Mission
The Virginia Autism Project (VAP) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that focuses on educating, advising and collaborating with federal, state and local decision makers and the general public on issues that impact individuals with autism and their communities, while raising awareness throughout Virginia.
Priorities
- Pursue an insurance mandate to provide coverage for autism treatments for all Virginians.
- Urge the Virginia Department Of Education to provide substantive training for all staff, teachers and aides in current autism theory and behavior management to augment inclusion.
- Gain a Statewide commitment to measurably improve early diagnosis and provide early and intensive treatment. State services must be designed and appropriately funded to provide the types and intensity of services that have been shown to maximize long-term outcomes and minimize societal costs.
- Develop Public and private commitment to residential, educational and occupational opportunities that promote independent living and self sufficiency.
Board of Directors
- Teresa Champion, President,
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- Lavada Robertson, Vice President,
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- Jodi Folta, Treasurer,
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- Pat DiBari, Immediate Past President
- Lynn Miller, Board Member
- Nicole Brenner, Northern Virginia Regional Director
- Mark Llobell, Tidewater Regional Director
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Teresa is married to John Quigley. They have two children, Sydney a student at the University of Virginia, and James a teenager.
Teresa is an attorney and a member of the bar association in Kentucky and Washington State. She works as Deputy General Counsel for SkyLink USA.
Teresa became an activist in the Autism community after her son received a diagnosis of autism in 1996.
After John retired from the Navy, they settled in Northern Virginia. Teresa leads the Fairfax Autism Network, a support group in Northern Virginia, serves on the Community Integration Advisory Commission and is President of the Virginia Autism Project.
Email:
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Lavada Robertson is a founding member Of VAP the current Vice President of Virginia Autism Project. She also serves as Regional Director for southwest Virginia.
Lavada is highly motivated by her daughter, Audreanna, who was diagnosed with autism in October 2007. With the support of her husband, Jason, and their other daughter, Elleena, Lavada became actively involved in grassroots activities promoting Autism reform and advocacy.
In addition to serving on the Board of Directors for VAP, Lavada is active in other community outreach events involving Autism awareness, including serving as a Chapter Advocacy Chair for Autism Speaks.
Lavada’s enthusiasm and passion are so contagious she is able to gather support from those who are unaware and unaffected by the impacts of autism on families.
She lives in Roanoke with her family and frequently makes Richmond a second home as she spends much of her time there working with our legislators to enact Autism reform. |
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Mr. Pasquale “Pat” DiBari is a founding board member and the first president of the Virginia Autism Project.
In July 2008, along with other local families, he held the first-ever Loudoun County Autism Summit, spawning the statewide grassroots campaign for the passage of legislation to mandate medical insurance coverage for autism in Virginia. He also founded The Loudoun Project, a collaborative, social network to connect people touched by autism around Virginia.
Mr. DiBari is a 1999 graduate of Leadership Miami where he led a volunteer project, under the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, to promote welfare-to-work reform in Miami. He currently volunteers for Autism Speaks and is a board member for the Autism Society-Northern Virginia Chapter, both national non-profit organizations.
Mr. DiBari is a certified Program Manager for complex, federal C4ISR programs and a certified Project Management Professional (PMP). He has served in the active duty military for the past 22 years and was awarded a Master's of Science degree in Engineering from the University of Illinois in 1995 and a Bachelor of Science from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in 1990.
Mr. DiBari is married to Mrs. Amy Giardina DiBari and has three children, Daniel (age 9), Michael (age 7) and Gabriella (age 5). |
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Nicole Brenner is the Northern Virginia Regional Director for Virginia Autism Project. Prior to this, she served as Special Education PTA Representative at Sunrise Valley Elementary.
Her volunteer work includes a variety of autism organizations, e.g. Autism Speaks. In addition, she advocates for families with children on the autism spectrum.
In her spare time, Nicole serves as lead ABA therapist on her son's home therapy team.
Nicole studied public administration at Northern Virginia Arizona in Flagstaff, AZ before moving to the Washington, DC area in 1993 from Alaska. Nicole is married to Rick Brenner and has two children, Spencer (9) and Abby (7). |
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