Community Advisory Board
The CAN Center Community Advisory Board (CAB) is a group of community members who
meet with our researchers, with the goal of gathering input about the alignment of
our research and community outreach activities with the needs and values of the community.
Members
Anja Wilson
Anja Wilson, founder of IEPs by Anja, is a dedicated Special Education Advocate and IEP Consultant whose journey began
as a single parent to her son, Cortland, who was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder
at age three. An alumna of the University of Tennessee, Anja's personal experience fueled her passion for autism advocacy. She recently served
as an Autism Parent Navigator, providing crucial guidance to families navigating similar
challenges. Anja builds her practice on the foundational principles of advocacy, empowerment, education,
commitment, and community. She strives to be a powerful voice for those who cannot
advocate for themselves, guiding families through educational challenges with expertise
and compassion derived from both professional training and lived experience.
Bri Ash
Bri is a person with disabilities, social worker, and disability advocate. She graduated
with her Master of Social Work (MSW) in 2021 from the University of South Carolina.
Camerun Washington
Camerun is a certified genetic counselor. He has worked with hundreds of families
navigating the genetic testing process for autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders.
He is currently pursuing a fellowship in community engagement and outreach education
with the American Society of Human Genetics and National Human Genome Research Institute.
Dallas Nicholson
Dallas is a mental health therapist at Moonbug Therapy, in which she uses an ecological
systems perspectives and has experience working with children and families.
Kamania Wynter-Hoyte
Kamania is an Associate Professor of Early Childhood Education at USC and has a five-year-old
son who is autistic.
Kris Beard
Kris is a stay-at-home mother of two children, one of whom is autistic with high support
needs. Before starting her family and journey into neurodiversity support and advocacy,
she was a researcher and college instructor at Clemson and earned her PhD in Genetics
in 2014.
Nikki Happe
Nikki is the Early Intervention Services Director at Epworth Early Intervention Center
where she oversees the home-based program and their early intervention preschool program.
She serves on the Safe Babies Court Active Community Team and is passionate about
connecting families to local resources.
Stephanie Turner
Stephanie is the Autism Division Director of the South Carolina Deparmtment of Disabilities
and Special Needs (DDSN). She has worked in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy,
and she is personally connected to neurodevelopment through her sister-in-law, who
was diagnosed with autism as an adult.
Previous CAB Members
Kaelynn Partlow
Kaelynn was diagnosed with autism at the age of 10. She joined Project Hope Foundation’s
school program as a teenager, where she developed an interest in working with others
on the spectrum. She is now a Lead Registered Behavior Technician. In 2022, Kaelynn
was a featured participant in the Netflix series, Love On The Spectrum. She has been
a guest on numerous national podcasts and published several articles, providing an
autistic perspective.
Preach Jacobs
Preach is a DJ and artist in Columbia, SC and is passionate about advocating for autism
and disabilities.