Get to Know Our Hardworking and Compassionate Team
Staff Bios
Toni Fuller Merfeld, M.S.Ed
President/Founder
Toni is the President and founder of Metro West Learning Center. She has extensive experience working with students on the autism spectrum with learning and behavior challenges both in the classroom and as a consultant in the public and private sectors. She has been trained in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) and structuring classrooms for students with Autism and challenging behavior. Her experience in ABA teaching strategies provide students with the individualization of instruction necessary to create a meaningful learning experiences at school, home and community. In addition to her work at Metro West Learning Center, she is a board member of the Autism Society of Iowa, past Executive Board Secretary for the International Council for Exceptional Children’s Division on Autism and Developmental Disabilities (DADD), past President, Iowa Council for Exceptional Children; and was the Children’s Mental Health Consultant for the Iowa Department of Education. She is a member of CEC’s Division on Autism and Developmental Disabilities and the Division on International Special Education, The Association of Positive Behavior Supports, National Autism Society and the Iowa Autism Society. She also sits on the Regional Autism Program (RAP) Advisory Committee and RAP Expert Panel.
Office Staff
Megan Christensen
Megan holds a bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies from The University of Iowa, along with two minors; Business Administration and Human Relations. She has worked in the insurance industry and brings a wealth of knowledge to Metro West. As a designated Fellow, Academy for Healthcare Management (FAHM), she stays up-to-date on healthcare management and insurance industry standards. She is also a green belt with Lean Six Sigma, utilizing the six sigma methodology to improve operational efficiencies. Along with her business background, her professional experience includes four years as a Teacher’s Assistant, providing specialized care for diverse youth. She also worked for Camp Adventure® (a partner with the United States Department of Defense) spending time overseas in Germany on the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center base.
Lottie Montgomery
Lottie graduated from Altamonte Spring City College with a degree in Medical Billing and Coding as well as Medical Assisting. She has extensive experience working with medical insurance and coding. She also has many years of experience working in early childhood education with diverse youth. Some of her past experience includes working with kids on the autism spectrum as a Behavior Technician at Blue Sprig autism centers.
Natalie Ramirez
Natalie has education in both Early Childhood Special Education and Pre-Medical/Pre-Professional Health from The University of Northern Iowa and Iowa State University. She is also designated a Professional, Academy for Healthcare Management (PAHM) which proves her knowledge of healthcare management and the insurance industry landscape. Natalie has many years of experience working in non-profit organizations with Adult Intellectual Disability and Mental Health waiver services. She is a member of the National Associations for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and is a coach for the Special Olympics and a NAMI volunteer.
Speech Language Pathologists
Molly Warner, M.S., CCC-SLP
Molly holds a master’s degree from Rockhurst University. Molly has experience working with children in a variety of settings including: schools, home-based early intervention, and outpatient rehabilitation.
She strives to support the academic success and future endeavors of her students. Molly is passionate about helping children of all ages and abilities succeed. Molly is a member of the American Speech-Hearing Association and has advanced training in the Lindamood-Bell Programs, Sequential Oral Sensory (SOS) approach to feeding, with an emphasis in autism.
Jeri Fyock, M.A., CCC-SLP
Jeri holds a master’s degree from the University of South Dakota. She has over 25 years of experience working in school settings with children of all ages with a variety of communication disabilities. Jeri is passionate about helping every individual develop and utilize their communication skills. She believes in building individualized therapy plans and providing evidence-based and engaging intervention while partnering with families to reach communication goals. Jeri is a member of the American Speech-Hearing Association.
Emily Hart, M.A., CCC-SLP
Emily received her master's degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Northern Iowa. She has experience working with a variety of children with various disabilities, with the pediatric population being her passion. She loves watching kids progress in their communication skills and seeing the confidence in their abilities grow. Emily enjoys working in the outpatient setting because she believes in order for the child to grow in his/her communication skills, collaboration with parents is crucial. She is a member of the American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA).
Alishea Henze, M.A., CCC-SLP
Alishea holds a master's degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Northern Iowa, a bachelor's degree from Iowa State University, and an Associate's Degree from Cottey College, in Nevada, MO. In addition to her work consulting and leading social language groups at Metro West Learning Center, she has worked in public schools for more than 15 years. She has extensive experience working with children and families with a variety of communication disorders, with a specialization in social language and Autism. Alishea has training and experience with Alternative and Augmentative Communication, including Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) and Language Acquisition through Language Planning (LAMP). She is a member of the American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA).
Occupational Therapist
Dr. McKenna Novak, OTD, OTR/L
McKenna Novak, OTD, OTR/L, Occupational therapist, holds a doctorate degree in occupational therapy from Drake University and received her Bachelor’s of Science in Psychology from the University of Iowa. As a student, McKenna worked with children of various ages and diagnoses in schools, early intervention, and outpatient settings. McKenna has past experience working with children with Autism and has completed courses for kids’ yoga, infant massage, and mindfulness. McKenna has a special interest in working with children with feeding difficulties. She has completed the Beckman Oral Motor course and will continue to expand her knowledge in this practice area through research and conferences including attending Sequential Oral Sensory (SOS) approach to feeding. McKenna is also a member of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). She is passionate about helping children through play and is excited to collaborate with families.
Maddi Ranney OTR/L
Maddison holds a master’s degree in occupational therapy from American International College and received her Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and Health from Iowa State University with a minor in Psychology. She is also a Registered Behavior Technician. Maddison gained experience working with children of varying disabilities/diagnoses in a variety of settings including the school system, home-based early intervention, supported community living, recreational facilities, and home-based applied behavior analysis. She is passionate about helping children meet their goals using a play-based and creative approach. Maddison is a member of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) and plans to continue expanding her knowledgebase to provide best practices to the pediatric population.
Therapy Classroom Staff
Amanda Olson, M.A., BCBA, LBA
Amanda holds a master’s degree in Educational Psychology from the University of Iowa and a Certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis from Ball State University. She received her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Iowa State University. Amanda has extensive experience working with children on the autism spectrum in a clinical setting and working with children with behavior disorders in an elementary, junior high, and senior high school settings.
Chuck Krueger
Chuck grew up in Newton, Iowa. After graduation, he went to Iowa State University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science ( double major: Physics and Psychology ). He taught for several years in Iowa and Kansas at High School and Junior College level. Chuck finished a Masters in Special Education with an emphasis in talented and gifted, from Wichita State University. He has taught from Kindergarten to Junior College, usually math and science.
Amanda Jennings
Amanda holds a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education from Iowa State University. She is a licensed teacher with many years of experience working with diverse youth. She is passionate about helping students learn and explore new ideas, while bringing a wealth of knowledge working with children with varying needs.
Jake Dalasta
Jake received his B.A. in Psychology from The University of Northern Iowa. He worked as a Mental Health Technician in the behavioral health unit at Mercy One in Des Moines, IA and also has experience as a Direct Support Professional and Assistant Manager working with people who have ASD and others with traumatic brain injuries in St. Louis, MO.
Gabby Martinez
Gabby attended Morningside College for two years as a student-athlete on their softball team. She is currently finishing her Bachelor's Degree at Bellevue University in their Professional Psychology Program, with an emphasis in Counseling Psychology. She has years of experience working at in-home settings with adults as a Direct Support Professional, as well as working in the classroom setting as a Paraeducator. She has a passion for helping students reach their highest potential!
Kyle Deutsch
Kyle began his post secondary education at Des Moines Area Community College and received his bachelor's degree in Educational Studies and Human Relations from the The University of Iowa. He has worked with varied groups of students through ACDEC (Academic Decathlon) and Odyssey of the Mind.
ABA Staff
Katie Bunting, M.A., BCBA, LBA
Katie holds a master's degree in Special Education with an emphasis in Applied Behavior Analysis from Brandman University and received her bachelor's degree in Psychology from William Penn University. Katie has several years of experience working in the school, in-home, and clinical setting with a variety of diagnoses and ages. She is motivated by her work and driven to utilize the principles of ABA to teach and improve the overall quality of life for the families that she works with.
Gracie Benton, M.A., BCBA, LBA
Gracie graduated with her master's degree in Applied Behavior Analysis from Ball State University and received her bachelor’s degree in Ecology at Baker University. She has worked at Woodward Academy, House of Mercy, and Balance Autism. Gracie has worked with many individuals with autism and other genetic disorders while in Kansas, giving rise to her increased interest in developing skills among those with special needs.
Mikayla Whitmer, BCBA, LBA
Mikayla hold's a master's degree in Developmental Disabilities with a concentration in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). She received her bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Health from Graceland University. Her extensive experience includes working with both children and adults diagnosed with a variety of special needs across multiple settings.
Hannah Alberts
At age 11, Hannah started volunteering as a counselor at Camp Jubilee (now based in Indianola, IA), a week-long summer program for individuals with disabilities. She continued to do that each year while attending school and graduated from University of Iowa with a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. Post graduation, Hannah started working as a paraeducator in a K-2 modified classroom for children with autism in Iowa City. She became even more passionate about teaching and creating profound relationships with students, while also providing behavioral support and supporting students’ independence. As an educator, she believes that every learner deserves genuine compassion, patience, and understanding. The thing she enjoys most about being an RBT is the fun she can have with clients and feeling rewarded and proud in seeing their progress.
Tori Rude
Tori graduated from Iowa State University with a B.S in Child, Adult, and Family Services, with a program focus on child development, birth through age eight. Tori has five years of experience working with children and implementing behavioral treatment plans within a classroom setting.
Hailie Conard
Hailie earned her bachelor's degree in Psychology and Law, Politics & Society, with a minor in Sociology from Drake University in Des Moines, IA. She has great experience working with children with special needs in both personal and professional settings.
Al Roe
Al received her bachelor's degree in Psychology, with a minor in Sociology, from Drake University. She loves working with children and believes that every child should receive the care and opportunities they deserve.
Darian Hans
Darian has experience working with clients with diverse needs across multiple settings. She graduated with her bachelor of science degree in Psychology from Iowa State University. She will also be pursuing her masters degree in clinical mental health counseling.
Kallie Hall
Kallie earned her bachelor's degree in Psychology from Iowa State University. She specializes in criminal justice studies and has experience counseling at-risk youth. Kallie also have over four years experience working with children and individuals with special needs in personal and professional settings.
Addison Smith
Addison is a neuropsychology student and will be working towards her degree in biopsychology at Morningside University. She has been volunteering with a crisis line for nearly two years with a focus on working with people who have neurodevelopmental conditions. Addison also has wonderful experience in ABA research from Des Moines Area Community College.
Kimberly Knuth
Kimberly started her journey of working with children as an Infant/Toddler Teacher in an Early Head Start program. She enjoys learning all the unique characteristics of each child she works with and is passionate about advocacy for individual needs. She is excited about her role with Metro West and the opportunity to work one-on-one with children to help them learn and grow. She is continuing her education online and plans to achieve a degree in social work.
Diagnostics
Our Diagnostic Team is pleased to partner with our colleagues at the University of Iowa Center For Disabilities and Development and Kavalier and Associates.