Women & Caregiving: Supporting Children with Narcolepsy through School

Dr. Anne Marie Morse is a board certified adult neurologist with special qualifications in child neurology and sleep medicine specialist. She is the Director of Child Neurology and Pediatric Sleep Medicine at Janet Weis Children’s Hospital – Geisinger Health System (Danville, Pennsylvania). She has significant clinical experience and interest in pediatric and adult patients with sleep wake disorders, particularly central disorders of hypersomnolence, such as narcolepsy. In addition, her research interests extend more broadly to include investigating the relationship of sleep with neurologic disease. Some of her current research involvement includes participation in studies evaluating novel therapies and management strategies for hypersomnia disorders, neurodevelopment and sleep, and neurocognitive outcomes related to sleep apnea. In addition, Dr. Morse’s commitment to sleep health also extends into the community. She has developed a school-based sleep education and surveillance program called Wake Up and LearnTM, a program developed to provide education about sleep health and perform school-based sleep screening to improve recognition of pediatric sleep disorders in middle and high school students. After successful implementation in middle school and high school, it has now expanded to include learners in college, medical school and medical residency programs as well. Dr. Morse envisions a world where sleep can be acknowledged as the vital sign of health, wellness, and performance that it is designed to be.

Dr. Erin Leichman is a senior research psychologist at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, PA. She is a licensed psychologist, a Diplomate in Behavioral Sleep Medicine (DBSM), and a Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP). Currently, she focuses on research related to sleep in young children and their families. She is also the Executive Director of the Pediatric Sleep Council and serves as the primary editor of www.babysleep.com.

Dr. Leichman received her doctorate in School Psychology from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA with a concentration in pediatric school psychology, completing her internship at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans, LA and postdoctoral clinical training at The Kennedy Krieger Institute at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, MD.  She has worked as a school psychologist in public school systems, a special educator for children with developmental disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorders, and a behavioral therapist for children with disruptive behavior disorders.

Tammy Anderson is the assistant director for Wake Up Narcolepsy and has spent most of her adult life helping build organizations that strengthen individuals and families. Prior to joining Wake Up Narcolepsy, Tammy worked as a development director at a nonprofit and as a student advocate in public, private and home education settings. Her passion for understanding and seeking optimal outcomes in human development, especially within the context of family life and relationships, began at an early age, but gained focus during her studies and graduation from Brigham Young University, where she earned a degree in marriage, family and human development, with licensure as a Family Life Educator. When her daughter was diagnosed with Narcolepsy at age 10, Tammy and her husband set out to find answers, treatments, therapies and ways that their daughter could live the fullest life possible. Wake Up Narcolepsy has played a critical part of their journey. Living in the foothills of Northern Utah, Tammy and her family enjoy hiking and exploring in the mountains near their home. Her family is her greatest work and accomplishment.