At the Cisco Center we maintain highly qualified full-time and part-time staff, as well as many trained volunteers. Our parents are also encouraged to volunteer. The Center maintains a 1:2, staff to child ratio or a 1:1 ratio if needed.

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Cisco Nochera, “Mr. Cisco”

Special Educator

Executive Director/Founder

443-848-9684

cisco@ciscocenter.org

B.S., Education, Slippery Rock University

M.S., Severe and Profound Disabilities, Johns Hopkins University

 

Mr. Cisco has been a special education, pre-school teacher for the past 44 years. He retired from Anne Arundel County Public Schools in 2008 to devote his full attention to the operation of the Cisco Center.

His experiences include:

•    teaching students with intellectual disabilities in West Virginia,

•    teaching students who were deaf-blind at the Rosewood Institution in Baltimore County,

•    teaching children in a pre-k special education class in Baltimore City.

 

Mr. Cisco has taught Early Childhood Intervention (E.C.I.) classes in Anne Arundel County Public Schools since 1985. Mr. Cisco was also the Director of Camp Greentop, a residential camp for children and adults with special needs, over a 22-year period.

 

Mr. Cisco’s contributions to education and the community have been recognized throughout the years:

•   In October 2015, Mr. Cisco was awarded a "Lifetime Achievement Award" from the Anne Arundel County                 Commission on Disability Issues.

  •    In March, 2009, he was awarded the “Peoples First Award” by the Arc of the Central Chesapeake Region.

  •    In May 2007, he was awarded the “Hometown Heroes Award” by the Anne Arundel County Chapter of the Autism         Society of America for going above and beyond to make a difference for individuals with Autism Spectrum                     Disorders and bring value to our community.

  •    In 2004, Mr. Cisco was one of the five finalists for the Anne Arundel County Public Schools Teacher of the Year.

  •    In May 2003, he received the Human Relations Distinguished Service Award for providing significant human                     relations contributions to the school and the community.

  •    In 1996, Mr. Cisco was awarded a Certificate of Recognition by the Parents’ Place of Maryland for extraordinary             efforts on behalf of individuals with special needs and their families.

  •    In 1988, he was awarded the Agnes Meyer Teacher of the Year Award and had an E.C.I. Special Education                       endowment fund established in his name.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Carla Nochera

Speech and Language Pathologist

Director/Founder

443.604.4748

carla@cisccenter.org

B.A., Hearing and Speech Sciences, University of Maryland

M.S., Speech Pathology, Loyola College

 

Carla has been a Speech/Language Pathologist for 36 years. Her last 25 years have been working with children ranging in ages 18 months through high school. Carla retired from Anne Arundel County Public Schools in 2011. She is now full time at the Cisco Center.

 

Her focus has been with the pre-school aged population. Carla has experiences in the areas of apraxia, articulation, oral motor weaknesses, delays in receptive and expressive language, weaknesses in pragmatic language, and delays in social skills. Her work with children has encompassed a wide variety of disabilities including: Autism Spectrum Disorders, Speech and Language Delays, Down Syndrome, Intellectual Disabilities and Cerebral Palsy.

 

Carla is also certified in the Hanen Center Programs: It Takes Two to Talk, Learning Language and Loving It, and Teacher Talk. These are early intervention programs for families and early childhood service providers. Carla has many years experience working at residential summer camps for children and adults with special needs.