About us
PINE helps schools and communities embrace neurodiversity, creating inclusive, accessible and supportive spaces for children wherever they go.
Our roots
PINE is a program of NYU Steinhardt. Our co-founder spent more than a decade building ASD Nest, the largest inclusion program for autistic students in the country. Neurodivergent experts help develop every PINE course.
What guides us
People of every neurotype feel valued, supported and fully part of their communities.
We celebrate neurodivergent perspectives in every learning and community space.
We honor each person’s strengths and lead with understanding.
Every learner and community has unique needs that call for responsive support.
We work to take down old barriers so inclusion becomes the foundation.
We put neurodivergent and disabled voices at the heart of the work.
The PINE team
Executive Director & Co-founder · she/her
A neurodiversity and inclusion specialist and former NYC special educator. Lauren spent more than a decade defining and expanding ASD Nest. She partners with neurodivergent experts to shift special education from focusing on deficits to centering strengths.
lauren@pineprogram.orgVP of Business Strategy & Operations, Co-founder · she/her
Samara has more than 20 years in the nonprofit sector growing programs for wider reach and deeper impact. She also serves as faculty on the Family Advisory Council at Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at NYU Langone Health.
samara@pineprogram.orgDirector of Program Operations · she/her
Kate is a neurodivergent mom to a multiply disabled daughter. A former Spanish teacher and now a certified speech-language pathologist (CCC-SLP), she designs systems that work for everyone. She is a member of the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children.
kate@pineprogram.orgDirector of Education · they/them
A neurodivergent, non-binary educator with 20 years of experience teaching pre-K through higher education. Kade helps teachers uncover their biases and build inclusive learning communities with neurodivergent, disabled and gender-expansive students.
kade@pineprogram.orgAdvisor
Counselor to the President at NYU and former Vice Dean of Academic Affairs at NYU Steinhardt. As a professor, she researches strengths-based practices in inclusive public school settings.
Neurodivergent experts
A growing community of neurodivergent experts develops PINE’s courses. Autistic people guide what we teach as partners, not as examples.
“PINE members learn from autistics themselves, as the autistic community is an active partner and guide in creating all of the courses PINE offers.”