For over thirty years, Aspire has championed individuals on the spectrum with Asperger profiles.  We are dedicated to understanding and serving this population of exceptional individuals. 

Meet the Aspire Leadership Team

D. Scott McLeod, PhD
Executive Director of Aspire
Clinical Instructor in Psychology, Harvard Medical School

Dr. Scott McLeod has been on staff at Massachusetts General Hospital since 1990. He became Aspire’s Executive Director in January 2003 after acting as Associate Director for 10 years. Dr. McLeod received his doctorate in clinical psychology from Boston University. He is a Clinical Instructor in Psychology at Harvard Medical School.

His clinical interests include the development of effective interventions for persons with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Dr. McLeod consults in a large number of public and private schools about supporting social and academic success with students with ASD. Dr. McLeod strongly believes that real change for persons on the spectrum occurs in the life space. The most effective interventions to support academic, social and vocational success need to be at schools, camps, and job sites. He is a former long time member of the Board of Directors of the Asperger's Association of New England (AANE).  He is also the co-author of a new book on ASD: Take Charge of Treatment for Your Child with Asperger's (ASD): Create a Personalized Guide to Success for Home, School, and the Community. 

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Jillian Dyment, MEd, CAGS

Program Manager, Child Services

Jill Dyment comes to Aspire having spent twenty years working in public school special education, first as a Special Educator and then as a Team Facilitator for special education programming in a K-8 school.  Early in her career, Jill became a resource to her district in implementing inclusion practices for students with ASD and other neurodiverse profiles. As a Team Facilitator, Jill developed school wide practices, transition routines, staff development and professional partnerships that enriched the education and community inclusion of neurodiverse students and their families. Most importantly, she holds family partnerships at the center of her work. She values a culture of collaboration, support, celebration, and teamwork with the ultimate goal of aligning environmental access with skill development so that all spaces can be truly diverse, equitable and inclusive.

Jill received her Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies in educational leadership from Simmons College, completed her master’s degree in special education at Simmons College and completed her bachelor’s degree in elementary and special education at Providence College. She is excited to return to Aspire as the Program Manager for Child Services after serving as Assistant Site Director and Site Director at the Aspire Summer Program from 2011-2013.

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Taylor Levesque, MA
Associate Program Manager, Child Services

Taylor Levesque comes to Aspire with a variety of experience working with children and teens with an ASD or similar diagnosis. Her passion lies in direct service through small group and in-the-moment coaching for children of all ages. Taylor began her Aspire career at the Adventure Camp for children and continued on to lead Explorations groups for Aspire’s teen program. Prior to working at Aspire, Taylor developed and implemented a social skills curriculum for transition-age youth with neurodevelopmental disabilities and participated in the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) Fellowship program at Boston Children’s Hospital. Taylor is thrilled to be a part of the Aspire team, where she can to continue to establish meaningful relationships with children and their families to facilitate their positive development.

Taylor received her undergraduate degrees in Child Development and Psychology and her Master of Arts degree in Child Study and Human Development at the Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Study and Human Development at Tufts University.

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Jenn O'Rourke, MS

Associate Program Manager, Child Services

Before coming to Aspire, Jenn facilitated an inclusion based program in the District of Columbia Public School System, with a focus on teaching social thinking and executive functioning skills to elementary aged children with high-cognitive spectrum disorder. Jenn believes in a teaching approach that values the development of the whole child.  Jenn received her undergraduate degree in psychology and earned her masters of science degree in Applied Behavior Analysis from Northeastern University. 

In 2015, Jenn was awarded the Newton Parent Advisory Council Special Education award and in 2017, she was nominated for the Excellence In Teaching Award, by DC public schools. She is excited to be a part of the Aspire team and work with individuals from a variety of clinical backgrounds to help children reach their full potential. 

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Molly Jagoda, MS, BCBA
Program Coordinator, Child Services

Molly is passionate about supporting the success of children with complex neurological and behavioral profiles. She moved to Massachusetts from Westchester, New York in 2015 for the opportunity to teach yoga and recreational movement at Aspire Adventure Camp and has been living her dream ever since. Molly believes strongly in a strengths-based, child-centered approach to intervention and celebrates the neurodiversity of the individuals she has the privilege of working with.

Molly received her undergraduate degree in Psychology from Muhlenberg College and completed her Yoga Teacher Training at the Kripalu School of Yoga. She earned a Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis and Autism Studies from UMass Lowell, and has been a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst since 2020. In addition to taking on many roles within Aspire’s child programming, she has provided behavioral support as a milieu counselor at the Manville School at Judge Baker Children’s Center and as a behavior therapist in Newton Public Schools. During the 2020-2021 school year, Molly worked as a private teacher to support the continued academic and social-emotional growth of a student on the autism spectrum being home-schooled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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Brett Mulder, PsyD
Program Director, Teen and Adult Services

Brett Mulder, PsyD, Director of Teen and Adult Programs at Aspire and Clinical Instructor at Harvard Medical School, oversees year-round programming for teenagers and adults with high cognitive autism and related profiles.  Dr. Mulder holds appointments as Psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry and as Assistant in Pediatrics in the Department of Pediatrics at Massachusetts General Hospital.  Dr. Mulder is the principal investigator on three longitudinal studies evaluating program outcomes for teen and adult programs at Aspire.  He provides consultation to school systems and conducts trainings and workshops throughout the year for employers, clinicians, and educators.  At the Lurie Center for Autism, he sees children, teenagers and adults for individual psychotherapy.

Dr. Mulder received his undergraduate degree in psychology and philosophy from Hope College, his Master of Arts degree in philosophy from Tufts University, and his doctorate in clinical psychology from the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology. He completed a two-year advanced fellowship in psychotherapy and psychological assessment at the Danielsen Institute of Boston University. Also, his training positions included: Harvard Medical School/Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital/YouthCare, Boston University, Tufts Medical Center and McLean Hospital.

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Kellsey Donovan, MS, CAGS

Associate Program Manager, Teen and Adult Services

Kellsey has been a part of Aspire’s Teen and Adult Programming since 2013. She has worked in both the Explorations and the Transitions programs in a variety of roles. Kellsey has extensive experience in the public school system, where she previously worked as a school psychologist. Within this role, she supported many diverse populations of students including students with Autism, ADHD, and specific learning disabilities. As a school psychologist, Kellsey worked in a special education program designed for students with social and emotional weaknesses. She completed comprehensive psycho-educational evaluations for special education eligibility, implemented social-emotional learning curricula, and conducted school-based counseling with students.

Kellsey received her undergraduate degree in psychology and Spanish from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She received her Masters of School Psychology from Northeastern University.

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Stephen DeFilippo, PsyD
Associate Program Manager, Teen and Adult Services

Stephen has worked clinically supporting children, young adults, and their families for more than 10 years in a variety of roles. He began working at Aspire in 2021 as a staff member in the Summer Explorations Program. Stephen is passionate about working with teens and young adults and has developed a particular interest in better understanding how technology and virtual spaces can be utilized to help facilitate and improve social connections and relationships. Stephen completed his undergraduate degree in Psychology at the University of Massachusetts – Amherst and received his Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from William James College. He is excited to be a part of the important work that takes place at MGH Aspire.

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Elise Wulff, MEd
Senior Program Manager

Elise Wulff has been working with the neurodiverse population in both the public and private sectors for over 15 years. With Aspire since 2008, Elise oversees Parent programming and Aspire Works programming. Elise feels strongly that there is a mutual accountability of neurodiverse individuals and their environments (schools, communities, workplaces) to create safe, inclusive spaces that enhance the potential for success for all involved. In her consultation, Elise supports corporations and other organizations to expand their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives to encompass and value Neurodiversity. She designs and delivers evidence-based trainings, workshops, and seminars that empower individuals and groups to transition their DEI goals in concrete, practical, prioritized, and actionable roadmaps to progress. Elise also provides school-based consultation, and professional development services. She is recognized for her work supporting school districts, community organizations, and corporations to enhance their inclusion practices and foster healthy social-emotional development and self-awareness. She has specific expertise in inclusive practices, program design, social-emotional learning, tools to build independence, and strategies for Executive Functioning.

Prior to joining Aspire, Elise worked as an Inclusion Facilitator for a therapeutic intervention program for students with Asperger’s, NVLD, ADHD, and similar profiles. In collaboration with Aspire, Elise co-wrote a multi-year tiered self-awareness curriculum based on Aspire’s model ‘The Science of Me,’ as well as curricula to address enhancing Executive Functioning skills and supporting resistant writers. Elise received her undergraduate degree in psychology and theater arts from Emory University and her master’s degree in special education from Lesley University.

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Jack Lewis, MEd
Associate Program Manager, Aspire Works

Jack Lewis began his career in education by working with individuals on the autism spectrum at Weston High School. His four years at Weston allowed him to gain a deeper insight into the unique strengths and challenges of this population. Jack managed the day-to-day lives of students while utilizing a strengths-based approach to ensure their individual growth. Jack helped to develop a transition planning curriculum for the students in an inclusion program to support their transition to life after high school. Jack has overseen and supported students with Weston’s senior internship program throughout his years.

During his time at Weston High School, Jack was the head diving coach for Boston College. Jack was able to incorporate the leadership skills gained from coaching into his job with Weston. He feels strongly that having an adult who creates an inclusive environment and safe space for all enhances their potential for personal and professional growth. Jack completed his master’s degree in special education for moderate disabilities from Lesley University and his undergraduate degree in recreation management from Springfield College.

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