Katie Sweeney: Advocating for Dusty and Beyond. July 28, 2026

Katie Sweeney is the mother of 2 sons, one of whom, Dusty, is a minimally speaking young adult with autism. Her husband, Mike, spoke with me in an episode in February, 2022. In Mike's episode you learned about Endeavor 21, the adult program they helped found in Rockland County, NY. That program has continued to develop as Katie and Dusty have moved on.Most exciting is that Dusty has become a Speller. Tune in to learn how Dusty is now communicating while attending the Mouth to Hand Learning Center in Mt. Kisco, NY. Learn more about that program by listening to previous episodes with Judy Chinitz.Katie also shares the family's involvement with the Autism Theater Initiative, a Theater for All, which includes those with autism. Dusty is also a surfer through a national program called Surfers Healing, and works at a bakery in Staten Island, NY.Katie works with Honey Rinicella and MAPS. Learn about MAPS in a previous episode with Honey. Consider attending their conference in Philadelphia in September. Finally, Katie serves on the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC). Hear how they are advocating to redefine autism.www.MedMAPS.com