Autism Society Spokesmen and Featured Experts
Lee Grossman
Bethesda, MD
Autism Society President and CEO
Parent of a son with autism
Mr. Grossman has more than 20 years of experience with autism related issues, notably autism services and supports, adult issues, education, and research. He also serves on numerous government and non-government advisory boards, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Executive Committee, National Institutes of Health (NIH) working groups, and the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC). Mr. Grossman has also previously served on the Autism Society's Board of Directors and as president of the Autism Society of Hawaii.
Before joining the Autism Society as president, Mr. Grossman owned an operated a small business specializing in marketing, distribution and consulting for medical manufacturers throughout the Pacific Basin. He is the father of three boys, including a 20-year-old son with autism.
Marguerite Kirst Colston
Bethesda, MD
Autism Society Vice President of Constituent Relations
Parent of a son with autism
Marguerite Colston joined the Autism Society in July 2006. A communications and marketing veteran, she oversees the Autism Society’s national programs, research programs, media, marketing, and content development. As national spokesperson, Marguerite has appeared on CBS News, Fox News, PBS’ Newshour with Jim Lehrer, and several radio and print segments. Marguerite services on the boards of the Catholic Coalition for Special Education, the Council for Quality and Leadership (CQL), and the Montgomery County, Maryland Special Education Continuous Improvement Advisory Committee. Before joining the Autism Society, Marguerite was a deputy director for communications and research at IFES, an international non-profit dedicated to building democracies, and the managing editor of its magazine, Democracy at Large. Marguerite also has experience with marketing and business development with Price Waterhouse, the American Bankers Association, the New York Institute of Finance and Socimer International.
Marguerite has a B.A. in Economics and Latin American Studies from Trinity University and an M.A. in International Economics from the Johns Hopkins University School for Advanced International Studies. She is the mother of two children, a 9-year-old son with autism and an 11-year-old daughter with “empathy.”
Jeff Sell
Houston, TX
Autism Society Vice President of Advocacy and Public Policy
Parent of twin sons with autism
Jeff Sell has been blessed with four children, Natalie (16), Ben and Joe (15 year-old twins with autism), and Gracie (11).
Jeff is the Vice President, Advocacy & Public Policy for the Autism Society. He has served as the 1st Vice Chairman of the Autism Society's Board of Directors, the Chairman of the Autism Society's Government Relations Committee and Director of Chapters & Membership. Jeff presently serves on the Professional Advisory Boards of New York Families for Autistic Children (NYFAC) and he is the Vice President of the World Autism Organization (WAO).
Jeff graduated from Lamar University and earned his law degree from South Texas College of Law. In addition to being a member of several professional societies and organizations, Jeff serves on the Board of Directors for the Houston Trial Lawyers Association and was a founding partner of Patterson*Sell, L.L.P. in Houston, Texas. He is a certified mediator and a co-founder of the Vaccine Injury Alliance and he is presently serving as Public Liaison Counsel on the Petitioner’s Steering Committee for the Autism Omnibus case pending in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims in Washington, DC.
Carin Yavorcik
Bethesda, MD
Autism Society Media Specialist
Sister to an adult with autism
Carin Yavorcik joined the Autism Society in November 2007 as a media associate. She facilitates media relations and outreach, and also provides support for the Autism Society’s Web site, e-newsletter, and magazine. She graduated with a degree in journalism from Ohio University and has written for the Columbus Dispatch and Toledo Blade newspapers in Ohio.
Carin has a 20-year-old brother with autism, and her family has been involved with the Autism Society since shortly after he was diagnosed. They enjoy playing Wheel of Fortune together, though her brother generally beats them all.
James Ball, Ed.D
Cranbury, NJ
Board Certified Behavior Analyst
President, JB Autism Consulting
Dr. James Ball, a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, is the President/CEO of JB Autism Consulting. He has been in the autism field for over twenty years providing educational, residential, and employment services to children and adults affected by autism. He is the Director of Clinical Services for New York Families of Autistic Children (NYFAC), a private not-for-profit organization providing support and training for children and families in New York City. He provides private consultation to organizations, schools, and families regarding staff training, parent training, home support services, classroom design/support, and behavior management/assessment.
Dr. Ball is also a member of the New Jersey Center for Outreach and Services for the Autism Community (COSAC) Board of Trustees, and a member of the COSAC Professional Advisory Board. A past member of the Autism Society Board of Directors, he is currently co-chairperson of the Autism Society Panel of Professional Advisors and sits on the advisory board for the Autism Asperger’s Digest magazine. Dr. Ball has lectured nationally and internationally on various topics related to autism, such as early intervention, inclusion services, functional behavior assessment, social skills training, behavior management, direct instruction, sensory issues, and accountability. He has published in many of the above areas and authored the breakthrough book Early Intervention and Autism: Real-life Questions, Real-life Answers.
Martha Herbert, M.D., Ph.D.
Charlestown, MA
Assistant professor of neurology, Harvard Medical School
Pediatric neurologist at Massachusetts General Hospital
Martha Herbert, M.D., Ph.D., is an assistant professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School, a pediatric neurologist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and at the Centre for Child and Adolescent Development of Cambridge Health Alliance, and a member of the Harvard-MIT-MGH Martinos Centre for Biomedical Imaging.
Dr. Herbert earned her medical degree at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and her Ph.D. at the University of California, Santa Cruz. She trained in pediatrics at Cornell University Medical Center and in neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital. She is co-chair of the Autism Society’s Environmental Health Advisory Board.
Her research program includes studying what makes some autistic brains unusually large, how the parts of the brain are connected and coordinated with each other, and how we can measure changes in brain function that can result from treatment interventions.
Cathy Pratt, Ph.D.
Bloomington, IN
Director, Indiana Resource Center for Autism/IIDC
Cathy Pratt is the director of the Indiana Resource Center for Autism at the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community located at Indiana University. Dr, Pratt is on faculty at Indiana University and presents internationally at conferences and workshops.
Dr. Pratt serves on the advisory boards, of MAAP Services, Inc., the College Internship Program, Christole Group Homes and the Autism Society of Indiana. She currently serves as Chair of the Autism Society Board of Directors, Co-Chair of the Autism Society Conference Committee, and a member of the Autism Society Government Relations Committee.
Dr. Pratt is also co-director of NATTAP (Network of Autism Training and Technical Assistance Programs). She serves on the advisory board for the Autism Spectrum Quarterly and is a guest editor for the Journal on Autism and Developmental Disorders. Recently, Dr. Pratt has been involved with the Institute on Rehabilitation Issues focused on autism, the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee, and the Scientific Advisory Board for IMFAR (International Meeting for Autism Research).
