Weekly Insights

Educational therapy is a career defined by growth, reflection, and resilience. This panel brings together five educational therapists at distinct points in their professional journeys to explore the evolving nature of the work.

Our panelists include a retiring ET, a school-based ET, an ET who transitioned from solo to group practice, an ET who’s starting private practice, and an ET who took medical leave. Through shared stories and honest conversation, this session invites fellow educational therapists to reflect on their own paths — to see what growth can look like at different stages, to normalize change and challenge, and to take away insights that support a sustainable, meaningful professional life.

Kaini Gu is an educational therapist at the professional level in private practice based in the Denver metro area. She holds a master’s degree in Educational Linguistics from the University of Pennsylvania. Orton-Gillingham trained and certified at the Academy Associate Level, Kaini used to work at the Carroll School in Massachusetts, a school for students with language-based learning differences.

Lori Dver, MA, BCET, FAET, is the immediate past president of AET. A member since 1990, Lori has degrees from Northwestern University and UCLA. Lori’s career path took her from teacher to educational therapist to middle school head before landing in Pasadena, CA, to establish the learning resources coordinator position at a private K-12 school. In 2017, she returned to her passion and reopened her private practice.  Now, she is looking towards retirement and spending more time with her grandchildren, while still serving on some AET committees. 

Julie Ann Scarlata is just beginning her career in educational therapy in the Denver area. With a master's degree in Curriculum & Instruction from the University of Colorado at Boulder and over 25 years of experience as a classroom teacher, reading specialist, and instructional coach, she brings a deep understanding of learning differences and executive function challenges to her one-on-one work with students and families.

Daltrey Abney is a professional-level educational therapist and the founder of Discover Educational Therapy in Los Angeles. She has a BA in Elementary Education and an MA in the Psychology and Neuroscience of Mental Health. Before becoming an educational therapist, Daltrey worked as an elementary, middle, and high school teacher and interventionist in public, private, and international schools. After falling in love with educational therapy and starting her own solo practice in 2020, Daltrey grew Discover into a collaborative five-member team serving neurodivergent students, adults, and their families. Guided by a commitment to evidence-based strategies and neurodiversity-affirming care, Daltrey has expanded her practice to include educational therapy, executive functioning-based homework support, and neurodiversity education and social groups. Her core mission is helping people who learn differently feel capable, understood, and empowered. 

Danit Kaya, MPH, ET/P is an Educational Therapist at the professional-level and holds degrees from the University of Chicago and Boston University. She is the founder of her remote-based private practice, where she supports neurodivergent clients across the country and abroad on developing executive function skills, rebuilding fractured relationships with math, and improving writing approaches through evidence-based remediation programs. She is also the Upper School Learning Specialist at The Archer School for Girls, an innovative Los Angeles-based school that aims to educate girls in an environment that is both ambitious and joyful. Prior to working in the field of educational therapy, Danit worked as a mindfulness facilitator and in the field of global public health, focusing on building systems for people in need. She now weaves these skillsets together developing systems and strategies to serve neurodivergent students more effectively and holistically. 

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