
Arizona Autism Charter Schools, Inc. (AZACS) is the first and only tuition-free, public charter network in Arizona focused on the educational needs of students with autism. The charter’s primary focus is to use the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) to support students’ behavioral needs and help them access state instructional standards to the best of their ability. AZACS also uses STEAM and project based learning to help students apply foundational skills into project that are of high interest to them. AZACS was unanimously approved to serve grades K-12 grade by the Arizona State Board for Charter Schools. AZACS is serving families with two campuses in Central Phoenix, a campus in the West Valley, our Tucson Upper Campus and a fully accredited online school. Our one-of-kind charter network has been recognized nationally for excellence and innovation, winning the prestigious Yass Prize in 2022!
Mission Statement
The mission of the Arizona Autism Charter Schools, Inc. is to educate students with autism and other neurodiversities using evidence-based strategies grounded in the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). This educational model will be delivered by highly trained teachers and staff. Our goal is to make this high quality, specialized education accessible to students with autism in the Phoenix Metropolitan area and beyond.
Our Vision
Students will be empowered to reach their full potential in motivating, compassionate environments using individualized programs so that every child gains the skills to integrate into the community and become a fulfilled, productive citizen.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Statement
All individuals are welcome at Arizona Autism Charter Schools, regardless of race, color, age, national origin, sex, transgender status, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy, religion, disability, genetic information, marital status, political affiliation or parental status. Diversity not only complements our organizational values of teamwork, leadership, empowerment, and service quality, but also encompasses the way we work, the work environment, and respect for all people and their ideas.
Title IX Coordinator, Susan Contino at scontino@autismcharter.org
Executive Leadership

Diana Diaz-Harrison

Myla Goyne

Lead Founder & Executive Director
Diana Diaz-Harrison
Diana Díaz-Harrison, M.Ed. is the Lead Founder and Executive Director at Arizona Autism Charter Schools (AZACS). She was inspired to start the school by her son, Sammy, who was diagnosed with autism at the age of two. Like many parents, she struggled to find an appropriate school for her son and decided to do something about it.
In 2012, she formed a board of parents and grandparents of children with autism along with professionals in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis. Together, they drafted a proposal for an instructional program and business plan to create Arizona’s first autism-focused charter school. Diana presented this plan to the Arizona Charter School’s Association and was selected to participate in a competitive Charter Starter Development Program. After completing this program, she submitted a successful charter application to the Arizona State Board for Charter Schools, which was approved in 2013. Once approved, Diana worked with her team to apply for prestigious start-up grants to gain the capital needed to start the school. It was an arduous labor of love, and the school opened successfully in the fall of 2014.
Diana possesses a unique combination of experience in broadcast media, public relations and education. While her early career experience was as a bilingual school teacher in California, she later held several prominent positions in broadcast media and public relations. Prior to dedicating herself full-time to AZACS, she was a Senior Communications Strategist at Salt River Project (SRP), Arizona’s leading utility company. In 1999, she came to the Phoenix market to serve as Univision 33’s lead Spanish language news anchor and reporter focusing on education and medical news.
Her professional career turned to education once again, after her son, Sammy, was diagnosed with autism. From 2007 to 2009, she served as Hispanic Community Relations Strategist for the Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center (SARRC). In this role, she brought autism awareness to the forefront of the Hispanic Community by working with Univision television and radio to produce weekly news segments on this widespread neuro-diversity. In October of 2009, Diana was recognized with an Emmy nomination for her news reports on autism. While working at SARRC, Diana conducted multiple trainings to teach educators about the characteristics of autism and strategies to connect parents to early intervention services. It was her professional experience at SARRC that connected Diana to the leading professionals in the treatment and education of children with autism and what planted the idea of starting a school.
In her role as Lead Founder and Executive Director, Diana has worked with her team to open three successful campuses and an accredited online school in just nine years of operation. Each year, the schools meet and exceed their academic goals as approved by the Arizona State Board for Charter Schools.
AZACS has been recognized by several prominent educational entities such as Charter Schools Growth Fund, A for Arizona, Arizona Governor Doug Ducey’s Office of Education, and most recently was the top million dollar winner of the Yass Prize. Diana’s goal is to help each student become a fulfilled, productive citizen. She is doing this by develop community partnerships that can lead to jobs and ensuring students are ready for college and vocational opportunities. As the mother of a child with autism, her driving force is to create a life of purpose and fulfilling opportunities for her students.

Head of Schools
Myla Goyne
My name is Myla Goyne and I am honored to serve as the Head of Schools. I started working with a variety of students in 2001 as an intern, and then special education paraprofessional while I attended Arizona State University and graduated with my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. During that time, I discovered my love for working with students with exceptionalities and decided to further my education and obtain my Master of Education in Special Education. Since then, I have served as a Special Education Teacher, Special Education Instructional Coach, Exceptional Student Services Coordinator, and Campus Special Education Director. To prepare for my role as an administrator, I obtained my Supervisor and Principal Certification and earned my Master of Arts in Education Administration and Supervision.
This will be my fifth year at AZACS, and I look forward to supporting the academic direction of our charter and ensuring the highest standards of educational excellence.
Collaborating with leadership teams, staff, and stakeholders will be an instrumental part of my role in advancing our academic programs and initiatives. Working together we will continue to enhance the overall student experience and foster a culture of continuous improvement.
During my free time, my partner Tom and I enjoy vacationing to explore new places, but we seem to be drawn to more beach-themed adventures. Nothing beats a good book and sand between the toes. We also enjoy catching a concert or spending time with our families which include his triplet sons and daughter and our three dogs.
Thank you for your continued support of AZACS, and our dedicated team is here to assist you in any way possible. We encourage you to reach out to us with any questions or concerns you may have.
Arizona Autism Charter Schools Board of Directors
Board President
Board Treasurer
Board Secretary
Board Directors
Ross Meyer, DevWerks, Inc., AZACS Parent
Kerrie Mallory-Thompson, Empowered Prints, AZACS Parent
Matthew Simon, Associate VP, State and Federal Relations, ASU
Elizabeth Simonhoff-Perez, Associate Vice President, EOSS Educational Outreach and Student Services, ASU