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Now enrolling: Play Group, Cooking & Connection, and Executive Function Coaching. Reach out to join.

Warwick, NY · Because it matters

Building inclusive spaces where every family can thrive.

Into Inclusion is a community organization in Warwick, NY, led by Board Certified Behavior Analysts who are also parents. We create warm, evidence-based programs in social skills, executive function, and connection — for all abilities, all ages.

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All abilitiesAll agesSocial skillsExecutive functionFamily educationConnectionBelongingEvidence-basedAll abilitiesAll agesSocial skillsExecutive functionFamily educationConnectionBelongingEvidence-based
“Inclusion is not about bringing people into what already exists; it is making a new space, a better space for everyone.”
— George Dei
Why we exist

Our mission

We believe in the power of accessibility, community, and education. Our mission is to build inclusive spaces where all families can thrive.

Our vision

A community where belonging isn't an afterthought — where people of every ability find connection, build essential life skills, and discover the joy of being themselves.

Our story

How we began

Into Inclusion was founded by two mothers and special educators — Kathleen Penland and Caitlin Bennett — who are also Licensed and Board Certified Behavior Analysts. They had spent their careers inside schools, clinics, and programs, and kept seeing the same gap: families wanted spaces built around connection and belonging, not just compliance.

So they made one. Rooted at the Warwick Valley Community Center, Into Inclusion brings together a multidisciplinary team — behavior analysts, a speech-language pathologist, an occupational therapist, and an adaptive-fitness instructor — under one warm, welcoming roof.

Even the logo carries the mission: it was commissioned from Michael Noseworthy, a young artist and graduate of a local inclusion program. We build this work with the community it serves — because it matters.

Accessibility

All abilities, all ages, alongside the people who love them. We make a new, better space rather than asking anyone to fit into an old one.

Community

Connection is the point. Friendships, peer support, and belonging are woven through everything we do — in the room and across Warwick.

Education

Evidence-based practice — ABA, ACT, and executive-function science — delivered through natural, child-led, deeply human learning.

Who we are

Clinicians and parents, side by side

Our founders are Board Certified Behavior Analysts who are also mothers — clinical rigor and lived experience, together. Around them: a multidisciplinary team who believe belonging is built, not assumed.

KP

Kathleen Penland

Co-Founder · BCBA, LBA

A mother, special educator, and Board Certified Behavior Analyst specializing in autism and intellectual & developmental disabilities. Kathleen is passionate about empowering caregivers and the community through ABA, Acceptance & Commitment Therapy, and social-emotional development.

  • M.S., Special Education & Early Childhood Education (birth–grade 2), Hunter College (CUNY)
  • Post-graduate certification in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), Penn State University
  • Licensed & Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA, LBA)
  • Lives in Warwick, NY with her husband and two children
CB

Caitlin Bennett

Co-Founder · BCBA

A mother and special educator with twenty years in the field and a Board Certified Behavior Analyst credential. Caitlin has worked across the Center for Discovery and the STRIVE Program at OU BOCES, and currently serves as a District Evaluator, with a deep focus on neurodiverse communities in Orange County.

  • 20 years in special education
  • M.A., Special Education K-12, The George Washington University (DC Teaching Fellows, 2006)
  • Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) certificate, UMASS-Lowell
  • School Leadership Certificate, Long Island University
  • Lives in Warwick, NY with her husband and two children

The professional team

SH

Stephanie Harrigan

Speech-Language Pathologist

A NY State certified Speech-Language Pathologist with more than thirteen years in special education, specializing in augmentative & alternative communication (AAC), feeding therapy, and caregiver training.

RC

Rachel Chaiet, MS, OTR/L

Occupational Therapist

An occupational therapist with over fifteen years supporting children, adolescents, and adults with developmental disabilities. Rachel has presented at conferences and published on humor-based interventions and social participation.

DW

Diana Welch

Adaptive Fitness Instructor

An ACE-certified personal trainer and Wellness Director at the YMCA of Middletown, Diana brings adaptive movement to Into Inclusion — with experience training individuals with developmental and physical disabilities.

MN

Michael Noseworthy — Logo Artist

A 21-year-old artist and graduate of the Including Communities Program at Orange-Ulster BOCES, Michael was commissioned to create the Into Inclusion logo. His influences range from Stephen Hillenburg and Dr. Seuss to Tim Burton and Genndy Tartakovsky.

Programs

Ways to connect, learn, and belong

From play groups and cooking classes to executive-function coaching and special-interest clubs — every program is evidence-based, warm, and built around the people in the room.

Enrolling

Play Group for All Families

An inclusive play group welcoming people of all abilities and all ages, alongside a parent or caregiver, for free play plus semi-structured, skill-building activities.

For:All ages & abilities, with a caregiver

Register
Enrolling

Cooking & Connection

A weekly cooking class open to all abilities and designed specifically for adults with autism, Down syndrome, and IDD — building kitchen skills while practicing conversation, collaboration, and friendship.

For:Adults (18+) with autism, Down syndrome, or IDD

Register
Enrolling

Squish, Stir & Create

A hands-on, multi-sensory class — sensory play, fine-motor work, and creative exploration in a calm, welcoming environment.

For:Multi-sensory learners, all abilities

Register
Enrolling

Executive Function Coaching

"Executive Functioning + Meaningful Action" — coaching that blends evidence-based EF strategies with Acceptance & Commitment Therapy, 1:1 or in small groups.

For:Anyone navigating school, work, or daily-life logistics

Book a free 20-min call
Enrolling

Social Skill Building Classes

Age-, interest-, and ability-curated classes that break connection into teachable components, so learners can initiate and maintain real peer relationships.

For:All abilities — cohort-matched by age & interest

Inquire
Enrolling

Special Interest Clubs

Clubs centered on a passion — Dungeons & Dragons, technology & coding, theater, or visual art — guided by knowledgeable facilitators who build community and skill together.

For:Like-minded peers with a shared passion

Inquire
Coming soon

Neurospicy Women's Group

A space to connect, breathe, and bring your unfinished projects. Facilitated peer support and life-strategy discussion — bring knitting, art, or paperwork.

For:Adult women with ADHD, autism, OCD & similar

Join the list
Coming soon

The Parent Network

A community for parents of neurodivergent children — covering positive-behavior approaches, school and service coordination, and caregiver self-care.

For:Parents & caregivers of neurodivergent children

Join the list
Coming soon

Sibling Support

Peer support for the brothers and sisters of individuals with autism and other disabilities — a space that's just for them.

For:Siblings of individuals with disabilities

Join the list
Coming soon

Executive Function: Level Up

A multi-faceted executive-function class using game-based learning — prioritizing, scheduling, problem-solving, and self-advocacy for teens.

For:Ages 10–18, all abilities

Join the list
Who we serve

Built for everyone who's ever felt left out

Into Inclusion is intentionally broad. If you or someone you love has felt on the outside of a space that wasn't built for them — you're exactly who we're here for.

Families

Parents and children of all abilities, learning and connecting side by side.

Neurodivergent Adults

Adults with autism, Down syndrome, IDD, ADHD, and more — building skills and friendships.

Teens (10–18)

Young people growing executive-function and self-advocacy skills for school and life.

Women & Neurodivergence

A dedicated, low-pressure space for neurodivergent women to connect and breathe.

Parents & Caregivers

Strategy, coordination, and community for the people holding it all together.

Siblings

Brothers and sisters of individuals with disabilities, supported on their own terms.

Our approach

Rigorous science, delivered with warmth

What makes Into Inclusion different is the blend: the evidence base of behavior analysis and executive-function science, delivered through play, interest, and genuine human connection.

01

Evidence-Based

Our work is grounded in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT), and executive-function science — led by Board Certified Behavior Analysts.

02

Natural & Child-Led

We follow the learner. Skills are built through play, interest, and real connection — not compliance drills. Growth that feels like joy, not work.

03

Connection First

Every program is designed around belonging. Regulation and relationship come first; the skills follow naturally once a person feels safe and seen.

04

Caregiver-Empowering

We send families home with practical strategies. The goal isn't dependence on us — it's confidence that carries into everyday life.

05

Multidisciplinary

Behavior analysts, a speech-language pathologist, an occupational therapist, and an adaptive-fitness instructor — collaborating under one roof.

06

Community-Embedded

Sensory rooms at town events, resource fairs, inclusive public play. Inclusion doesn't stay in our space — it spreads through Warwick.

In their words

What belonging feels like

For the first time, my son walked into a room and was met exactly as he is. He talks about his friends now. That word — friends — means everything to us.

Parent of a Play Group participant

Warwick, NY

The coaching gave me language for things I'd struggled with my whole life. It's evidence-based and genuinely warm — I never felt like a problem to be fixed.

Executive Function Coaching client

Orange County, NY

Cooking & Connection is the highlight of our week. He's proud of what he makes, and he's building real friendships while he does it.

Family of a Cooking & Connection participant

Warwick, NY

Stories shown are representative placeholders, ready for the team to replace with real family voices in the CMS.

Resources & insights

What's on our nightstand

The books, podcasts, and evidence-based tools our team returns to — and points families toward.

Ask for a recommendation
Podcast

What Are We Listening To?

Cait and Kathleen share the podcasts they're recommending to colleagues and families this season — on neurodiversity, parenting, and behavior.

FAQ

Questions, answered

Reaching out for the first time can bring up a lot of questions. Here are the ones we hear most — and if yours isn't here, just ask.

Everyone. Our programs welcome all abilities and all ages — children, teens, and adults with autism, Down syndrome, IDD, ADHD, and other additional needs, along with their families, siblings, and caregivers. Some programs are designed for a specific group; many are open to all.

Work with us

Let's build a space where you belong

Tell us about you and your family. There's no wrong way to start — a question, a program you're curious about, or just a hello. We read every message ourselves.

All abilities
Every program, every age
BCBA-led
Evidence-based & warm
Warwick, NY
Rooted in our community

We’ll only use your details to reply about Into Inclusion programs. Never shared, never sold.

Find us

Warwick Valley Community Center, 11 Hamilton AvenueWarwick, NY 10990

Prefer to book a time?

A live scheduling calendar (Calendly / Acuity) will appear here once connected — great for booking a free 20-minute coaching intro call. For now, use the form or reach out directly.

Open scheduling
Warwick Valley Community CenterGoogle Maps embed goes here