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Discover how CASEN grew
from concept to community
CASEN began with a simple question between a father and son.
When Chris Jr. was a freshman in college, his father asked him:
“Is there anything you wish you had learned in school that could help kids today?”
After thinking about it, Chris answered:
“I wish someone had taught me how to be appropriate on social media, just like I was taught life skills in the classroom.”
Chris knew firsthand how difficult the online world could be. He had experienced cyberbullying on social media and, at times, needed help understanding how to navigate online interactions.
Fortunately, Chris had a village. His father and other trusted adults stepped in to guide him—helping him understand what to share, what not to share, how to respond to difficult situations, and how to choose his digital circle wisely.
But Chris recognized something important:
Not every child has that kind of village.
He wanted to help create one.
Chris brought the idea to his mother, Dr. Myava Clark, an educator and fellow advocate, and together they turned that vision into CASEN (Collaborative Advancement for Social-Emotional Needs).
Today, CASEN helps children—especially neurodivergent children and those with learning differences—develop the social and emotional skills they need to:
❤️ Build healthy relationships.
🛡️ Protect themselves and others.
📣 Use their voices to help themselves and others.
🧭 Make wise choices.
Together, they developed a social media readiness approach designed to bridge the gap between social-emotional learning and the real-world digital experiences children encounter online. Through the CASEN Social Media Readiness Course and CASEN Connect™, children learn essential skills and practice them in a structured, monitored digital environment before navigating mainstream social media more independently.
What began with one family’s experience has grown into a community with a much bigger purpose:
Helping families prepare children not just for social media—but for friendships, technology, and life.
CASEN’s Mission
To equip neurodivergent children with the social-emotional and digital readiness skills they need to build healthy relationships, protect themselves and others, use their voices to help themselves and others, and make wise choices—at school, online, and throughout life.
How We Fulfill Our Mission
CASEN prepares neurodivergent children to navigate social and digital environments with greater confidence through social-emotional learning, social media readiness education, and guided practice. Through the CASEN Social Media Readiness Course and CASEN Connect™, children don’t just learn essential skills—they have opportunities to practice applying them in a structured, monitored digital environment.
About Chris Clark Jr.
Chris Clark Jr. is the Vice President and Co-Founder of CASEN LLC (Collaborative Advancement for Social-Emotional Needs), a youth advocate, entrepreneur, speaker, and best-selling author.
Chris brings something essential to CASEN: lived experience.
Growing up with learning differences, Chris experienced social challenges, bullying, cyberbullying, anxiety, and depression. While those experiences were difficult, Chris also had something that many children do not—a village of family members and trusted adults who helped him navigate challenges at school, online, and in life.
As a freshman in college, a conversation with his father inspired Chris to think about what he wished someone had taught him when he was younger. His answer eventually became the foundation for CASEN: Children need opportunities to learn and practice social and digital skills before they are expected to navigate the online world on their own.
Chris brought the idea to his mother, Dr. Myava Clark, and together they Co-Founded CASEN.
Today, as Vice President, Chris helps shape CASEN from the perspective of someone who understands what it feels like to struggle socially and need additional guidance. He contributes to the development of CASEN’s programs and initiatives, including CASEN Connect™, where children can practice communication and social skills in a moderated environment designed to serve as “social media with training wheels.”
Chris also speaks with young people about bullying, cyberbullying, online safety, digital footprints, and social wellness. His goal is not simply to tell children what not to do online, but to help them develop the confidence and skills to build healthy relationships, protect themselves and others, speak up, and make wise choices.
Beyond CASEN, Chris is a best-selling co-author of Living All Out. He works in retail, enjoys Philadelphia sports, podcasts, and music, and continues to develop his interests in entrepreneurship and advocacy.
At the heart of Chris’s work is a simple belief: Every child deserves to feel seen, supported, and prepared to navigate their world with confidence.
“I want to prevent kids from struggling on social media and give them a safe social space to learn and grow.” ~ Chris Clark Jr.
About Dr. Myava Clark
Dr. Myava Clark is the President and Co-Founder of CASEN LLC (Collaborative Advancement for Social-Emotional Needs), a respiratory therapist, an educator, advocate, speaker, and best-selling author committed to helping children and families build the skills they need to thrive socially, emotionally, and safely in an increasingly digital world.
For Dr. Clark, the work of CASEN is both professional and deeply personal.
As the mother of two adult children, she understands what it means to advocate for a child whose needs may not always fit neatly within traditional systems. Her experiences navigating the special education system with her son, Chris Jr., and a 504 Plan with her daughter, Kyra, helped shape her commitment to ensuring that children with learning differences and unique needs are not merely accommodated, but seen, supported, valued, and given opportunities to thrive.
When Chris brought her the idea that eventually became CASEN, Dr. Clark saw more than an opportunity to create a safer online experience. As an educator and mother, she saw an opportunity to teach children skills that extend far beyond social media.
Together, mother and son began developing a way to help children learn how to build healthy relationships, protect themselves and others, use their voices, and make wise choices—at school, online, and in life.
Today, those principles are at the heart of the CASEN Compass™:
❤️ Connection — Build healthy relationships.
🛡️ Safety — Protect yourself and others.
📣 Advocacy — Use your voice to help yourself and others.
🧭 Navigation — Make wise choices.
Dr. Clark brings decades of experience in education, healthcare, leadership, and advocacy to this work. She holds a Ph.D. in Education with a concentration in Higher Education and Leadership & Administration. Currently, she serves as a university Program Director for a Bachelor of Science in Respiratory Therapy program. She is also a licensed respiratory therapist and clinical instructor.
Her commitment to families extends beyond children’s education. Through the Mothers of Exceptional Kids (MOEK) Support Group, Dr. Clark created a community where parents and caregivers can find support, share their experiences, learn practical strategies, and strengthen themselves as they advocate for their children.
Dr. Clark is also a best-selling author whose books explore parenting, faith, resilience, personal growth, caregiving, and overcoming life’s challenges. Her writing reflects the same philosophy that guides her work with CASEN: Lived experiences can become powerful tools for helping someone else.
At the center of everything she does is a belief that children should have more than protection from what can go wrong. They should be intentionally prepared for what lies ahead.
“Everyone needs a safe space to feel trusted, respected, and valued. CASEN is that safe space.” ~ Dr. Myava Clark
THE CASEN JOURNEY
From one family’s experience to a growing community preparing children for friendships, technology, and life.
2017 WHERE IT BEGAN
The Conversation That Started It All
- CASEN began with a conversation between a father and son. When Chris Clark Jr. was a freshman in college, his father asked him what he wished he had learned growing up that could help children today.
“I wish someone had taught me how to be appropriate on social media, just like I was taught life skills in the classroom.”
Chris had a village of trusted adults who helped him navigate difficult online experiences, including cyberbullying. He realized that not every child had that same support.
He wanted to help create that village.
2017 THE VISION
The Vision Becomes CASEN
- Chris shared his idea with his mother, Dr. Myava Clark, an educator and advocate who recognized the connection between the social-emotional skills children learn and the real-world social and digital situations they are expected to navigate.Together, mother and son Co-Founded CASEN – Collaborative Advancement for Social-Emotional Needs – with a shared vision of helping children develop the skills to navigate relationships, challenges, technology, and life with greater confidence.
2018
CASEN Connect Is Created
- The first version of CASEN Connect was launched as a protected online environment where children could practice communication and social interaction while receiving guidance from trusted adults.
The concept established an idea that remains central to CASEN today: children should have an opportunity to learn and practice social and digital skills before navigating mainstream social media independently.
2019
CASEN Goes Into the Community
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CASEN Outreach expanded the mission beyond the platform and into communities. At Camp Xtreme in Norristown, Pennsylvania, CASEN provided a six-week educational experience for children focused on bullying, cyberbullying, online risks, and social media safety.
CASEN also presented at the Bethel Deliverance International Church Education Conference, extending digital safety education to more children and families.
CASEN was becoming more than a platform – it was becoming a community resource.
2020
The Wellness Academy Is Introduced
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CASEN developed the Education Wellness Academy for children ages 9-13, connecting social-emotional learning with real-world social and digital experiences.
Children developed skills in communication, emotional regulation, bullying and cyberbullying identification, digital citizenship, and social wellness. CASEN’s focus was growing from simply protecting children online to preparing them to navigate their social worlds with confidence.
2021 A NEW GENERATION
CASEN Connect™ Is Reimagined
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CASEN partnered with consultants and developers to transform CASEN Connect™ into a proprietary, invitation-only, moderated environment where children can learn, practice, and grow.
Often described as “social media with training wheels,” CASEN Connect™ provides guided practice before children navigate traditional social media independently.
2022 GROWTH & REFINEMENT
CASEN Learns, Tests, and Refines
- CASEN piloted its educational programs in different learning environments, including community-based virtual programming and an in-person high school autistic support classroom.
Feedback from students and facilitators helped refine the curriculum for clarity, engagement, accessibility, and different learning needs. CASEN later collaborated with educational curriculum professionals to further strengthen the social-emotional learning components of its programs.
2023 SUPPORTING THE FAMILY
CASEN Parents Is Created
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CASEN recognized that preparing children also meant preparing the adults who support them. CASEN Parents was created to provide parents and caregivers with education, tools, strategies, and opportunities to reinforce at home what their children are learning.
The CASEN approach expanded from supporting the child to supporting the family.
2023
Dr. Myava’s Author Journey Begins
- Dr. Myava Clark expanded her advocacy through publishing with HELP! Support for Parents of Children with Learning and Thinking Differences to Feel Confident, Capable, and Fulfilled.
Her author journey opened another avenue for sharing lived experience, practical guidance, encouragement, faith, and support with parents, caregivers, and individuals navigating life’s challenges.
2024
Mothers of Exceptional Kids Builds Community
- Dr. Clark founded Mothers of Exceptional Kids (MOEK) to create a supportive community for parents and caregivers raising neurodivergent children.
Although Mothers of Exceptional Kids remains its name, MOEK welcomes mothers, fathers, and caregivers who want a place to connect, share, learn, and grow.
CASEN’s village was growing.
2024
The Community Invests in the Vision
- Dr. Clark and Chris Jr. launched a Kickstarter campaign to help advance the CASEN vision. The campaign raised approximately $12,000, demonstrating community support and helping CASEN continue building resources and opportunities for children and families.
2026 A FRAMEWORK EMERGES
The CASEN Compass™ Takes Shape
- As CASEN’s educational approach evolved, four principles emerged as the foundation for preparing children to navigate their social and digital worlds:
❤️ Connection – Build healthy relationships.
🛡️ Safety – Protect yourself and others.
📣 Advocacy – Use your voice to help yourself and others.
🧭 Navigation – Make wise choices.Together, these principles became the CASEN Compass™, the framework that guides CASEN’s approach to social-emotional development and social media readiness.
2026
The Dr. Myava Show Expands the Conversation
- The Dr. Myava Show created another way to reach parents and caregivers with conversations about raising confident, safe children in an increasingly complex social and digital world.Dr. Clark brings together her perspectives as a mother, educator, advocate, and CASEN President and Co-Founder to help families navigate topics affecting neurodivergent children.
CASEN’s Social Media Readiness Ecosystem
- Years of experience in social-emotional learning, bullying prevention, digital citizenship, family education, and guided online practice came together in a comprehensive approach to social media readiness.
ASSESS – The CASEN Social Media Readiness Assessment helps families identify a child’s current strengths and areas for growth across the CASEN Compass™.
LEARN – CASEN’s Social Media Readiness education teaches children and families the skills needed to navigate relationships, bullying, digital citizenship, safety, and social media.
PRACTICE – CASEN Connect™ gives children opportunities to practice communication, decision-making, and social skills in a moderated environment before traditional social media.
CASEN TODAY
From One Family’s Experience to a Village for Others
What started with one young man’s experience has grown into a community committed to helping children build healthy relationships, protect themselves and others, use their voices, and make wise choices – at school, online, and in life.
Ready to Take the First Step?
Take the free CASEN Social Media Readiness Assessment to see where your child is strong and where they need more support. Have a question first? Our team is here to help.
