Dedicated Professionals, United for Your Child
About Sid Wesseldine
After retiring from teaching, Sid Wesseldine has continued to serve families. Sid founded SDW Consulting to help families by sharing his knowledge, expertise, and professionalism in the special education world. Sid prides himself on ensuring every child is set up for success. He is well respected in the field and offers a unique approach for student advocacy.
In addition to his work as an advocate for children with special needs, Sid has worked tirelessly as a volunteer in the community, supporting both children and adults with special needs. He directed and was the head coach for the Virginia Rush TOPSoccer program for 15 years and was named the Virginia Rush Volunteer of the Year in 2006. He was also the TOPSoccer Committee Chairman for the Virginia Youth Soccer Association for five years and received the Virginia Youth Soccer Association Dave Williams Award for Exemplary Service to TOPSoccer. Furthermore, Sid was the Competition Director of the Soccer Skills Championship for the Virginia Special Olympics State Games for ten years. Additionally, he was named Tournament Director of the Soccer Team Competition for the Virginia Special Olympic State games in August 2021.
- Areas Served: Special education advocacy, student success, volunteer work in the special needs community.
- Unique Strength: Expertise in special education, deep community involvement, and a unique approach to student advocacy.
- Why Parents Might Choose Sid: Parents may choose Sid due to his well-respected status in the field, his long-standing dedication to children with special needs, and his commitment to ensuring every child is set up for success.
About Courtney Arena
Courtney Arena has been in the field of special education for over a decade. A New York native, she has taught in New York, Maryland and Virginia Beach. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Special education and a Masters Degree in Behavior, specifically Applied Behavior Analysis. She has worked with students across a variety of abilities and settings - teaching in inclusion classrooms, self contained classrooms, and worked in residential settings for children diagnosed with Autism.
After taking a break from teaching to raise her children, Courtney realized she could have a profound impact in the field of special education by becoming an advocate. Courtney has a passion for helping others and decided to take this opportunity to combine her love of children and expertise in the field of education to help families navigate the special education process. Courtney feels special education can be overwhelming and intimidating when you are unsure of all it entails. However, she strongly believes knowledge is power and hopes to become the bridge which connects families and schools to collaboratively ensure every student is successful and being served to the best of his or her abilities. She looks forward to the opportunity to help, support, and guide you and your family through the world of special education, because she believes above all- your child deserves it.
In her spare time Courtney enjoys exercising and nutrition, shopping and spending time with her husband, three children (daughter and boy/girl twins) and dog.
- Areas Served: Special education advocacy, Applied Behavior Analysis, autism support, and guiding families through special education processes.
- Unique Strength: A strong background in both teaching and behavioral analysis, combined with her passion for supporting children and families in navigating special education.
- Why Parents Might Choose Courtney: Parents may choose Courtney because of her belief in the power of knowledge to ease the overwhelming special education process, her collaborative approach, and her dedication to ensuring children receive the best possible services.
About Sue Burke
Susan Burke has passionately served children with exceptionalities, their families, and special education staff for over 20 years as a special education teacher, instructional specialist, and administrator. Her academic credentials include a Bachelor of Business Administration with a Human Resources Concentration, a Master of Science in Education with a Special Education Endorsement, and a Post Master Certificate in Educational Leadership and Administration.
Susan is deeply dedicated to working with, and advocating, for children of all exceptionalities from early childhood through high school. Her educational philosophy and practices are child centered and focused on affording all students access to the grade level curriculum and the educational environment in their least restrictive environment for successful post-secondary outcomes.
Special education meetings and processes can be overwhelming and intimidating for families. Susan enjoys empowering families and students to advocate for appropriate identification and services and to understand their special education rights and procedural safeguards to collaboratively resolve special education disputes. Her extensive knowledge and experience in developing, implementing, reviewing, and monitoring effective high quality individualized education programs and specially designed instruction has ensured that students’ unique educational needs are met and that they are afforded a free appropriate public education.
Families know their children best and deserve to feel confident communicating with school personnel and participating in special education meetings as equal partners. Susan is honored for the opportunity to be at your side!
- Areas Served: Special education for children with exceptionalities, early childhood through high school, individualized education programs (IEPs), special education rights, and advocacy.
- Unique Strength: Over 20 years of experience in various roles within special education, and a deep understanding of educational leadership, with a focus on child-centered, inclusive practices.
- Why Parents Might Choose Sue: Parents may choose Sue due to her extensive experience in advocating for children with exceptionalities, her dedication to ensuring families are confident in navigating the special education system, and her focus on creating successful educational outcomes for every child.
