Commonwealth Autism
Sarah Thompson is an experienced professional in special education and disability policy, currently serving as the Manager of Adult Programs at Commonwealth Autism since May 2020. In this role, Sarah oversees programs aimed at helping adolescents and adults gain the necessary skills for independent living and overcoming adult challenges. Prior experience includes serving as Student Services Manager and Behavior Specialist at Charterhouse School, and as an Instructor at the Virginia Institute of Autism. Sarah's educational background includes a Master's degree in Special Education and Disability Policy from Virginia Commonwealth University, a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from James Madison University, as well as ongoing graduate studies in Applied Behavior Analysis at the Florida Institute of Technology.
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Commonwealth Autism
In 1995, a frustrated but visionary group of parents of children with autism started our organization to bridge the services gaps their families faced. We’re still passionate about serving people with Autism, but our mission has expanded to include systems level work for all types of developmental disabilities. Since our humble beginnings around a kitchen table, we’ve grown to an organization with a budget of $3.7 million. It’s an exciting time at CA. We’re doing things differently. In order to amplify our impact we work in both the public and private sectors. And although we provide some direct services, we concentrate on reimagining human services systems. We focus on: Identifying gaps, building awareness, and creating a vision for improving systems. Educating, training and supporting our communities. Modeling and replicating best practices and services in inclusive settings. This systems change work often takes longer, but it can be transformational, and that’s why we’re here. Every day, we work toward a future where the most vulnerable Virginians of all ages can participate in every aspect of our community and realize their full potential collaboration.