coaching to programs and classroom teams in the implementation of the LEAP Model and the development of program systems to support sustainability. Ted was also an original contributor to the development of the Pyramid Preschool Modules and he continues to work on the development and implementation of the Pyramid Model practices to support inclusion in early childhood education settings. Ted has extensive experience working with community early childhood providers and providing training and coaching in  the implementation of Pyramid Model practices, the LEAP Preschool Model and in the remediation of high intensity challenging behaviors.

With over 20 years of dedicated experience in early childhood special education, Jeanett Sealy has made a significant impact as a provider, classroom teacher, and program director. Passionate about fostering inclusive learning environments, she has worked tirelessly to support the unique needs of children and their families. Jeanett combines a deep understanding of developmental milestones with a commitment to advocacy, ensuring that every child has the opportunity to thrive. She believes in the power of collaboration and continues to inspire others in the field through her innovative approaches and unwavering dedication

Our IREE-based LEAP coaching team has, collectively, over 150 years of experience working to expand high quality inclusion through the US. Moreover, our team has taught in LEAP classrooms, coached dozens of replication sites to fidelity, and published dozens of studies validating LEAP practices.

In addition to their deep experience with LEAP, our team also draws upon their experience with the Teaching Pyramid Model (see https://challengingbehavior.org/) , supporting family members as key participants in their child’s early childhood experience, coaching with a cultural competence perspective and evaluating the impact of service systems on provider well-being.