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Jane Thierfeld Brown, Ed.D
Jane Thierfeld Brown is Assistant Clinical Professor at Yale Child Study, Yale Medical School, Director of College Autism Spectrum and former Director of Student Services at the University of Connecticut School of Law. She has worked in Disability Services for 39 years. She holds an Ed.D from Columbia University, Teachers College. Dr. Brown consults with many families, students, school districts and institutions of higher education. Dr. Brown has appeared on Good Morning America, CBS News and NPR. She has co- authored “ Student with Asperger’s: A Guide for College Professionals,” (2009) “The Parent’s Guide to College for Students on the Autism Spectrum,” (2012) and “Behavior Management and Self-Regulation,” (2012) along with many textbook chapters and articles. Dr. Brown is married and has three children, the youngest being a 26 year old son with Autism.
Amy Rutherford, LPC-MHSP
Amy Rutherford currently serves as the director of the Mosaic Program at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Founded in 2008 the program currently serves approximately 60 autistic students annually. Amy co-authored The BASICS College Curriculum, a four-book series based on curriculum for autistic college students as they transition in to and out of college. Amy is a co-founder of Navigate U and a consultant with many universities and businesses where she specializes in creating Autism programming and neurodiversity hiring initiatives. She has participated in a variety of program evaluations, is proficient in project management and loves supporting study abroad possibilities for students. Her research focuses on autism and neurodiversity in higher education and mental health services, Universal Design and Leadership Studies. Amy is a Licensed Professional Counselor serving in the Chattanooga area through private practice. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for Warrior Freedom Dogs, a non-profit that pairs service animals with combat veterans as they transition back to civilian life. Amy loves creating inclusive environments, equitable experiences and serving others.
Dr. Lorraine E. Wolf, Ph.D.
Dr. Wolf serves as the Director of Disability Services and as Boston University’s 504 Coordinator. She received her undergraduate degree from Hampshire College, with concentrations in Genetics and Bioethics. She received a master’s degree in General Psychology from New York University and a doctorate in Basic and Applied Neurocognition from the City University of New York. Dr. Wolf was a postdoctoral fellow in Clinical Neuropsychology at the Cornell University Medical College. Prior to coming to Boston, she held faculty appointments in Psychiatry at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and the Columbia University School of Medicine. Dr. Wolf has taught at the undergraduate and graduate levels and is a national and international presenter on disability topics in higher education. She co-edited the text Adult Attention Deficit Disorder: Brain Mechanisms and Life Outcomes (2001, Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences) and was senior co-editor of Adult Learning Disorders: Contemporary Issues (2008, Psychology Press, Taylor and Francis). She co-authored Students with Asperger’s Syndrome: A Guide for College Personnel (2009, Autism Asperger Publishing Company; 2017, Japanese translation; Second US edition in preparation) and The Parent’s Guide to College for Students on the Autism Spectrum (2012, Autism Asperger Publishing Company). Dr. Wolf holds faculty appointments as Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the Boston University School of Medicine and as Adjunct Associate Professor of Rehabilitation Sciences at the Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at Boston University. She co-developed “Strategic Education for the Autism Spectrum”, a widely adopted support model for students on the autism spectrum in higher education. Her research interests include attention and self-regulation in neurodevelopmental disorders and service delivery for college students with autism, attention deficit disorders and psychiatric disabilities. She enjoys scuba diving, adventure travel and her dogs.
Laurie Ackles, DSW
Laurie Ackles is a Doctor of Social Work in upstate NY and has served as the Director of the Spectrum Support Program at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) since 2010. Under Laurie’s leadership, the Spectrum Support Program has become a national leader in addressing the complex needs of an expanding population of degree seeking college students on the autism spectrum. Laurie is a trailblazer in her work related to helping college students on the autism spectrum prepare for successful employment after graduation. She serves as an advisor to Untapped Group, an Australian based organization that is focused on creating a sustainable neurodiverse employment ecosystem that effectively connects neurodiverse job seekers on the autism spectrum with employers seeking diverse talent. Laurie is a frequent national speaker and the author of several publications.