Chestnut Hill College's Neurodiversity Initiative Presents the 2nd Annual Spotlight on Transition Symposium: Promoting Independence
March 6th, 1 - 4PM @ Chestnut Hill College (9601 Germantown Ave., Phila, PA 19118)
- Sessions are geared towards ensuring student readiness for post-secondary plans.
- Meet leading experts in accessibility, accommodations, inclusive practices, & mental health/wellness.
- Engage with a lively student panel, who will share advice on attending college as first year students.
- Explore options for financial readiness and preparedness.
- Develop a personalized roadmap; setting goals for independence & empowerment.
- Connect with community members who support students with learning differences and their families.
Snacks and beverages will be available so you can stay energized throughout the afternoon!
Symposium Schedule
1:00PM |
Welcome Krista Murphy, VP Strategic Innovation |
1:10PM |
Panel Discussion: How Can I Be College Ready? Amy Edwards, EdD, Cait Russell, OTD, OTR/L, Sharon Thompson, Wes Garton, M.S., Cherie Fishbaugh MA, BCBA, LBS (PA) |
1:50PM |
Panel Discussion: First Year Student Experience: What I Wish I Knew! Emily Duggan, John Patterson, Ryan O’Hara, Breze Howard |
2:35PM |
Session: Developing Financial Independence Bill Walters |
3:15PM | Group Activity: Empowerment Workshop! |
4:00PM |
Closure Laura Sibbald, Executive Director, Neurodiversity Initiatives Julia Dugan, Neurodiversity & Accessibility Coordinator |
2024 Speaker Materials - coming soon!
2023 Speaker Materials
Preparing Neurodivergent Students for the College Experience - Presentation Slides
Navigating Eligibility in Higher Education - Presentation Slides
OVR and College Resources for Success - Presentation Slides
Meet the Speakers
William Walters
I became the kind of financial advisor I wished I had when my family and I needed one the most. After graduating from Drexel University, I worked as a successful salesman for several years. And while I was succeeding in business, life at home began to get challenging. I had a special needs daughter that needed time and attention. Then my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Because she didn’t have any long-term care insurance, or any other insurance or investments, my wife and I became her full-time caretakers. It wasn’t easy and I felt her suffering could have been minimized with proper professional care. Once she passed, I made a promise to myself that I would do everything in my power to make sure other families wouldn’t have to go through what we did. While so many other financial advisors specialize in helping the rich avoid paying taxes, I decided to help people with families like mine – messy, complicated, and perfectly imperfect. I help families with special needs children figure out how to make sure their kids are taken care of. I help people with aging parents figure out the best way to fund their post-retirement years. I help the “sandwich” generation figure out how to both save for college AND retirement. I’ve dealt with my own perfectly imperfect family. Let me try to help with yours.
Cherie Fishbaugh, M.A., BCBA, LBS (PA)
Cherie Fishbaugh is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. She earned her M.A. in Special Education with an emphasis in Applied Behavior Analysis from The Ohio State University. Cherie has worked with individuals from the age of 18 months to adulthood. Her experience includes working at the Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders at Nationwide Children's Hospital, serving as an Education Consultant for the May Institute, and assisting with program and clinical development for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Autism Resource Center (SPARC). In 2016, Cherie joined West Chester University as the Director of Autism Services and developed Dub-C Autism Program (D-CAP). Cherie's clinical and research expertise are in the areas of behavior analysis, autism spectrum disorders, behavior management, social skills training, and positive behavior supports.
Other: Co-founder and executive board member of Neurodiversity Employment Network- Philadelphia; Steering committee for Alliance: College to Employment Program. Co-Chair of Planning Committee for College Autism Summit; Advisor for Eagles Autism Foundation- College Program at WCU; Mentor for SquareOne; PEERS certified;
Cait Russell, OTD, OTR/L
Cait Russell is the Executive Director of the Neurodiversity Employment Network: Philadelphia, a network connecting employers, academics, providers, vendors, job seekers, and other allies in the Greater Philadelphia region supporting one another to enable neurodivergent individuals to gain meaningful employment. Cait has extensive study and research in the neurodiversity employment space, with undergraduate study in business and psychology at a joint program at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill and Duke University and a Doctorate in Occupational Therapy from Jefferson University. Cait believes strongly that neurodiversity is a crucial part of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and is proud to be a part of the mission to further inclusion in the workplace in Philadelphia.
Wes Garton, M.S.
Wes Garton, M.S. is Program Manager for the Spectrum Scholars initiative at University of Delaware. Spectrum Scholars’ vision is to empower autistic people and their communities, through collaboration, advocacy, research, education, and service. Wes has worked with and learned from neurodivergent students for ten years in a variety of helping roles, including academic coach, coordinator, advisor, and most recently manager. Wes is a strengths-based practitioner with an interest in neurotypicality and communication and linguistics. Wes has presented at several national conferences including twice at the College Autism Summit. In his personal time Wes loves running, traveling, and spending time with his wife. His favorite past time of all, however, is sitting by the fireplace in the winter with a beverage and listening to a vinyl record. Wes can be reached at wgarton@udel.edu.
Sharon Thompson
Sharon Thompson is a Licensed Psychologist whose specialities include autism support and trauma treatment. She has worked with the college population, in various capacities, throughout her more than 20 years in the field. Since 2014, she has been the Coordinator for the College Success Program (CSP) at Eastern University, which provides social, campus life, and academic support to college students with autism and provides education on neurodivergence to the campus community.
Alli Gatta
Alli Gatta, Associate Director of College Autism Support in the ASPIRE program, received her bachelor of science degree in Psychology and a master's degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from West Chester University. She has worked with children with autism spectrum disorders and other behavioral challenges, adults and children with mental health diagnoses, college students with mental health concerns, and college students with disabilities. Alli strives to help students have a successful college experience while gaining valuable social and life skills. She is a Nationally Certified Counselor as well as a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Pennsylvania.
Amy Edwards, Ed.D.
Amy Edwards, EdD is the Director of the Center for Autism and Neurodiversity (formerly the Drexel Autism Support Program) at Drexel University. As Director since 2017, she continues to develop and maintain the center as one of the leading college autism support programs in the country. Dr. Edwards manages a small but mighty team who work with her to support students in all areas at Drexel including academics, athletics, social life, residence hall life, and the transition to independent living. Dr. Edwards previously worked in Life Course Outcomes at the A.J. Drexel Autism Institute, where her program development and research focused primarily on postsecondary education opportunities and the transition from high school to higher education and employment for students with autism. Amy’s approach to autism and neurodiversity is informed not only from her experience and research but also from her personal life as a mother of four children, the oldest of which has autism spectrum disorder. Amy’s most recent publications and presentations have focused on autism spectrum services in post-secondary education and employment during and after college.
Laura K. Sibbald, M.A., CCC-SLP, ASDCS, CYMHS
Laura K. Sibbald, M.A., CCC-SLP, ASDCS, CYMHS, is passionate about neurodiversity advocacy and empowerment, with over twelve years of experience supporting individuals with learning differences. She is a nationally certified speech-language pathologist, a published author, and an invited speaker nationwide.
In advancing affirming practices for the neurodivergent community, she is an active member of the College Autism Network, the Neurodiversity Employment Network, and the Pennsylvania Speech-Language-Hearing Association DEIA Committee. Laura has co-authored multiple workbooks and academic texts, providing practical resources designed to promote engagement and inclusive practices. She has tailored professional development opportunities for organizations and clinical professionals around the country; advancing knowledge of neurodiversity. Laura is a Board Member for the Shrub Oak International School in New York, where she specializes in providing neuro inclusive training opportunities for community stakeholders. She is the founder and owner of ND SLP Advocate, LLC.
Laura graduated from The George Washington University in 2011 with a Master’s in Speech-Language Pathology. She currently resides in Glenside, PA, with her fiancé, Mike, and their cat, Alexandria. She is the inaugural Executive Director for Neurodiversity Initiatives at Chestnut Hill College where she creates and implements a variety of opportunities to support the empowerment of students who learn differently.
Julia Dugan, M.Ed.
Krista Bailey Murphy, Ph.D.
Krista Bailey Murphy, Ph.D. serves as the Vice President for Strategic Innovation and Title IX Coordinator at Chestnut Hill College. Krista holds a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from Temple University, where her dissertation focused on risk mitigation strategies amongst high-risk, high-achieving college students. She also has an MA from The Ohio State University (Go Buckeyes!) in Higher Education and Student Affairs and a BA from Ursinus College where she played soccer and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa.
Krista has worked at Chestnut Hill College for almost eighteen years. The majority of her time at CHC was spent in Student Life and she is excited that she now has the privilege of engaging with the CHC community in new ways as she works with Student Success, Neurodiversity, and the Center for Accessibility and Learning Services. Drawing from the charism of the Sisters of Saint Joseph and the mission of Chestnut Hill College, Krista centers her work on a deep commitment to just relationships – relationships that honor the dignity of all persons and prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion.
More important than anything she does at work, Krista is married to Ryan, who is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at CHC, and the mother to Liam - the coolest 10-year-old she knows. Krista enjoys coaching Liam’s soccer team, running marathons, driving all over for youth sports, eating all the carbs that Ryan cooks for her, and more than anything, traveling with her family.