Us Moms
Kerra
Kerra has been married to Roger for thirty-one years.They are empty nesters and enjoy frequently traveling in their airstream with their goldendoodle Nora. Kelsi is their only child who is twenty-nine years old. Kelsi was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at two years old and later was diagnosed with PDD-NOS. She is living independently on her own and works as a supervisor for a banking information system company.
Kerra has always tried being involved in the disability community, advocating for those on the spectrum and educating the community. She has held several positions on non-profit boards, numerous state boards and some support groups. She spent most of her career in medical sales retiring in 2019. Currently she does artwork, party planning and wedding consulting for friends and family. She is excited and looking forward to the podcast, Navigating Adult Autism, and building a supporting community for our adults on the spectrum.
Mary
Mary & Dean have been married 37 years and have one son diagnosed with PDD/Asperger Syndrome. He is now 32 years old & has been living on his own for the last seven years. He’s had a few part-time jobs over the years in the community that his parents have found for him & the latest position he has held for seven years this Fall. While mostly rewarding but sometimes difficult, they are thankful for community support, especially at his wonderful current place of employment.
Mary has been a Paraprofessional and held a position as a Behavior Technician in the Special Education Department of the Public School System. Before retiring, she was a Private Tutor for the disability community and a substitute Teacher. Mary has been involved in the Disability Community, support groups, volunteering, and advocating for those on the Autism Spectrum and other disabilities. She is currently on the SWI Board of Directors and SWI Foundation Board.
Mary also enjoys tennis, pickleball, reading, dogs—any animal—and spending time with friends and family.
Elizabeth
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.
Heather
Heather has been married to Michael for twenty-six years. They have one son, Zachary, who is twenty-two years old. Zachary was diagnosed with autism at the age of two. He is a happy young man who continues to require 24/7 care. Heather and Michael share their family’s journey on Facebook at Everyday Adventures with Zachary.
Heather and Michael have made advocacy a focus to ensure that Zachary and others like him have a better chance for a meaningful life. Through The Shoot-Out for Autism event they founded, they have been able to facilitate raising funds for research and individuals in their community with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Heather has a BS in Psychology. She has worked in the healthcare industry for the past sixteen years.
Tara
Tara has been married to Jason for twenty-five years. They have three children: Hannah (age 22), Zion (age 21), and Caleb (age 17). Their middle son Zion was diagnosed at age two and a half with ASD by his pediatrician and then at three and a half years old by the pediatric neurologist.
Tara and Jason have strived to make a difference in Zion’s life by advocating for autism research and developing opportunities for all those on the autism spectrum. When Zion was first diagnosed, they developed fundraisers like the Run Before the Walk 5k and were board members of the Walk Now for Autism Speaks. They also were part of a three-person team that created the Faces of Autism Photo Project. With the help of Freedom Photography, portraits of individuals on the spectrum and their biographies were shown at numerous galleries in southwest Missouri. Today, they love to camp, kayak, and go to Sporting Kansas City soccer games.
Tara has a BS in both psychology and gerontology. She is currently attending the University of Missouri pursuing a master of social work with a clinical concentration and a certificate in gerontology.
Dawn
Dawn has been married for almost thirty years. 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-six years old, living at home and working a competitive job after five years of employment at a sheltered workshop.
In her autism journey, Dawn attended several support groups and participated in a variety of organizations and awareness events. Dawn has said that her greatest 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.”
Cynthia
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.