Elizabeth Deliso
Discipline: Special Education
About: Elizabeth holds a master’s degree in special education from the University of Maine. She discovered her passion – working with young children with autism when she began working for Child Development Services (CDS) 8 years ago. She taught in the inclusive preschool before transitioning to the transdisciplinary early intervention team, a position she still holds. She is a certified Early Start Denver Model therapist, working directly with toddlers impacted by autism. She also helps parents create joyful interactions that promote engagement, learning, and development. She spent 18 months as part of a statewide team building and coordinating autism services for families and supporting her colleagues. Elizabeth loves developing close relationships with young children and their families, bolstering parents’ ability to connect with their children, and watching family dynamics shift as the child and parent gain complementary skills.
Elizabeth is also the mother of a teenager with ASD. She has experienced the challenges of navigating services and advocating relentlessly when needed. She loves to support families who are beginning the diagnostic process or are hearing the word “autism” for the first time by sharing the many joys and wonders of having an autistic child. This perspective, that autism and neurodiversity can be a gift to any family, provides hope and comfort to the families she serves. Elizabeth spent 3 years living in Costa Rica, where her son was born. She has a master’s degree in environmental management from Yale University, and B.A. in human ecology from College of the Atlantic.
