Lori Pendygraft

My name is Lori Pendygraft and I am a Service Coordinator here at Kid In Development Services. I have been in the social work field twenty-six years. I cannot imagine doing anything else. I love working with children and their families and seeing their progress over time. I feel supported by Kid In Development Services team members and I enjoy working with others who truly want the best for their families. 
I am from Kentucky. I grew up in a small town there called Danville. I moved to Cincinnati about five years ago and then decided to move to the wonderful Charleston, SC area. I've been here only a few months so I'm still finding my way around. I have one adult son and he currently lives with me. I love the beach! It is my happy place and I never get tired of it. I like horses and small dogs. I used to love dogs but during a home visit a few years ago there was an incident where the family's dog did not like me and he almost bit me in the face. Needless to say, I am very leery of some dogs now. I like to read true crime books, I love Italian and Mexican food, and I love to travel. Something crazy about me, I am absolutely terrified of alligators! If one ever gets near me I will probably pass out right there!

Jatae Bryant

Hello! My name is Jatae Bryant. I grew up in Charleston, SC. I moved away for college and to further my professional dance career. I have recently moved back to the beautiful city of Charleston to gain more professional experience. I currently serve as a Service Coordinator at KIDS covering between both Dorchester and Charleston counties. I hold a Bachelor of Arts in psychology with a minor in recreational therapy from Clemson University (go Tigers!) For leisure, I love to read, dance, travel, and cook. I also work as a substitute teacher weekly. I love being in the school and working around the youth; that's what makes being a Service Coordinator so great. I enjoy working with the families and my fellow Special Instructors as we watch these babies excel with their skills! It is so great to be a part of the KIDS team! 

Mary Ellen Cassaro

I started my career in early childhood as a babysitter when I was 12, not realizing that I would end up working in the field as a preschool and Kindergarten teacher for over 20 years. I went back to college as the mother of 3 teenagers and got my Master of Art in Teaching in Early Childhood, specializing in teaching preschool to 3rd grade. 
I now have the pleasure of being a grandmother to a very fun little girl who challenges my skill set every time we play together! I have a passion for reading, teaching yoga, gardening and animals, all of which I try to incorporate into my sessions with families and their children. When I left the classroom setting, I knew I still wanted to work with the Early Childhood crowd, so I joined Kid In Development as an Early Interventionist and I work with families of children over-3 in the Horry County area. I LOVE it!

Janele Bryant

Hi! My name is Janele Bryant and I am the Office Manager for Kid in Development Services. 

I was born in New York, but have lived in South Carolina for most of my life. I am married with four wonderful children.  Three of them are grown and I have a firecracker 12 year old.

I have a background in administration, medical assisting and medical coding and enjoy all aspects of organizational support and office management. I always strive to operate in a state of excellence! I have been with KIDS for 7 years and I absolutely love working with everyone at KIDS!  This is a company that cares about the families we serve and about the family that we have become here at KIDS.  It is a *wonderful* thing to enjoy your job!!

In my free time, I LOVE to craft! It is my place of Zen. I can get lost for the entire day crafting. One of my greatest joys is sharing the things that I craft with others. It makes me happy to see others happy.

Heather Shrom

Hi, my name is Heather Shrom. I was born in Glastonbury, Connecticut. I attended Arcadia University, in Pennsylvania, receiving both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Early Childhood and Elementary Education. I taught in several different early childhood settings for 25 years. I spent several of those years teaching in an integrated early intervention program helping to create a unique sensory- language classroom that serviced children with autism. I also enjoyed teaching kindergarten for many years.
My husband and I recently relocated to South Carolina to be closer to the beach. We have two grown daughters and two fur babies. In my spare time, I enjoy reading, doing paper crafts, and gardening.

Mary Barkley

Hello! My name is Mary, 
I am from Oakmont, PA.  I married into the military and lived in several states and another country.  We settled in Summerville, SC, and have no plans of moving any time soon.
 
I have an Associates in Child Development and a Bachelors in Child, Adolescent, and Family Services from California State University of Bakersfield.  I have worked in several daycare settings, schools, and have 5 children of my own.  I have volunteered for Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts, in my children's schools, our Youth Group and was PTA Treasurer for two years.
 
I have been working with KIDS for over 6 years and absolutely love my job!  I love the families and children that I have had the pleasure of serving over the years.  I not only work with children and their families, but I also QA files for our agency.  I enjoy meeting new families and helping the children meet their milestones.
 
As I said, I have 5 children, but I also have 2 dogs, several fish and 1 Kenyan Sand Boa.  I enjoy spending time with my family, traveling, going to the beach/pool, having cookouts with friends and family, and hope to one day have a boat to spend summer days on the water.

Denise Searles

Hello. My name is Denise Searles.  I am a service coordinator at KIDS.  Prior to this I worked as a program coordinator for BabyNet for 4 years, and as a Special Education Teacher for over 8 years.  What I love most about this job is the people I work with, and the opportunity to empower families to advocate for themselves.  I am married.  I have two adult children, and a fourteen-year-old.  Our family has a two-year old Cockapoo and will soon welcome a Goldendoodle puppy to the family.  
My daughters and I recently started making handmade clay earrings and that hobby has expanded into a business opportunity that is busy but very enjoyable.  In my spare time I enjoy reading, walking, and traveling.  
I am grateful for the opportunity provided by KIDS to partner with families, and coordinate their services so they can give their attention to their most important job of parenting.

Elaine Laine

I am a Licensed Independent Social Worker CP in the State of South Carolina.   I did my undergraduate work and received a B.A. in Education from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst; an M.Ed. in Education/Special Education from Suffolk University in Boston; and an M.S.W from Boston College with a major in Casework. I have participated in thousands of hours of specialized training and courses. My specialties are Early Intervention, Special Education, Family Counselling, Child Services, Foster Care & Permanency Planning.  My philosophy is to look holistically at each child, assess their developmental needs and their strengths, and to help provide the services and the supports which will support every parent/caretaker in helping their child reach their maximum potential.
My experience includes teaching in Public Schools as well as tutoring in reading and special education.  I spent many years working for the Department of Social Services as a caseworker in Protective Services, Foster Care and Adoption Planning, and on the Foster Care Review Unit.  I have worked in Early Intervention in Georgia and South Carolina.  
My husband and I have two daughters and four grandchildren here in Charleston and I love spending as much time with them as I can.  We enjoy the beach, bike riding, and cooking together.  Our Goldendoodle dog, Napolean, loves to join us whenever he can! 
Early Intervention is crucial to the wellbeing of all children.  The groundwork is set for the child during this time and the rewards are great.  I feel that it is my privilege to be able to participate in helping each child and family and in making a difference.

Amanda Hogan

My name is Amanda Hogan. I'm a Service Coordinator for KIDS, and I love what I do! I'm originally from Charleston, SC. I now reside in Andrews, SC with my husband and our dog, Thor! I have a Bachelors Degree in Early Childhood Education and I've taught first grade for 3 years. My husband and I have also pastored children and teens for over 10 years. My favorite part about working with KIDS is working with the families. I'm passionate about serving families and believe early intervention is the best way to help families in need. In my spare time, I love crafting, spending time with friends and family, and going to the beach!

Kenya Anise Raybon

Hi, I'm Kenya Anise Raybon and I'm so excited to work with your family! I moved to Mount Pleasant in 2007 after a long stint as a military wife and I absolutely love the Low Country. I joined Kid In Development Services in January of 2020 as a Special Instructor. I have degrees in both early childhood development and early childhood education, and I have thirty years of experience working with children. From teaching tap and ballet to preschoolers in Hawaii to teaching English to students in Japan to being a nanny and teaching on Sullivan's Island, I have enjoyed a true richness and diversity in my experiences as both a childcare provider and a teacher. When I am not working with your children, I am busy enjoying mine. I am the proud mother of four adult children and a beagle named Cecile, all of whom enjoy being treated like they are the center of my life, which they are. I feel like I am the luckiest person ever to be in a career field about which I am passionate. I remember the people who have loved my children and impacted their lives over the years and I am committed to paying that forward by providing warmth, excellence, quality, and support when working with families.

Alyssa Kinsey

Hey! My name is Alyssa Kinsey. I was born and raised in Charleston. I am Mom to a three year old daughter, two dogs, and a guinea pig. I have a Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education from Clemson University. I taught in preschools for 7 years. The majority of my work was with children under the age of three. My strengths as a teacher were to create learning opportunities on the fly and working with families to create and implement helpful routines to specialize each child's learning pace. I knew that I wanted to become an Early Interventionist when an EI came into my preschool class to help one of my students. I loved seeing the personalized relationship that comes with working "one on one" with children and their families. I am so thankful to be a part of the KIDS team with whom I share a passion for a family-centered approach to overcoming delays. This job gives me a sense of connection and purpose with the families I work with and a great team to learn from. 

In my spare time, I enjoy reading, meditating, quality time with my family (pets, included), and bike rides. I enjoy helping others and learning and I am glad to have a job that allows me to incorporate both!
 

Ashley Bushong

I am Ashley Bushong and a Service Coordinator for Horry County.
I love helping families feel capable in helping their children and advocating for their needs.
I’m a homeschooling, special needs and heart mom all rolled into one. I have 3 beautiful children, 2 dogs, 1 cat, 3 goats and lots of chickens. My family and I enjoy spending our time outdoors and on the farm.
I have my degree in early childhood and elementary education but also went back to school to get my holistic health coaching certification.

Misty Bryant

Hello. My name is Misty Bryant, I am the Early Intervention Supervisor with Kid In Development Services (KIDS). I grew up in Georgia. I have lived in South Carolina for over twenty years. I graduated from College of Charleston and earned a Bachelor of Science in Special Education. I taught Special Education for many years in Charleston County and Horry County. I was honored to be selected as Teacher of the Year my second year of teaching. I began my career teaching students with Autism and over my career taught all age groups with a variety of diagnosis and needs. I loved teaching, but always wanted to help families more than teaching in a school allowed. 
I discovered Early Intervention when my son began receiving BabyNet services. KIDS provided my family with an amazing EI and with constant support. I knew Early Intervention was exactly what I wanted as a career for the rest of my life. My passion is helping children and their families in any way possible making their lives better. Early Intervention not only provides support to children with developmental delays, it also provides support to the entire family.
As Early Intervention Supervisor, I help families and provide support to all our Early Interventionist (EI) as they are providing the best Early Intervention Services in the state. I strive every day to ensure our team has all tools essential to providing strategies and resources in helping their families achieve successful outcomes. I also process Department of Disabilities and Special Needs (DDSN) Intake Eligibility for KIDS. This process helps families obtain assistance for children with ongoing concerns for development over the age of three.
When not helping families, I spend my free time with my beautiful family. My wonderful husband and I share our life with four amazing children of our own as well as many bonus children that have needed safe, loving place to call home over the years.  We also have two beautiful grandsons we adore. My happy place is being with children and whether at work or home, I am happiest helping children.

Hope Smith

My name is Hope Smith. I am an Early Interventionist with Kid in Development Services. I started volunteering when I was still in high school with special needs children. The summer I graduated from high school, I worked at a summer camp program called J.O.Y. School. That is when I realized my passion for children with special needs. I went to Horry Georgetown Technical College for Early Childhood Education. Then I decided to go further and received my Bachelor’s in Education.
My husband and I have fostered over 80 children and adopted 4 boys through DSS. This is how I found out about the Babynet program. When I met an Early Interventionist that worked for K.I.D.S. I knew that was the company I wanted to work for and have been with K.I.D.S. since 2013. I love helping the families I am blessed enough to work with. It brings me so much joy to be able to help the whole family, not just the child. The best part of my job is when a child masters an outcome created by the family. To see the pride in the parent’s face because they are the ones that worked so hard to help their child makes it all worth it.

Brandyn Raber

My name is Brandyn Raber. I am an Early Interventionist at Kid In Development Services. I serve families in Horry County, where my family has lived since 2017. I graduated from Mars Hill College with a Bachelor of Social Work. I have worked with families and children with developmental delays for over 6 years within an educational setting. 
I am a mother of 2 wonderful kiddos, and a wife of my college sweetheart, a High School Math Teacher and Football Coach! I have lived in the Carolinas for most of my life. I grew up with a little brother with Down Syndrome, helping develop my passion for working in early intervention! I enjoy painting and DIY house projects. Working with you and your family makes me so happy and I look forward to meeting you! 

Amanda Mackoul

My name is Amanda Mackoul and I am an Early Interventionist/Special Instructor at Kid in Development Services. I love getting the opportunity to work one-on-one with families, really getting to know them individually, and supporting them on their parenthood journey. I have a degree in Child Development and Family Studies and training in Montessori education. I am originally from Nashville, TN and moved to Conway, SC with my husband in 2018. In my spare time, you can usually find me at the beach with a good book, walking our little dog Winnie, or traveling to visit friends and family. 

Laura Paggi Boles

I was born and raised in Charleston, Carolina and have never left! I have bee married to my best friend and husband for four years. We Live in Mount 
Pleasant and have the best dog ever and two cats. I have always had a passion working with children and made it my goal in life. I started working for childcare centers when I was in high school and I worked as a nanny for one family for thirteen years. I continue working as a nanny for different families while I finished school. I attended the College of Charleston and graduated in 2016 with a B.S in Early Childhood. I started teaching a child development class in Mount Pleasant. It was at that preschool where I developed an interest in working in Early Intervention because I had several students with different delays who worked with interventionists. I saw what a difference they made in each child’s life and decided I 
longed to do the same. I am very excited to be part of the team for Kids In Development.