Our Team

Our team is our most valuable asset! We are proud to have a talented team of experts who are deeply committed to ensuring all Coloradans with IDD & CCN have access to the resources and supports needed to lead an independent and fulfilling life.

Staff

Aidan Attreau


Executive Director - Real Life Colorado

Aidan spent the first 8 years of their career working as an SLP who specialized in pediatric populations (1-22) with complex communication needs (CCN). They moved from Boston to Denver in 2017 and became an AAC Specialist at Children’s Hospital Colorado, before becoming a founding member of a start-up integrated care center for children with Autism.

Aidan is so excited to take on the Executive Director position at RLC and believes their professional experiences, business and management skills, and unique perspective and understanding as a clinician will bring the added “missing piece” to RLC and Learning Zone. In their free time, Aidan enjoys spending time outside, playing music, or cuddling with their cute pup, Tucker!

 

Michelle Pescovitz

Director of Academics & OperationS

Michelle has been a Special Education Teacher for 15 years! She has taught students with all abilities and disabilities from preschool through 6th grade. Michelle moved to Denver in 2016 and received her Masters in Special Education with a focus in coaching and leadership from University of Northern Colorado.

Michelle brings a passion for providing structures and supports to ensure that all staff and students are confident in their unique skills and have everything they need to be successful. She enjoys traveling, dogs, trying new restaurants and spending time with her husband and daughter.

 
 

Jesica Suddath


Lead Classroom Instructor

Jesica has spent the past 15 years working with children inside and outside of the classroom. She has been a daycare provider, special education paraprofessional, community connector, and home health provider.

Jesica brings an extensive amount of professional skills to our team including instructional and behavioral support, personal, health, and safety care experience, and QMAP certification. Jesica has a remarkable ability to make all learning opportunities fun and relatable to real life experiences to help our students reach their highest potentials. Jesica is the proud mom to 4 boys and enjoys spending her free time with her family!

 

Courtney Cranson


Lead Classroom Instructor

Courtney started her career as a paraprofessional working with elementary students in public education. Her passion for empowering learners to improve their communication skills and more successfully express themselves led her on a journey towards pursuing her Speech-Language Pathology Assistant Certification.

Courtney continued working in the public schools as an SLPA until recently moving into more non-traditional school systems. That ultimately led her to our team and we could not be more grateful!

 

Sarah Mestas

SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER

Sarah was born and raised in Denver and got her bachelors in Special Education at the University of Northern Colorado. Sarah has been working in special education classrooms as a paraprofessional and then a teacher in classrooms with students of a wide variety of ability levels and ages. 

She is passionate about the advocacy and empowerment of kids and adults with disabilities in the schools and in the community.  She enjoys reading, camping, thrifting, and spending time with her dog.

 

Cindy Tjarks


Paraprofessional

Cindy has a long history of working with children. She started her career as an elementary school Speech-Language Pathology Assistant (SLPA), followed by working as a preschool teacher, in-home daycare provider, and most recently as a 1:1 virtual English tutor.

Cindy brings a long list of strengths to our program including meeting kids where they are at and interacting with positivity, respect, and individualized support for each of our students. We are so excited to have Cindy as a part of our team!

ADDITIONAL PARTNERS

  • Karie Rossini

    AAC SPECIALIST - STORM LLC

  • Meredith Walsh

    AAC SPECIALIST - STORM LLC

  • Kate Johnson

    AAC SPECIALIST - STORM LLC

  • Barb Taylor

    SPED DIRECTOR - CATALYST ED

  • Shaina Tonge

    BCBA - 7 DIMENSIONS

  • Sarah Banks

    PhD - BASECAMP PSYCHOLOGY

“We are blessed to have such dedicated staff that know our kids can be successful. To see our son have the excitement to go to school every day makes all the difference and it is because of this staff and the programming.”

— Learning Zone Parent