Cady Stanton, M.S.
Senior Consultant and Group Facilitator
Cady has worked with youth and adults diagnosed with autism and ADHD for over twenty years.
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As a Group Facilitator for Open Doors Therapy, Cady supported autistic teens and adults in navigating social, relationship, and employment challenges.
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At the MIND Institute at U.C. Davis, a collaborative international research center focused on neurodevelopmental disorders, Cady conducted assessments for autism and ADHD.
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At the University of Washington, Cady worked on research focused on improving executive function and decreasing depression. Cady was the Primary Investigator and lead author on a study focused on the role of technology in increasing social interaction in autistic children. This paper was awarded the Guthrie Prize in Psychology and was highlighted in the book Technological Nature.
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Cady's graduate education at Pennsylvania State University focused on the role of executive function in academic outcomes.
Cady is a member of the steering committee for the Washoe County Crisis Intervention Team and helps train Reno Police Department cadets on how to interact with autistic community members. She has also provided training and presented workshops to organizations including the California Department of Vocational Rehabilitation, Bryn Mawr College, The JUSTin Hope Foundation, and others.
You can watch or listen to some of her presentations and interviews at the links below:
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Presentation focused on group therapy and social skills with Dr. Tasha Oswald at the Stanford Bay Area Adult Autism Conference
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Contributor to article These 8 Signs of Autism Spectrum Disorder are Often Missed in Women
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Contributor to article 12 Neurodiversity Strengths That Come from Thinking Differently
You can hear some of Facilitate Joy!'s older adult group members talk about their experience being diagnosed later in life, as well as how being in group has helped them. Please note, the reporter mistakenly referred to Facilitate Joy! as a counseling program. We offer coaching, not counseling.
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News 4 Interview with lived experience of late-diagnosed adults #1
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News 4 Interview with lived experience of late-diagnosed adults #2
Cady has maintained a strong social justice focus throughout her career. Twenty percent of Facilitate Joy!'s services are provided at no charge to families who could not otherwise access care. She has focused on increasing access to culturally competent care for neurodivergent individuals, including coordinating the translation of important autism related documents into Tagalog. Facilitate Joy! will be offering both BIPOC and Queer focused groups in 2023; these groups will be led by members of the BIPOC and/or Queer communities.
Previously, Cady served as a case manager for homeless refugee & immigrant families, supported Hurricane Katrina survivors, prepared the legislative report for the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance for five years, and provided academic and career mentoring to at-risk youth.
Many of Cady's family members are autistic or have ADHD. As an autistic individual with many ADHD traits herself, Cady appreciates the value of neurological differences while acknowledging the challenges neurodivergent individuals face.