Autistry Studios Staff

Janet Lawson, MFT, Executive Director

Janet is a Marriage and Family Therapist and has worked with adolescents and young adults for many years. She has a Masters in Library and Information Science from Indiana University and an M.S. in Counseling Psychology from Dominican University. She worked for several years in the film industry and was a Producing Fellow at the American Film Institute. She is a Phi Beta Kappa/Summa Cum Laude graduate of UC Berkeley, with a major in Film Studies. Blog Posts

Dan Swearingen, Director of Studio Operations

Dan was educated as an astrophysicist but has worked in software development for private industry and government projects. Outside of work Dan has always loved building things and Autistry Studios leverages and challenges all his skills. Dan’s job is to maintain technologies for the students to use in their projects and teach the students how to (safely) use them. Blog Posts

Diane Doodha, Chief Financial Officer

Diane Doodha was member of the Board of Directors of Tamalpais Bank since 1991 and is a founding shareholder of Tamalpais Bank. Diane is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Bay School of San Francisco and a member of the Marin Community Health Foundation Board. Diane’s diverse career includes that of educator, administrator and business woman. She has long been a supporter of both Marin and San Francisco community organizations and has served on many boards of directors including those of Children as Peacemakers, BAYLA, The California Film Institute/Mill Valley Film Festival, The San Francisco Performing Arts Library and Museum and the Marin Arts Council.

Nate Yates, Program Director: Filmmaking

Nate Yates is a Special Education teacher at Hall Middle School in Larkspur, California specializing in education of children on the Autistic Spectrum. He has a B.A. from UC Santa Cruz in Film and Digital Media Production. He taught for several years at A Better Chance School in Richmond, a California Autism Foundation program serving students ages 12 – 18. Nate is currently pursuing an education specialist credential, an MA in Special Education and an Autism Certification through San Francisco State University’s Project Mosaic.

Jen Hirt, Program Director: Fabric and Fine Arts

Jen Hirt is a Special Education and Resource Center teacher at Hall Middle School in Larkspur, California. Jen has an MA in Education and has taught art for many years. She is a versatile (and awesome) artist with talents ranging from stained glass creations to costume construction and wood block prints.

Amarjit (AJ) Kaur, Counselor

AJ has an MS in Counseling from San Francisco State University with a specialization in marriage and family therapy. She has a PPS (Pupil Personnel Services) credential and worked for several years as a counselor at San Rafael High School. AJ also has years of experience working with teenagers with emotional, behavioral and learning challenges.