Cheryl A. Theis

Cheryl A. Theis (MA), is Director of the Foster Youth with Disabilities in Transition (FYDT) Clearinghouse and Education Advocate for the Parent Training Information Center Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund (DREDF).

Cheryl has done extensive training at the state level to stakeholders on the educational rights and needs of foster youth with disabilities. She has a background in case management, consulting, advocacy and program development for students with neurocognitive disabilities such as Asperger's Syndrome and NLD. Cheryl holds 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 college prep teacher and co-developed 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 families 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 to 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 (Appeal) 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 committed to helping parents navigate the challenging terrain of advocating for their children while simultaneously working to change the social, political and physical environment that makes such advocacy particularly difficult.