Autistic Adults Advisory Board

Autistic Adults Advisory Board

The Autism Society of North Carolina’s (ASNC) Autistic Adults Advisory Board is a group of volunteers who support the organization in its mission to improve the lives of individuals with autism.Ā The Advisory Board:

    • * advises ASNC on its outreach efforts
      * informs ASNC about concerns of autistic adults in the broader community, including legislative or policy issues
      * provides the autistic perspective on issues brought forward by ASNC staff and Board
      * identifies current and future needs of adults with autism/autistic adults

    Members are listed below. If you have questions or feedback for the advisory board, please send us an email.

Advisory Board Members

Yvonne lives in the Charlotte area and moved to North Carolina after living in New York City and Miami. She self-diagnosed at the age of 41 and received a formal diagnosis the following year. She is a volunteer autism/disabilities advocate and has served as a co-facilitator of autism support groups in her community. Yvonne has many hobbies and special interests including history, politics, psychology (especially autism), music, and more.

Cherie lives in Greensboro. She is in her late twenties and enjoys traveling, collecting, shopping, and watching movies. She attended Beyond Academics at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and Guilford Technical Community College. She is self-employed and has been active in the autism community as a research consultant for “Disrupting the Cycle of Inaccessible Healthcare and Supports for Minoritized Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities,” a team leader for the Autism Society of North Carolina Triad Run/Walk for Autism and is an IGNITE Greensboro member.

Bio coming soon.

Brandon lives in Wake Forest. After testing at age five, he was thought to be possibly intellectually disabled. At age 40, Brandon was diagnosed with Level 2 Autism Spectrum Disorder. In his youth, he attended a year at Brevard College for music. Brandon has worked for a local storage facility for nine years, three and half of those years managing a local motel. He enjoys figuring out music from what he remembers hearing and modifying old video game consoles/games.

Krysten lives in the Greater Charlotte area and works in the field of Research & Insights. She was diagnosed at the age of 31. In addition to serving on this board, she has participated in several autism-related healthcare studies, spoken at statewide events and online webinars, and has been a member of the IGNITE program in Davidson since 2020.

Bio coming soon.

Mary has Autism Spectrum Disorder and ADHD. She is a teacher and coach for students of all learning differences. She has been teaching for twenty years, has a Masterā€™s Degree in Teaching, Behavioral/ Emotional Disorders, and is certified in multiple subjects from first grade to high school. She coaches youth and adults life skills and academics in Greensboro and Raleigh and has been a presenter at statewide conferences and webinars.

Bio coming soon.

Gerald lives in Raleigh. He is 37 years of age and was diagnosed with autism at age three and a half. He is an advocate for Inclusive Employment and Education and Disability Justice, co-leads a local meet-up group for autistic adults, and has been a speaker at statewide conferences and webinars.

S is a 26-year-old autistic adult who lives in Concord, NC. They were diagnosed with autism in 2022 and have been a member at IGNITE Davidson since 2022. They have two autistic children and are an advocate for their family. They are interested in changing policies around accessing services for all ages and highlighting the needs of autistic families.

Rico is a 28-year-old who lives in Pittsboro. He was diagnosed at the age of three. He has been involved with Camp Royall, the Autism Society of North Carolina’s year-round camp facility for eight summers. He works for a local health and fitness organization.