Us Moms

The original seven of us: Mary, Kerra, Heather, Dawn, Tara, Elizabeth and Cynthia. 

Elizabeth is a family advocate with The Arc of the Ozarks and specializes in resources for newly diagnosed families. She has been fully invested in the intellectual and developmental disability community for over twenty-eight years. With volunteer, family, and professional roles she has grown in expertise and connections as a community specialist and program developer. Elizabeth is a founding member of STARS for Autism and a disability author. She works as a disability consultant in life care planning and owns the business Extra Special Options (ESO). The ESO Cares product line is focused on the caregiver. 

Most importantly, she and her husband have five children, ages 18 to 31. Of her five children, three have an autism diagnosis. Each with different strengths and struggles. Her children have multiple diagnoses. Some that commonly co-occur with autism and others that do not. Elizabeth's personal experience ranges from intellectual and developmental disabilities to an array of medical and psychological diagnoses. She commonly helps other families through her lived experiences. She often tells families if she hasn't been through it, she knows someone who has. Her love for helping families navigate supports and services only comes second to her family.

www.extraspecialoptions.com

Tara has been married to Jason for twenty-seven years, and they have three children: Hannah (24), Zion (23), and Caleb (19). Their middle son, Zion, was diagnosed with ASD at age two and a half by his pediatrician, and later confirmed by a pediatric neurologist at three and a half. 

Tara and Jason have actively supported autism research and created opportunities for people on the spectrum. After Zion's diagnosis, they organized events like the Run Before the Walk 5k and served on the board of Walk Now for Autism Speaks. They also helped produce the Faces of Autism Photo Project, showcasing portraits and biographies of individuals on the spectrum at galleries in southwest Missouri, with assistance from Freedom Photography. Now, they enjoy camping, kayaking, and attending Sporting Kansas City soccer games. 

Tara holds an MSW with a clinical focus and a graduate certificate in Gerontological Social Work. 

Dawn has been married for over thirty-two years. She is currently counting down the months to retirement. She and her husband Steve have a son and a daughter. The oldest is their son JR; and he is on the spectrum. JR is currently twenty-nine years old, living at home and working as a stocker at Walmart.  JR worked five years for SWI Industries, Inc. which Dawn credits as his on ramp to competitive employment.

In her autism journey, Dawn attended several support groups and participated in a variety of organizations and awareness events. Dawn has said that her best contribution to the local autism community has been one of gossip: “If I found an event, book, or organization that was helpful to me, I wanted to make sure other parents knew about it as well.”  In Season 2, a monthly events blog was added to the podcast website. 

Cynthia and Kevin have been married for thirty-one years and have one son. He was diagnosed with PDD-NOS/ Asperger Syndrome at age 7. He is now twenty-nine years old and recently got married. He and his wife just had their first child. He completed his associate degree in animal science. Animals have always been his passion.

Cynthia has had a full career as a sales associate in the food service and retail industry. She has been actively involved in the disability community, support groups, and volunteering and advocating for those on the Autism Spectrum.

Cynthia loves all animals, especially her dogs and all those special dogs she cares for. She also finds joy in spending time with her friends and family.

Savannah is Navigating Adult Autism's new intern. After high school graduation, she hopes to study and then work in the field of psychology.

Savannah enjoys reading, crafting, watching movies, listening to music, and hanging out with her family. She has two cats, named Sneezewhiz and Hubicki.