Our Faculty and Staff

Dana Johnson is an Occupational Therapist and the founder of Invictus Academy Tampa Bay. She has a Master’s Degree in Occupational Therapy and a PhD in Child and Adolescent Mental Health and Development. Dana supports the non-speaking community through education, advocacy, research and training. Dana has been working with the non-speaking community for almost 18 years, but had a paradigm shift 7 years ago which changed her perspective and the way she practices.

“Presuming competence and providing reliable communication opens up a whole new world for families and their children. Communication is a right for all and it is now my mission to ensure that all non-speakers are respected, have autonomy, and a way to communicate reliably.”

Dr. Johnson owns her own practice in Trinity, Florida. Please visit her website for more information.

spellers.com/tampa

Jasmine Forbes is the Occupational Therapist at Invictus Academy. Jasmine earned her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy degree from the University of Toronto in Canada. In 2018 she moved to Southern California where she worked at a pediatric occupational therapy clinic. Here she gained experience in a variety of settings including clinic, home, and schools. Jasmine has always been passionate about working with the pediatric population and is excited to be able to help students reach their goals and increase their independence in the school environment.

Joy Scheu is a communication specialist at Invictus Academy Tampa Bay. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Ministry from Ministry International Institute.  She is also a graduate of the ACTS training course for the use and training of the letter board process. Joy has three neuro-diverse children of her own and through her efforts to build a quality environment for her sons she established an in-home education program along with founding H.O.P.E for Autism’s Sunday and Summer programs for young children with autism. Joy believes strongly in the importance of presuming competence in her students while also building skills that will follow them home and into their communities; skills like self-expression, self-advocacy and personal responsibility. Her great desire is that the skills she imparts to her students will help to carry them into a future filled with possibilities!

Brianna is a middle school teacher at Invictus Academy. She began working at Invictus as a teacher assistant in the kinder-first classroom, transitioning up as an elementary teacher, and now to middle school. She has attained multiple certifications in relation to child care and furthered her education at Florida Gulf Coast University. Her passion for working with children stems from her own brother’s autism diagnosis; growing up and observing the obstacles he faced throughout his life, and his unrelenting perseverance through it all, fueled her desire to assist others throughout their journey.