Our Team

Founder, Executive Director
Dr. Suzi Naguib is a passionate and dedicated psychologist and a strong advocate for those affected by behavioral, emotional, developmental and learning disabilities. Dr. Naguib founded Sprouted Center with a mission to offer the highest quality, evidence-based multidisciplinary intervention for children and families in our community. Front and center to her mission is to create a naturalistic, healthy, nurturing environment where children can develop communication, socialization, play, emotional regulation, self help and school readiness skills while having fun amongst their peers. In addition to being the founder of Sprouted Sage, Dr. Naguib is the founder and Clinical Director of Sunfield Center (our affiliated mental health center), and the founder and senior trainer at the Sunfield Institute (a professional development organization dedicated to providing gold standard mental health related training for professionals across all fields). As a licensed clinical psychologist with 20 years of experience in the field of autism, ADHD, behavioral and anxiety disorders, Dr. Naguib brings a first-hand understanding of the need for research informed evaluations and evidence based treatment interventions to help families. Dr. Naguib is a certified Parent Child Interaction Therapist (PCIT) and a PCIT trainer. She is also an independent trainer for two of the gold standard autism diagnostic assessment tools (ADOS-2 and ADI-R) and has trained thousands of providers in Michigan, across the U.S. and internationally on how to accurately evaluate and diagnose autism. Prior to founding Sunfield and Sprouted Sage Centers, Dr. Naguib worked as a staff psychologist at the University of Michigan Autism and Communication Disorders Center (UMACC) where she conducted evaluations and provided in-home early intervention services for toddlers diagnosed with autism. Before her work at UMACC, Dr. Naguib worked at the New York University (NYU) Child Study Center for five years, completing a two-year fellowship in the Attention Deficit Hyperactivity and Behavior Disorders Service. Dr. Naguib completed her doctoral education at the Illinois School of Professional Psychology and received her M.S. in clinical psychology at Loyola University Maryland. She completed her clinical training at the Children’s Hospital of Michigan, the University of Chicago, the University of Illinois at Chicago, and the Johns Hopkins University. She is fluent in Portuguese and proficient in Spanish and Arabic.

Director of First Roots Therapeutic Day Program
Carrie Miller is the director of the First Roots Therapeutic Day Program. Carrie is a fully licensed and Board Certified Behavior Analyst (LBA/BCBA) and a fully licensed Social Worker in the state of Michigan. Carrie has extensive experience in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis with multiple populations including children and adults diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Cognitive Impairments, Traumatic Brain Injuries, and other psychiatric diagnoses. Carrie began her clinical experience in ABA in 2000 when she enrolled in her collegiate education at Western Michigan University. Since that time Carrie has worked as a clinical director, therapist, consultant, supervisor, trainer, and behavior technician in a variety of treatment environments including homes, clinics, communities, residential facilities and schools. Carrie worked with Novel Responses, Inc. for 17 years as a BCBA-Clinical Supervisor and more recently as Clinical Director. In her role as Clinical Director at Novel Responses, Inc. she was responsible for the development and management of all clinical and training systems within the organization. Carrie worked for five years on several national research studies including the Early Steps Study (a NIH funded, multi-site study) as a Treatment Supervisor through the former University of Michigan Autism and Communications Disorders Center. Carrie spent time consulting with various school districts on the implementation of the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis within their classrooms providing both training and ongoing supervision to the classroom teachers and paraeducators. Carrie has provided consultation services to a parent training course for at-risk families that focuses on implementation of the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis during typical parenting routines within the home. Carrie has worked extensively with individuals across the age span with acquired Traumatic Brain Injuries. Her work has consisted of providing mental health intervention (CBT, ACT, etc.) as well as behavioral consultation for individuals residing in their homes as well as residential facilities. Carrie has a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Psychology from Western Michigan University and a Masters of Social Work degree from the University of Michigan. She attained certification in Behavior Analysis in 2007 by meeting the requirements set forth by the Behavior Analysis Certification Board and her license in Social Work in the state of Michigan in 2010.

Managing Director
Jeff Snyder is the Director of Development at Sprouted Sage and at Sunfield Center. In addition to playing a key role in the development and leadership of our centers, Jeff is also a dedicated clinical social worker. His clinical experience spans from providing intensive early intervention to toddlers all the way to providing treatment to adults diagnosed with autism. At Sunfield Center, Jeff provides patients with weekly treatment sessions and is part of the diagnostic team. He has particular expertise in working with school aged children diagnosed with ADHD, ASD and anxiety. He supports his patients by providing research informed interventions addressing social, organizational and coping skills. Jeff served as an education advocate for families experiencing homelessness in Washtenaw County through the Washtenaw Intermediate School District (WISD). At the University of Michigan and Communications Disorders Center (UMACC), and later at Novel Responses, Jeff worked with toddlers diagnosed with autism. Jeff completed his master’s in social work degree from the University of Michigan. He received his Bachelor’s degree in psychology from Albion College.

Director of Operations 
Geri is the Director of Operations at Sprouted Sage. She has been in Applied Behavior Analysis administration for the past 16 years. In 2008, she was instrumental in developing Children’s Hospital’s Autism Centers. She has managed center-based and in-home autism services in multiple counties in Michigan and Pennsylvania. Geri was a teacher in Detroit and was a principal in Pontiac. She has led many after-school initiatives for kids over the years. She has spent her entire career in service to children and families.

Parent Specialist
Susannah Keller is a parent consultant at Sprouted Sage. In this role, she provides supportive parent groups for caregivers whose children receive services at Sprouted Sage. Susannah has spent the past two decades working in early childhood mental health and early childhood education fields, first in San Francisco, CA, and then in Ann Arbor. Susannah’s past work has included directing a therapeutic milieu playroom program situated within a non-profit family support center; conducting therapeutic play groups with preschoolers and consulting with families and staff; coordinating a subsidized preschool program in San Francisco; facilitating parent-child playgroups for young children and their caregivers including through First Steps- Ann Arbor; and teaching in the parent-toddler classroom at Allen Creek Preschool in Ann Arbor. Through these varied roles, Susannah has worked to support young children’s social and emotional development and to build the capacity of the caregivers who guide young children’s development.

Occupational Therapist
Sandi graduated from Eastern Michigan University’s School of Occupational Therapy and has over 30 years of experience as an Occupational Therapist. Sandi has received extensive training and experience in treating children with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) and in Feeding Therapy. Sandi’s experience includes running sensory based feeding groups and writing grants for equipment to implement sensory programming with children. Sandi brings great passion as an OT and is dedicated to providing the highest standard of services possible to all children and their families. In addition to being an experienced practitioner, Sandi also brings a unique perspective to treatment as the parent of an autistic child (now an adult). Sandi takes a holistic approach to working with children and shows a deep respect for their abilities and desires. Sandi’s warmth allows her to easily establish a positive therapeutic relationship and unique connection with each individual child. Sandi strives to always make therapy fun and engaging to ensure great motivation for children to learn! Sandi has been with Sprouted Sage since its inception and assisted with the development of the therapy department.

As an Occupational Therapist at Sprouted Sage, Sandi Scott conducts comprehensive OT evaluations and provides individual treatment that targets sensory processing, self-care, including feeding as well as fine and gross motor skills. Additionally, Sandi is a part of our Care Team and makes recommendations for ways in which we can meet children’s needs throughout their day at First Roots.

Occupational Therapist
Amy received her B.S. in Psychology and Health Sciences as well as her Master of Occupational Therapy at Wayne State University. Amy has 11 years of experience as an Occupational Therapist. Amy’s experience includes working in multi-disciplinary outpatient clinic settings as well as in elementary and middle school settings with children diagnosed with Autism. Amy evaluates and develops child and family-centered plans of care and enjoys collaborating with other professionals in order to provide high quality care. Amy has participated in several continuing education courses focused on best practices in OT and in feeding and has been trained in the SOS Approach to Feeding. Amy’s most recent experience was working on a multidisciplinary feeding team to address sensory and motor-based feeding problems.

As an Occupational Therapist at Sprouted Sage, Amy conducts comprehensive OT evaluations and provides individual treatment that targets sensory processing, self-care, including feeding as well as fine and gross motor skills. Additionally, Amy is a part of our Care Team and makes recommendations for ways in which we can meet children’s needs throughout their day at First Roots.

Speech Therapist
Amy earned her Master of Arts degree in Speech Language Pathology from the University of Toledo, and has over 11 years of experience as an SLP working with children, adolescents and young adults diagnosed with autism. She received training to become a coach through the Johns Hopkins University/Maryland State Department of Education Race to the Top grant, with a focus on assisting head start and special education teachers as they work with children with differing disabilities. In addition to providing speech therapy in outpatient clinic settings, Amy has also provided services in the schools. An area of expertise that Amy possesses involves the use of augmentative and alternative communication devices. As a Speech Therapist at Sprouted Sage, Amy Begley conducts comprehensive speech and language evaluations and provides individual speech therapy focused on improving communication, social interactions, emotional regulation as well as oral-motor and speech production skills. Amy is a member of the First Roots Care Team and makes recommendations for ways in which we incorporate speech goals for children during their day at the program. Amy Begley is a certified Speech Language Pathologist (SLP).

Classroom Teacher
Sarah has an associates degree in Early Childhood Education and has worked as a preschool teacher for over ten years. Sarah’s experience with autism extends beyond the classroom as she is also a parent of children on the autism spectrum. As the lead teacher of the Sprouts Classroom, Sarah is responsible for the development of intentional programming that incorporates developmental, social, and growth opportunities in the learning environment.

Classroom Teacher
Carey earned her Bachelor’s degree from Eastern Michigan University with a major in Communications. She has over 20 years of experience working with children in daycare and school settings. Prior to joining our team, Carey worked for over ten years at a local school district in Michigan, where she supported children with special education needs including children diagnosed with autism.

Classroom Teacher
Miranda received her Associates in Early Childhood Education from Washtenaw Community College and her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Concordia University. She has over 18 years of experience in Early Childhood education as a Preschool Teacher. Over her many years of teaching, Miranda has worked with young children with a variety of developmental needs in a classroom setting. As the lead teacher of the Buds Classroom, Miranda is responsible for the development of intentional programming that incorporates developmental, social, and growth opportunities in the learning environment.

Classroom Teacher
Vicki earned her Bachelor’s degree from Eastern Michigan University with a major in Special Education. She has over 30 years of experience as a Special Education teacher in the public school system teaching students with various disabilities, including children on the Autism spectrum. Her experiences include developing/designing curriculum consisting of social skills, social emotion, and academic learning opportunities. As the lead teacher of the Buds Classroom, Vicki is responsible for the development of intentional programming that incorporates developmental, social, and growth opportunities in the learning environment.

Classroom Teacher
Alice attended Washtenaw Community College and Eastern Michigan University, where she earned a degree in Early Childhood Development. Alice has worked in Early Childhood Education for the past five years and has been working with young children on the autism spectrum for the past 20 years, not only as a preschool teacher but also as a parent. Alice also completed parent-facilitated early intervention through the University of Michigan for several years. Prior to working with children, Alice also worked as a licensed practical nurse (LPN) for over 10 years. As the lead teacher of the Roots Classroom, Alice is responsible for the development of intentional programming that incorporates developmental, social, and growth opportunities in the learning environment.

Board Certified Behavior Analyst
Courtney graduated with a BS in Early Childhood education from EMU in 2006, a Master’s in Education from Marygrove College in 2009 and became certified as a BCBA in 2013 from Florida Institute of Technology. Prior to becoming a BCBA, Courtney was a teacher with a background in early childhood education. Courtney has extensive experience working in home and center based settings. In those roles she has provided direct care, supervised teams and helped to develop individualized programs. Courtney is passionate about providing high quality behavioral training with a focus in Natural Environment Interventions. As a Board Certified Behavior Analyst at Sprouted Sage, Courtney conducts comprehensive skills and behavior assessment that targets communication and language skills, play and social skills as well as emotional regulation, daily living, and overall independence.

Board Certified Behavior Analyst
Anna received a Master’s in Counseling from Oakland University and a BCBA from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. Anna has been a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) for 13 years and has worked in a variety of settings, both home and center based. She was first introduced to Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) during an internship experience at a therapeutic riding facility. Since then, Anna has worked in many settings and collaborated with other professionals in those settings. Anna has experience providing supervision for program development, facilitating caregiver collaboration meetings, training technicians in ABA, and also disseminating ABA information into the community. Anna worked on a research study at the University of Michigan, through the Early Social Interaction (ESI) study, working with children aged 2-5yo using the SCERTS model (Social Communication, Emotional Regulation and Transactional Supports). As a Board Certified Behavior Analyst at Sprouted Sage, Anna conducts comprehensive skills and behavior assessment that targets communication and language skills, play and social skills as well as emotional regulation, daily living, and overall independence.

Board Certified Behavior Analyst
Laurie received a BS in Psychology in 2003 and an MS in Clinical Behavioral Psychology in 2006 from Eastern Michigan University. Laurie has worked in the behavioral field for 17 years and has extensive experience in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis. Laurie’s experience includes working with multiple populations including children and adults diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Cognitive Impairments, and Traumatic Brain Injuries. Laurie has provided therapy in a variety of settings including clinics, residential facilities, homes, and schools. Additionally, Laurie possesses a Limited License in Psychology (LLP) in the state of Michigan, and has provided mental health services to clients and families utilizing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). As a Board Certified Behavior Analyst at Sprouted Sage, Laurie conducts comprehensive skills and behavior assessment that targets communication and language skills, play and social skills as well as emotional regulation, daily living, and overall independence.