Lori Ireland

Lori Ireland is the mother of a young man with profound autism and the president of the Ireland Family Foundation, which supports research and direct services for individuals severely affected by autism. Her advocacy is rooted in the experience of navigating a system that was not designed for the population it most urgently needs to serve — families caring for individuals with significant intellectual disability, minimal communication, and complex behavioral support needs. Lori brings to the NCSA board both philanthropic vision and the unflinching perspective of a family member who has lived the gap between what services promise and what they actually deliver.