Cheryl A. Theis joins the DREDF team with a background in case management, consulting, advocacy and program development fpr students with neurocognitive disabilities such as Asperger's Syndrome and NLD. She has a BA in Social Welfare, and an MA in Medical Anthropology from UC Berkeley where her research focused on the transition to adulthood for individuals with neurological difference. Her previous experience is as a researcher, project coordinator and interviewer for both Stanford University and the California Department of Health Services on childhood autism and cystic fibrosis related projects. She also has experience as a life skills and collge prep teacher and codeveloped and implemented a transitional support program and careers and college curriculum for students at a specialized high school for AS/NLD students. In this capacity Cheryl has worked as an advocate for students and famiies in their interactions with the Regional Center of the East Bay, the Department of Vocational Rehabilitation , and local DSS college programs. She has extensive experience as a speaker on issues related ot transitional support for students with special needs in a variety of settings.

In addition to her professional experience, Cheryl is the mother of four children, two with special needs, She is also a foster and adoptive parent and has advocated for foster children in need of special support or funding based through the Adoption Assistance Program in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. She is a member of the parent developed and run special education support group in Albany (Ap'peal) which seeks to increase access to needed services, provide ongoing support, education and resources to parents and to collaborate with the schools to improve services for children with special needs. Cheryl is commited to helping parents navigate the challening terrain of advocating for their children while simultaneously working to change the social, political and physical environment that makes such advocacy particularly difficult.