
Facilitators of Groups and Activities
Our facilitators are AANE staff, consultants, or volunteers who themselves are Autistic, have Autistic family members, or have worked extensively with the autism community.
Jess A – Adults Workshop Facilitator
Jess is experienced in the field of sexual and domestic violence prevention, designing and implementing curricula that engage participants in understanding and addressing unhealthy relationship behaviors, including how racism and other forms of oppression intersect with violence.
Amanda B – Parents of Children & Teens Support Group Facilitator
Amanda is a Family Support Specialist at AANE and a COPAA and PTI-trained educational advocate experienced with IEPs, 504s, and post-secondary transition planning. A Neurodivergent parent of two Autistic children, she has a grounded approach when helping others figure out what comes next.
Shea B – Adults Interest Group Facilitator – Dungeons & Dragons
Shea is an Autistic self-advocate and change-maker. He is the Chief Technology Officer of Mentra, and graduated from Cornell University with his BS and MPS in Information Science. You might catch Shea running along the Minuteman trail or the Charles River when the weather is nice!
Rachel B – Adults Social Group Facilitator – Mindfulness Meditation
Rachel is a Neurodivergent mindfulness educator with a special interest in meditation and dharma studies. She practices in the Insight, Thai Forest, and Theravada Buddhist traditions. She is also a pet care professional and a member of one of AANE’s women’s support groups.
Stephanie B – Adults Interest Group and Social Events Facilitator
Stephanie is the Program Manager at AANE. She facilitates the Knitting & Needlecrafts Social Group for Autistic adults and manages and facilitates women’s social events. Stephanie is an Autistic adult and enjoys reading, knitting, walking, and web design.
Maggie B – Adults and Partners Support Group Facilitator
Maggie is the Associate Director of Individual and Family Services at AANE. She spent 8 years as a Special Educator in Massachusetts and is committed to amplifying autistic voices and incorporating an understanding of a variety of autistic perspectives into her work.
Nicola B – Adults Support Group Facilitator
Nicola helps people rebuild and strengthen their relationships or get over what may prevent them from having great relationships. In addition to her formal degrees in ecology and social work, she has trained with leading experts on relationships. Her startup KOKORO is: well being done well.
Alex B – Adults Interest Group Facilitator – Writer’s Workshop
Alex is the Development Coordinator at AANE and facilitates the Online Writers Workshop Interest Series for Adults.
Deborah C – Parents of Teens & Young Adults Support Group Facilitator
Deborah is a Nationally Certified School Psychologist who has over 25 years of experience working with children and families in schools. Debbie has a 27-year-old Neurodivergent daughter.
Brenda D – Parents of Children & Teens Support Group Facilitator
Brenda is the Executive Director of AANE and author of Parenting Without Panic. She is the mom of three, her eldest is an Autistic woman who is currently in graduate school. Brenda has facilitated support groups for over 20 years and enjoys creating a supportive community for parents.
Sarah DC – Adults Workshop Facilitator
Sarah has worked in the overlapping fields of intimate partner violence, public health, and education for two decades since earning a dual degree in Psychology and Studio Art. She is Neurodivergent, happily married, and the mother of a new baby.
David D – Adults Social Group Facilitator – Pizza & Game Night
David earned his BS in Communications/Media from Fitchburg State College in 1996. He began as a participant in pizza & game nights and now runs the group. He enjoys collecting music CDs of all genres, attending concerts, and skiing during the winter months.
Allison E – Teens & Adults Workshop Facilitator
Allie is a Doctorate of Occupational Therapy student at Boston University. She was drawn to OT for its holistic view of health and well-being and the therapeutic use of meaningful activities as interventions. She is originally from Cincinnati and studied public health at The Ohio State University.
Jay EE – Autistic Parents Support Group Facilitator
Jay is an Autistic self-advocate and parent. They have a depth of knowledge of LGBTQ+ issues in the autistic community. They have experience founding and facilitating Neurodiverse peer support groups and are an adviser with the Neurodiverse Students Association at Mount Holyoke.
Mina F – Adults Support Group Facilitator
Mina Fonze is an Administrative Coordinator and Facilitation Specialist at AANE. She facilitates support groups for women. Mina was diagnosed Autistic later in life and enjoys reading, cooking, all things pop culture, and listening to new music.
Olive G – Adults Social Group, Social Event, and Support Group Facilitator
Olive is an Autistic Facilitation Specialist at AANE. She is a published author on the intersectionality of autism, gender, and sexuality. Olive is also an artist and musician and is knowledgeable about how artistic expression can help those on the spectrum.
Brandy H – Adults Workshop Facilitator
Brandy is the social media and community manager at Hiki App. She attended the University of North Ga and Toccoa Falls College, majoring in Psychology. She and her husband Matt have a podcast The Chronic Couple where they share their perspective both being autistic adults.
Nick H – Adults Social Group Facilitator – Dungeons & Dragons
Nicholas is the LifeMAP Administrative Assistant at AANE and also co-facilitates the Advanced Dungeons and Dragons Interest Series and was first introduced to DnD over 20 years ago, but has been campaigning for the last five years. As a player, he favors gish characters.
Becca LH – Adults Webinar Facilitator
Becca is the Director of Training at AANE and was diagnosed as an adult. She has since become a dynamic autism advocate, consultant, speaker, and author. Her international, grant-approved, virtual course Self Defined Living: A Path to a Quality Autistic Life helps improve the lives of Autistics.
Laura GH – Adults Workshop Facilitator
Laura is a psychologist and professor at CUNY Hunter College Silberman School of Social Work. She specializes in co-designing and co-facilitating classes for Autistic adults on topics like healthy relationships, LGBTQ+ affirming therapy, and substance use.
Trish H – Adults Social Events and Support Group Facilitator
Trish has a private practice in Western Mass. Trish began her work with AANE by facilitating support groups for adults and serving as a community liaison. She co-led the start-up and administration of a local chapter and provided presentations on autism for the community and local educators.
Bonnie K – Families of Adults Support Group Facilitator
Bonnie stays at the cutting edge of valuable resources, services, and research by attending many conferences and presentations. She enjoys learning and sharing the latest information with support group members.
Jasper L – Adults Social Group Facilitator – Dungeons & Dragons
Jasper is a Neurodivergent self-advocate, a passionate nerd, and potentially three goblins in a trenchcoat. They are a founding member of the Mount Holyoke College Neurodiverse Students Association, where they fostered peer-to-peer networks and advocated for accessibility on campus.
Robert L – Adults Support Group Facilitator
Robert holds a BS degree from UCLA and is a computer programmer analyst and statistician. He is a presenter and has mentored Autistic teens and young adults. Robert is also a co-author with Wilma Wake and Eric Endlich of the book, Older Adults: The Lost Generation.
Karen L – Adults Workshop Facilitator
Karen has been contributing to the AANE community as a volunteer, artist, and speaker for many years. She currently serves on the AANE Board of Directors and helps with strategic planning. Since she was diagnosed at age 32, she has thrived in a healthcare IT job and healed emotionally.
Aaron L – Adults Social Group Facilitator- Team Trivia
Aaron is an Administrative Coordinator at AANE. He has spoken for the Understanding Our Differences program in addition to speaking to many groups of students and other audiences. In 2013, Aaron was given the Katie Lynch Memorial Award as Speaker of the Year.
Allyson L – Adults and Parent of Adults Support Group Facilitator
Allyson is a Consultation & Coaching Specialist and a LifeMAP Coach at AANE. Allyson has worked over 30 years in the human service field and has a Masters in Pastoral Counseling from Boston University. She enjoys helping clients achieve their goals and dreams.
Stephanie L – Parents of Teens & Young Adults Support Group Facilitator
Stephanie is the Senior Family Support Specialist at AANE and offers her expertise through Parent Coaching. She initiated the AANE/NESCA Transition Roundtable, which resulted in programming focused on transition planning and preparing teens for college.
Katy MR – Adults Support Group Facilitator
Katy is a Neurodivergent therapist who specializes in using creative arts therapies for clients. She also works for Yale University and Yale New Haven Hospital, where she has developed ways of adapting CBT and DBT therapies to Neurodivergent populations.
Linda M – Adults and Parent of Adults Social Events and Support Group Facilitator
Linda has a background as a special education consultant and also works at a non-profit organization serving seniors and individuals with disabilities. She is the parent of four young men, two who are neurodiverse, and two who are neurotypical.
Katie ML- Adults Social Events Facilitator – Outdoor Enthusiasts Club
Katie is originally from New York and moved to Boston 7 years ago to pursue her Master’s Degree in Social Work. She is currently a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker and works full-time as a Geriatric Social Worker.
Lisa M – Adults Support Group Facilitator
Lisa is an Autistic woman diagnosed later in life, an author, and a subject matter expert on crisis support and suicide prevention for Autistic people. She is a co-chair and founder of the Autism and Suicide Prevention Workgroup and owner of Lisa Morgan Consulting, LLC.
Grace M – Neurodiverse Couples Support Group Facilitator
Grace is the Director of Couples and Partners Services and The Neurodiverse Couples Institute at AANE. She specializes in working with neurodiverse couples who encounter difficult or unfulfilling relationship dynamics.
Nisha N – Adults Support Group Facilitator
Nisha is LifeMAP coach and she enjoys a rich experience from working with a diverse set of clients. While in India, Nisha worked with underprivileged children at a high risk of HIV, using dance therapy for group counseling and creating HIV awareness.
Anastasia O – Adults Support Group Facilitator
Anastasia is an artist and leads the AANE Artists Collaborative. She facilitates the Support Group for Adults Over 50.
Judith O – Families of Adults Support Group Facilitator
Judy founded the Westchester County Autism Advisory Committee in 2009 to inform elected officials, policymakers, government agency management, and law enforcement of the needs of Autistic adults. The committee meets regularly with the Department of Community Mental Health leadership.
Nancy P – Parent of Children & Teens Support Group Facilitator
Nancy is a Senior Manager of Individual and Family Services at AANE. She has worked as a counselor in hospitals, colleges, and prisons, and created mental health training programs for children with mental health issues. Nancy first connected with AANE when her daughter was diagnosed in 2006.
Emmett P – Adults Support Group Facilitator
Emmett is a proud Autistic individual. Using his own lived experience, he co-facilitates two of AANE’s open support groups for adults. He loves dogs and helping others.
Branden P – Teens & Adults Support Group Facilitator
Branden is an experienced facilitator who has been leading support groups for over a decade. Branden is Autistic and his warm and welcoming nature has made him a trusted friend and mentor to many of his group members.
Erica R – Adults Support Group Facilitator
Erica is the Director of Development at AANE. She has gained extensive knowledge about autism through working with neurodiverse colleagues, building relationships with AANE community members, and parenting an Autistic child.
Elena R – Teens Social/Support Group Facilitator
Elena is a facilitator of teen and young adult groups and a LifeMAP Coach at AANE. Elena has a deep passion for creating spaces that celebrate neurodiversity and empowering individuals to access the tools and skills they need to reach their full potential.
Emily R – Adults Workshop Facilitator
Emily is a Professor at Boston University School of Public Health. She co-authored a curriculum for teenagers and has experience teaching healthy relationships classes to Autistic students with mental health challenges. Dr. Rothman has appeared on The Today Show, NPR, CNN, and Teen Vogue.
Bruce S – Fathers Support Group Facilitator
Bruce is the owner and director of Academy MetroWest, a children’s group therapy program. Bruce runs weekly social skills groups and provides individual counseling and executive function coaching services and also works as a consultant and trainer with schools and organizations.
Nancy S – Adults Workshop Facilitator
Nancy is a Senior Manager of Individual and Family Services and the MRC/Employment Project Coordinator at AANE. Nancy has developed programs, supervised facilitators, and provided direct support for clients for over 20 years.
Rachel S – Teens & Adults Workshop Facilitator
Rachel is a Doctorate of Occupational Therapy student at Boston University. She is from northern California and attended California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo as an undergrad in psychology, biology, and child development.
Maxfield S- Adults Support Group Facilitator
Max is a middle-aged Autistic writer, self-advocate, and Direct Support Professional (DSP). Most recently, Max edited the poetry and essay anthology Spectrums: Autistic Transgender People in Their Own Words.
Kelly U – Adults Support Group Facilitator
Kelly is a Senior Manager of Individual and Family Services and a LifeMAP Coach at AANE. She worked at McLean Hospital using DBT to teach women emotion regulation tools and other life skills to move forward in their lives. Kelly helps navigate what autism means for individuals and their loved ones.
Liliana V – Adults Workshop Facilitator
Liliana is a social worker and long-time disability justice community organizer. She specializes in helping people at the intersection of LGBTQ+ and Autistic identities to celebrate and advocate for themselves.
Ilia W – Adults Support Group Facilitator
Ilia is the Director of Individual and Family Services at AANE and the creator of the Autism In Real Life Podcast. She has over 25 years of experience through training, education, and support and is also a registered yoga teacher. Ilia is a mom of two young adults, one of whom is Autistic.
Ryan W – Adults Support Group Facilitator
Ryan is a Support Specialist at AANE and a musician who is involved with music and podcast production. He shares his lived experience as an Autistic adult on topics related to self-advocacy, mental health, education, employment, and building meaningful connections.
Sam W – Adults Workshop Facilitator
Sam is a Communication Specialist and works with leaders to improve their DEI policies. She is also a Professional Speaker, TEDx Speaker and Curator, and a Speaker Coach. Sam is Autistic and has ADHD, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, PDA, and SPD herself.
Bob W – Adults Social and Support Group Facilitator
Bob is a Facilitation Specialist at AANE. He is Autistic and believes very strongly in advancing more compassion and understanding of neurodivergence in society. Bob loves history, theater, music, and learning new ways to help advance the field of neurodivergence support.
Kim W (D) – Adults Support Group Facilitator
Kim is a current meditation teacher and a retired medical practitioner. After learning that she was neurodivergent, she found AANE support groups very helpful and enjoys being able to support others in this way. Kim’s mindfulness keeps an atmosphere of kindness and curiosity in the group.
Miriam Z – Adults Support Group Facilitator
Miriam looks to support and increase the power and participation of disabled people in technology fields. Miriam’s work is focused on how learning to make things and solve problems like a designer can help people become more confident, competent, and empowered.
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