Our facilitators.
Aaron Kelter
Wednesday Autistic Adults - Lead Support Group Facilitator | aaronkelter@autismcolorado.org
I'm Aaron! I'm one of the facilitators for the Wednesday support group. I am 33 years old and am self-diagnosed autistic as of about three years ago. I married my wife, Kelsey about a year before I self-diagnosed, so discovering this diagnosis with a partner is something I have experience with and am happy to discuss with others. My special interests are video games and computers, airplanes (especially airplane crash investigations), and occasionally philosophy and the human experience. I look forward to meeting you!
Annette Lee
Parents/ Caregivers of Twice-Exceptional Children - Lead Support Group Facilitator | annettelee@autismcolorado.org
My name is Annette Lee, I am a divorced mom with 2 teen boys, ages 15 and 17 (ASD). I have lived in Colorado most of my life, where I like to walk, hike, bike, paddleboard, and be active. My older son was diagnosed with high-functioning Autism when he was 5 years old. It has been my passion to learn all I can about autism and how to help him navigate our neurotypical world. I enjoy sharing my experiences, good and bad with other parents of Autistic children so maybe they will have fewer challenges.
Ben Allen
Denver 15-22 year old Social Group - Lead Facilitator | benallen@autismcolorado.org
Ben has been with ASC for over a year now after connecting with our previous leadership at an Autism Awareness Event. This director recognized Ben’s previous work with social-emotional learning and plugged him right into the Young Adult Metro Meetups. Ben believes that social group activities provide the platform for skill building in a supportive and safe environment to practice skills and get feedback and support. As well as experiences being one of the key components to learning. Such experiences with peers enhances the feeling of acceptance and belonging, as well as sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals.
Hannah Nurnberger
Parents/ Caregivers of Autistic Children (under 18) Support - Lead Support Group Facilitator| hannahnurberger@autismcolorado.org
Hi there! My name is Hannah and I've had the wonderful privilege of facilitating the Parents of Children Under 18 Support Group since February
2023. It's been a pleasure getting to know parents who have autistic children and to have the opportunity to cultivate a space for healthy
discussion. My passion for serving autistic individuals began in 2014. Currently, I have the opportunity to work with this population of children
every day through my role as Founder and Board Certified Behavior Analyst of ABAwithHannah, LLC. It is my joy to serve in many different capacities, and I look forward to connecting more with those at ASC!
Kristin Quadracci
Parents/ Caregivers of Autistic Adults (over 18) - Lead Support Group Facilitator | kristinquadracci@autismcolorado.org
I am Kristin Quadracci, facilitator for Autism Society of Colorado Parents and Caregivers of Adults with Autism support group. I am a Colorado native and parent to adults with autism, sharing the specific challenges faced by parents and caregivers in this situation. Having navigated nearly 30 years of parenting neurodiverse kids, I have amassed a lot of experience in resources, education, and real-life tips and tricks to support not only my adult kids but our whole family in this journey. As a natural next step for me in my involvement with the Denver Metro Autism community, I became a facilitator of this group in the autumn of 2023.
Our support group is for those who care for and about persons on the Autism spectrum 18 years and older. Currently, our group includes parents and caregivers of adults just leaving high school to those in their 50s and beyond. Parenting special needs adults can be a lonely path. Come join us and realize that you are not alone, and that we all share similar difficulties and joys in parenting our adult children.
Leah Rosenthal
Autistic Women - Lead Support Group Facilitator | leahrosenthal@autismcolorado.org
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Levon Arnold
Tuesday Autistic Adults Co-Facilitator, Wednesday Autistic Adults Co-Facilitator, and LGBTQ+ Autistic Adults Co-Facilitator | levonarnold@autismcolorado.org
My name is Levon Arnold, and I am the co-facilitator for ASC’s LGBT group as well as the Wednesday group meetings and the Tuesday meet-ups. I received an autism diagnosis at 16 years old, and I come from a family that presents an array of traits across the spectrum. I hope the work our organization does can inspire and empower other autistic individuals in the same way that attending meetings has helped me. My special interest is John F. Kennedy; I sometimes vocally stim by saying, “JFK.” Additionally, I enjoy hiking, running laps, and learning more about autism spectrum disorder and the autistic community. I look forward to meeting future participants of group meetings as they come and hope we can each learn from each other in this dual experience.
Mandy Staehler
Neurotypical Spouses/ Partners and/or Friends of Autistic Adults - Lead Support Group Facilitator | mandystaehler@autismcolorado.org
I'm Mandy! I've been with ASC for almost 1 year and 11 months now. I primarily support the NT Partners of ND/NT Relationships group, and I've subbed for most of the parent groups as well. I'm an inclusive specialist working in secondary schools within a large Colorado school district, and I also own Dating With Autism and facilitate PEERS® Relationship Skills courses for adults. I have a husband and two toddlers, so life is never a dull moment! My Shar-Pei lab dog, Huckleberry, is my furriest best friend. I'll play tennis or read a good book with any spare time I can get!
Marie Fallon
Denver and Northern Colorado Autistic Adults - Lead Facilitator | mariefallon@autismcolorado.org
Matt Smith
Parents/ Caregivers of Autistic Children (Under 18) - Co-Facilitator | mattsmith@autismcolorado.org
Matt is a typical dad maneuvering through the challenges as a father of a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). His son Max was diagnosed in May of 2022. Since then, he and his wife have been doing their best to navigate through the myriad of treatment options and therapies to best help their son thrive. In an effort to be more involved in Max's community and to be an advocate for autism, Matt co-facilitates the bi-monthly Parents of Children with Autism Under 18 support group. If you want to start a conversation with Matt your best bet is to discuss his favorite hobby, Dungeons and Dragons. Furthermore, topics revolving around comic books, Star Wars video games or LEGO will also elicit an enthusiastic response. But as a native of Colorado, you can also get on his good side with a simple Go Broncos, or Go Avs as well.
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