One voice in West Virginia dedicated to providing accurate and up-to-date information, empowering parents, supporting best practices, and making lasting changes in our state to enable West Virginians with autism to achieve their highest potential.

Susannah G. Poe, President

Susannah G. Poe, Ed.D., BCBA-D, is professor emeritas of Pediatrics at the WVU School of Medicine, where she practiced as a diagnostician in the Klingberg Child Neurodevelopmental Center for more than 18 years. In addition to her clinical duties, she was responsible for mentoring medical students, pediatric residents, psychiatric fellows, and allied health students in the diagnosis and treatment of neurodevelopmental disorders in young children. While her treatment focus was primarily evidence-based interventions for young children with autism spectrum disorders, her practice also included the treatment of pediatric behavioral feeding disorders, childhood anxiety disorders, and the development of NICU graduates.

She founded the intensive Autism Treatment Center at WVUCED, a student-run clinic providing free ABA service to WV children for more than 7 years, and was the first director of Applied Behavior Analysis services at WVU Neurodevelopmental Center. She served for many years as a pediatric psychology mentor in the Leadership and Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities programs at WVUCED.

Dr. Poe was selected as the CDC’s Act Early Ambassador to WV for six years, and has gubernatorial appointments to the West Virginia Board of Examiners of Psychologists and Autism Trust Board.

She is a founding member of Mountaineer Autism Project and served as first president of the WV Behavior Analysis Association.

Jill Scarbro, Vice President

Jill has provided Applied Behavior Analysis services to individuals with autism and other disabilities since 1997. Jill earned her Bachelor of Special Education with concentrations in mental impairments and physical handicaps from Marshall University in 1999.  She continued her focus on autism intervention by receiving a Master of Science in Behavior Analysis from the University of North Texas in 2004. After operating a private practice in Texas, Jill and her daughter Caroline returned home to West Virginia in 2006, where Jill became the first Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) in southern West Virginia, and Director / Owner of Bright Futures Learning Services. As a founding member of Mountaineer Autism Project, she worked to pass autism insurance legislation and continues to work towards systems change that will enable access to behavior analytic services in WV. Jill is a founding member and past President of the West Virginia Behavior Analysis Association, and founder of Community Autism Resources and Education Systems (CARES).  In 2019 she was named WV’s Woman-Owned Small Business of the Year by the WV Small Business Administration, inducted into WV Executive’s inaugural Health Care Hall of Fame in 2020, and is the 2022 U.S. Small Business Administration’s National Small Businessperson of the Year. 

Cindy LeGrand, Treasurer

Cindy is an ASHA certified, licensed SLP and Board Certified Behavior Analyst. She has worked with individuals with autism in West Virginia for over 40 years in several different state and local programs; Coordinator for the Circle of Friends Preschool Program, EI Coordinator for the West Virginia ATC and BCBA at Bright Futures Learning Services.  Currently she provides services through the WV Birth-to-Three Program where she serves on the Autism Leadership Team and as a Mentor in the Early Start Denver Model training cohort.  

Cindy is a founding member of Mountaineer Autism Project where she serves as treasurer, and the West Virginia Behavior Analysis Association.

Jodi Lindsey, MD, Secretary

Jodi A. Lindsey joined the faculty at the WVU School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, in 2012, where she practices clinically as a child neurologist and a neurodevelopmental disabilities specialist. Prior to completing her Neurodevelopmental Disabilities and Child Neurology residency in 2012 at the University of Pittsburgh, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, she completed her pediatric residency at WVU Children’s Hospital, in Morgantown, WV in 2008. She attended the WVU School of Medicine where she received her M.D. in 2006 and the University of Notre Dame where she received her B.S. in Biology in 2002. She is the Division Chief for Pediatric Neurology and Child Development as well as the Medical Director of WVU Medicine Children’s Hospital Neurodevelopmental Center. Her clinical work focuses on the diagnosis and medical management of children with a wide variety of neurodevelopmental disorders but with a large focus on Autism Spectrum Disorder and Early Developmental Delays. Her current research efforts include a translational approach to the evaluation of underlying genetic etiologies of Autism Spectrum Disorder, particularly in the state of WV as well as a collaboration evaluating subtypes within Autism Spectrum Disorder related to sensory profiles and neuronal functioning. She was a prior co-investigator on the WV LEND (Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities) Grant, which is an interdisciplinary leadership training program federally funded through HRSA’s Maternal Child Health Bureau. She previously participated as a trainee in the University of Pittsburgh LEND Program as well. She is actively involved in efforts in the state to improve services for children and their families, particularly with neurodevelopmental disabilities. She is working to expand WVU Medicine Children’s Neurodevelopmental Services throughout the state as well as building the first in the state Children’s Neuroscience Center of Excellence. She is serving on the WVU CED’s Country Roads Program Advisory Committee. She has also served as a board member on the Advisory Board for the West Virginia Infant/Toddler Mental Health Association and currently is an executive board member and secretary for the Mountaineer Autism Project. As a native West Virginian, born and raised in Wheeling, WV, she is proud to return to her home state to reside and serve the children and families of West Virginia.

Angie Wood, Executive Committee

Angela Wood is the Executive Director of Augusta Levy Learning Center.  She has dedicated her career to improving the lives of children and families and increasing access to services for children with developmental disabilities. Angie is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (B.C.B.A.) with 15 years experience of working with children with autism. Throughout her career, she has provided consultation in school districts, trained numerous BCBA candidates, helped organize community resource fairs for special needs families, and lectured at numerous colleges and autism conferences. Angela obtained a Masters of Arts in Early Intervention with an Autism Specialization from the University of Pittsburgh.  Prior to becoming the Executive Director of ALLC, she obtained a certification in Organizational Behavior Management from the Florida Institute of Technology. She has worked as a West Virginia Birth to Three Development Specialist and an adjunct professor at Bethany College.

She serves as President for the West Virginia Behavior Analysis Association and serves on the Executive Committee of the Mountaineer Autism Project (MAP).

Kathy Shapell, Immediate Past President

Kathy Shapell has a master’s degree in special education from George Mason University and began her career in 1987 at The Ivymount School in Rockville, Maryland, where she was a lead teacher for 12 years. She began her ABA training with the Lovaas Institute for Early Intervention in 1992 and has worked with and on behalf of individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities for over 30 years.

She is the founder of Augusta Levy Learning Center, the first evidence-based autism treatment program in West Virginia, where she served as Executive Director from 2005-2017. In 2012, the Center was recognized as one of “55 Good Things About West Virginia” in The State Journal.

She is a founding board member and the first president of Mountain Autism Project (MAP). She created, published, and edited Ohio Valley Parent magazine from 2000- 2006. She served as the education coordinator for Laughlin Chapel where she developed Teen-Zine magazine, a literacy program for at-risk minority youth, and established a summer Freedom School through the Children’s Defense Fund.

She was an education columnist for The Intelligencer for 14 years and an adjunct professor at Bethany College and West Liberty University.

In 2001, she received a national award for education reporting from the Education Writers Association. In 2006, she was awarded the Alumni Achievement Award by her alma mater, Bethany College. In 2010, she was awarded the Champion for Children’s Award by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. In 2014, she was awarded the Tribute to Women Award by the YWCA, and in 2017, she was awarded the Leader Worth Following Award by Leadercast.

She also has served on the board of directors for Oglebay Institute, Oglebay Foundation, Ohio County Family Resource Network, Northern Panhandle Head Start, Classrooms Without Borders, and the Wheeling Academy of Law and Science Foundation.

James Stephens, Esq.

Jim is the proud father of Lincoln, a long-time student at the Augusta Levy Learning Center. He works as an attorney for the U.S. Army.

Barbara Fleischauer

Barbara Evans Fleischauer served 26 years in the West Virginia House of Delegates, representing most of Monongalia County.   A graduate of Allegheny College in Meadville, Pa, and the WVU College of Law, Delegate Fleischauer sponsored and passed several pieces of important legislation affecting women, children, civil rights, veterans and disabled West Virginians. 

 As a member of the Legislature in 2011, Delegate  Fleischauer was the lead sponsor of HB 2693. In 2012, she was the lead sponsor of HB 4260. Together, these bills increased funding and insurance coverage for children with autism spectrum disorder.  Six million dollars was added to the state budget to cover increased costs to Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and the Public Employees Insurance program  (PEIA).  Most public and private insurance companies operating in West Virginia are now required to provide coverage for applied behavioral therapy for children up to age 18.

 During the 2020 session, Barbara successfully championed legislation establishing a system for families to inform law enforcement that someone riding in a car has a communication difficulty (for example, autism or mental illness).

Prior to and during her legislative service, Fleischauer maintained a private practice of law. Her primary area of practice was discrimination law.  She became a member of the Mountaineer Autism Project’s Board of Directors in 2013.

Barbara is married to WVU Law Professor Bob Bastress.  They have two adult children and two grandchildren, one of whom has a very rare genetic condition that causes developmental and speech delays and behavioral problems, some of which are autistic-like.