Kathleen’s background is in the non-profit sector. She worked with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta for years and then later joined Autism Speaks as the Walk Chair. A passionate advocate for a cause near and dear to her heart, Kathleen has played a heavy role with multiple national autism organizations. Kathleen is a mom to 5 children, one of whom has autism. After not having adequate resources herself, she set out to ensure that other Georgia families in her position would have access to critical services needed to support their child(ren). In 2015, Kathleen worked to co-author Ava’s Law, a bill that was passed into legislation, focusing on insurance coverage in the autism space. She is still heavily involved in advocacy in the neurodivergent community, but her career has led her to Handler as a Research Analyst. Kathleen holds a degree in Speech Pathology and Audiology from the University of Georgia. She’s confident that her experiences have given her incredible abilities to help others in this research and recruiting role.