Elizabeth Graham

Diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome in high school, Elizabeth earned her B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Counseling in May 2013 from Marshall University in Huntington, WV. At Marshall University, she received support from the College Program for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Her academic area of focus was bereavement in people with autism; this was influenced by her Mom’s death to melanoma at age 54 years in December 2004 and her later diagnosis of Asperger’s. During college, she volunteered with hospice and bereavement camps for families and children. She was also active with the Marshall University Lambda Society (the LGBTQ+ student activist group) and served as group's chair of the Transgender Outreach Committee, was Secretary of the Marshall University chapter of Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD), and founded the Marshall University American Red Cross Club. In May 2013, Marshall University Student Affairs awarded her the “Outstanding Service to Marshall University” award. Elizabeth is an active member of Westmoreland Congregational United Church of Christ in Bethesda, Maryland, where she occasionally gives talks about autism and transgender matters and performs her accordion. In January 2018, she joined her church's Board of Spiritual Formation. She is a member of the United Church of Christ Potomac Association LGBT Task Force. Elizabeth began her gender transition in 2015. She has presented on the topics of autism and bereavement at various conferences and events. In the summer of 2007, she attended the Georgetown University School of Continuing Studies College Preparatory Program. She is a 2008 alumna of The Lab School of Washington in Washington, DC and a 2009 post-graduate alumna of The Perkiomen School in Pennsburg, PA. She has been published by The Arc of the United States Autism Now blog. She is a member of The Arc of the United States External Diversity Advisory Council. Elizabeth currently works at The Arc of Prince George’s County where she is a Service Coordinator for Maryland’s Home and Community Based Services Waiver for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Prior, she worked as a direct support professional in Montgomery County, Maryland supporting adults with intellectual/developmental differences in supported independent living arrangements as well as in staff-supported group homes. You may read some of her papers at http://marshall.academia.edu/ElizabethGraham