Kathryn Balsamo has worked at the International School of Kuala Lumpur since 2011 as the Speech-Language Pathologist at the elementary school. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Speech Pathology, a Masters of Science in Education - Communication Disorders and a Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech Language Hearing Association. Prior to living overseas in Malaysia, Kathryn lived and worked in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States.
Regionally, Kathryn has served on the SENIA Board since 2014, holding the position of corporate secretary and most recently as the chairperson. She is a founding board member and co-chair of a local SENIA chapter in Malaysia. Kathryn is a passionate advocate for all individuals and is committed to empowering teachers, parents and related service providers with practical strategies to ensure that the individuals under their care are successful both in and out of the schoolhouse. Outside of work, Kathryn enjoys rock climbing, running, and exploring the world with her family.
Priscilla Leighton is a special education leader who advocates for inclusion and putting kids first. Her adventure in the world of special education began in California, where she worked as a Resource Specialist for 7 years. She earned a Master’s Degree in Special Education before moving overseas in
2013.
Now she is the Student Services Coordinator for Middle and High School at Brent International School Manila.
As local chapter liaison for SENIA, Priscilla supports the local chapters on their own inclusive journey. She also serves on the board of the SENIA local chapter in Manila and personally experiences the benefits of being a part of a local chapter.
The keys to Priscilla‘s heart are held by her husband, two daughters, and a very large poodle. She’s always looking for a chance to whisk them away and explore the world (preferably
underwater).
Tanya Farrol is the Middle Years Programme (MYP) Coordinator at Beijing City International School. Originally from Canada, she has worked as a special educator for over 20 years from Haiti to Egypt, and England to China.
She is the awards coordinator and one of the founding members of SENIA. In Beijing, she volunteers her time to promoting inclusion and raising awareness of special education issues for the local SENIA chapter called SENIB. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling with her husband and six-year old son.
Kathryn Balsamo has worked at the International School of Kuala Lumpur since 2011 as the Speech-Language Pathologist at the elementary school. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Speech Pathology, a Masters of Science in Education - Communication Disorders and a Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech Language Hearing Association. Prior to living overseas in Malaysia, Kathryn lived and worked in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States.
Regionally, Kathryn has served on the SENIA Board since 2014, holding the position of corporate secretary and most recently as the chairperson. She is a founding board member and co-chair of a local SENIA chapter in Malaysia. Kathryn is a passionate advocate for all individuals and is committed to empowering teachers, parents and related service providers with practical strategies to ensure that the individuals under their care are successful both in and out of the schoolhouse. Outside of work, Kathryn enjoys rock climbing, running, and exploring the world with her family.
Priscilla Leighton is a special education leader who advocates for inclusion and putting kids first. Her adventure in the world of special education began in California, where she worked as a Resource Specialist for 7 years. She earned a Master’s Degree in Special Education before moving overseas in
2013.
Now she is the Student Services Coordinator for Middle and High School at Brent International School Manila.
As local chapter liaison for SENIA, Priscilla supports the local chapters on their own inclusive journey. She also serves on the board of the SENIA local chapter in Manila and personally experiences the benefits of being a part of a local chapter.
The keys to Priscilla‘s heart are held by her husband, two daughters, and a very large poodle. She’s always looking for a chance to whisk them away and explore the world (preferably
underwater).
Tanya Farrol is the Middle Years Programme (MYP) Coordinator at Beijing City International School. Originally from Canada, she has worked as a special educator for over 20 years from Haiti to Egypt, and England to China.
She is the awards coordinator and one of the founding members of SENIA. In Beijing, she volunteers her time to promoting inclusion and raising awareness of special education issues for the local SENIA chapter called SENIB. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling with her husband and six-year old son.
SENIA was started by a group of international school teachers in China in 2002. The goal was to create a support network for teachers and other professionals working with children with special educational needs in Asia. Over the years we have grown to include other regions of the world.
More and more families that have children who are differently abled move overseas–and we are excited to see many students getting support that was previously not available. Our network has expanded to include international school teachers, educational psychologists and other specialists, administrators, support assistants, community organizations, and other professionals in the field.
Since the early beginnings, our heart has always been advocating for children with special needs. We are excited about the future and thank you for joining us!
Conference History
