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Tad Bruneau, Occupational Therapist
I grew up in New England (splitting years between Maine and Cape Cod, MA) and moved to San Diego to work for the SD County Office of Education (the HOPE Infant Program) in 2001.
I decided to be an Occupational Therapist in my 2nd year of college at Boston University. A good friend of mine told me BU had a great OT program and it was a fun/rewarding way to help children blending science, an allied health career, and creativity. I wound up getting two degrees in Psychology and Occupational Therapy from BU. I have worked as an OT for 23 years serving both school-aged students and children from birth-3 years of age in Early Intervention systems. I have been working as OT at Dehesa for over 10 years and love the close-knit sense of community I feel when I come on campus.
I love working closely with families and teachers to support the development of their children/students. It is great getting to come up with activities that are fun for kids to do but at the same time work on the skills that they need to practice.
Alicia Alvarez, Special Education Coordinator
I was born and raised in Vista, California, which is located in North San Diego County but have lived in the city of San Diego since 1996.
During my psychology undergraduate work, I took a course that required me to complete some volunteer hours. I ended up being placed in a moderate severe special education classroom and absolutely fell in love with this population of students. This experience also took me back to my childhood summers with my grandmother. She worked as an instructional assistant for students who were considered medically fragile. During the summers I would sometimes go to work with her, helping out in the classroom and with the students. Between these two experiences, I knew this is where I wanted to be!
I have been in the field of Special Education since 1999. I began as an instructional aide and eventually became a teacher for students with moderate to severe disabilities. While teaching, I completed my Masters in special education with an emphasis in autism and behavior. In addition to teaching students with moderate to severe disabilities, I also spent a few years as a resource specialist, supporting students within the general education setting. Over the years, I have worked as a Special Education Program Specialist in several different school districts, including Chula Vista Elementary School District, Oceanside Unified School District and the San Diego County Office of Education. I am now a Special Education Coordinator, supporting Dehesa, as well as, our East County Special Education Local Planning Area (SELPA).
I love the small campus and close knit community that Dehesa offers. I have the opportunity to actually get to know each staff member as opposed to larger districts where I might only know the special education staff.
In my current role, I work as more of a support to teachers, families and school sites. I love sharing all of the knowledge I have learned over the years in helping to guide IEP teams in developing and implementing programs and supports for students that will help them be successful in the classroom and in life.