The Autism Puzzle Contributors
Jessica A. Beauvais
Faculty Advisor, Autism Speaks Student Chapter, The Ohio State University
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Simon Buehrer
Simon Buehrer is the conference and event manager for OCALI, where he develops, organizes and coordinates the dissemination of OCALI's products and services. Buehrer's primary focus is the annual OCALI Conference and Exposition on autism, assistive technology and low-incidence disabilities. The conference features over 200 sessions presented by state and national leaders and an exhibit hall of over 90 leading companies and organizations. Buehrer also writes and does the graphic design and layout for The Sphere, OCALI's quarterly newsletter. He has a BA in English from Bowling Green State University, an MA in English from the University of North Dakota and is a former on-air host for Northern Lights Public Radio in Grand Forks, ND and WGTE Public Broadcasting in Toledo, OH.
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Kay E. Born
Kay Born, OTR/L began Pediatric Therapy Partners in 2005 to help children and their families living with Sensory Processing Disorder. She specializes in pediatric services and provides assessment, direct therapy, parent education, treatment coordination, and training about sensory and other childhood disorders. She provides educational opportunities for parents, teachers and other professionals. She received her Bachelor of Science in Allied Health Professions from The Ohio State University in 1994. She has been certified in the evaluation and treatment of children with Sensory Processing Disorder since 1998 and is approved to administer the SIPT (Sensory Integration and Praxis Test). She also has advanced training in Therapeutic Listening. Kay completed an Intensive Mentorship at the STAR Center in Colorado in May 2009. The STAR Center is the premiere site for therapies and research in the field of sensory integration.
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Patty Canton
Healthy Eating/Healthy Living Coach for Special Needs and Neurotypical Children
HealthSmart! Consulting
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Judd R. Clark, CSNA
After working with a client who has a child with special needs and having trouble navigating through all of the information to find accurate answers, Judd started educating himself on the financial issues that many families encounter. He obtained his CSNA (Certified Special Needs Advisor) advanced designation to help address the unique financial concerns of clients who have loved ones with special needs. He can help families integrate special needs concerns into their broader financial strategy and find appropriate solutions in areas such as insurance, asset management, estate planning and trust administration. He regularly works with various groups by providing educational seminars on many topics addressed on this site. He has also contributed to Exceptional Parent Magazine and served as a local resource for Autism Speaks.
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Dr. Tracy D. Guiou, Ph. D.,BCBA-D
Psychologist, Nationwide Children's Hospital, center for Autism Spectrum Disorders
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Lori Peacock
Parent, Volunteer Co-Chair of Walk Now For Autism Speaks, former CoFEAT board member, former Olmstead Committee member)
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Lisa Perez
Lisa Perez is a parent of three children one of which is diagnosed with a learning disability. She has spent over eleven years advocating for her child in the public school system. Lisa’s experience working for Fortune 500 companies such as IBM and Xerox provided her with excellent negotiation skills and the ability to work towards a positive solution for all parties. Lisa spent three years working as a Parent Advocate and Trainer for The Ohio Coalition for the Education of Children with Disabilities. In 2009, Lisa started the Ohio Parent Advocacy & Consulting, LLC and works throughout Ohio as a Parent Advocate. She specializes in assisting families of children with learning disabilities by helping in areas such as understanding their child’s rights, attending meetings with the family and providing training seminars.
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Marla Root
Marla Root is the Director of Community Affairs and Advocacy with Step By Step Academy and has worked with hundreds of families throughout Ohio. She has provided presentations for many parent groups and organizations throughout Ohio. Marla has been advocating for funding and services since 1998 when her son was diagnosed with autism. Marla is currently a board member for the Autism Society of Ohio and The Ohio Coalition for the Education of Children with Disabilities. Marla has a Bachelor of Science Finance degree from Franklin University.
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Sarah Smalley
Sarah Smalley is a mother of two beautiful little boys, Brady (4) and Tyler (1). Both of her boys have been diagnosed with autism, and she now writes a blog to offer help to other families navigating through this world she calls "The Puzzle". Check out her blog at www.autismpuzzlemom.com. It will cover topics ranging from warning signs to therapy options to funding sources to biomedical approaches to family issues and more.
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Barb Yavorcik
Barb Yavorcik is the Executive Director of the Autism Society of Ohio. She previously served as President of the ASO and was on the board of directors for eight years. She has also served as president and secretary of the Autism Society of Northwest Ohio. Yavorcik was appointed to the Advisory Board for the Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence in 2005, and currently serves as its chair. She also serves as chair of the Ohio Autism Coalition - a coalition of autism advocacy groups in Ohio. She acts as legislative liaison for the coalition and is active in public policy for the ASO. She served on a committee of the legislatively created Ohio Autism Task Force and the steering committees creating the Autism Service Guidelines and OCALI’s Ohio Parent’s Guide to Autism Spectrum Disorders. She also served on the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities Future Study Committee, chairing a sub-committee and currently serves on their Policy Leadership Roundtable. Yavorcik has a BS in Electrical Engineering from University of Toledo and works part time for Surface Combustion, Inc. She is married and the mother of a daughter, Cari, 24 and a son, Michael, 21, who has autism.
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