Sheilagh Cirillo spends her time championing the rights of children with autism through early intervention and educational equality.

 

Sheilagh’s commitment to helping improve the lives of children with autism and their families began as a personal journey more than 15 years ago when her nephew JT was diagnosed with the disorder.  While watching her sister-in-law, Donna, fight to get JT appropriate early intervention and applied behavior analysis (ABA) programs in school, Sheilagh became determined to help. She joined the board of Parents of Autistic Children (POAC), an organization devoted to autism education, community outreach and family support.

 

In April of 2007, she co-founded The Foundation for Autism Training and Education (FATE), a national non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives, education and future successes of children with autism by providing training programs for teachers who work with them in public schools.  These programs have been effective in helping individuals with autism achieve the highest level of independence— within their homes, schools and communities. 

 

Sheilagh co-founded FATE because she recognized that while there were many outstanding organizations focused on autism research related to finding the cause or a cure, few addressed the educational needs of children already living with the disorder. FATE not only fills this gap, but it strives to increase public awareness of autism, as well as provide and support recreational activities and events that bring happiness to children with autism and their families.

 

Today, acting as FATE’s executive director, Sheilagh oversees and serves as workshop coordinator. She is responsible for the design, implementation, marketing, and fundraising for all of FATE’s events. Since its inception, FATE has raised three million dollars, and has provided training for over 3,000 teachers throughout the U.S., Asia, Africa, Europe, and South America. 

 

In hopes of helping as many people as possible, Sheilagh has recently partnered with www.AutismCollection.com, a nationwide organization that provides autism training resources and online programs.  Recognizing the transformative power of early intervention and education, Sheilagh plans to utilize this partnership to provide parents and teachers with necessary training on how to best teach children with autism important skills. Sheilagh believes that the most effective and comprehensive way to help children with autism gain necessary language and related skills is through true collaboration between parents and teachers.