Jill Silvester is the Program Specialist at My Autism Connection (MAC). She graduated with honors from Rutgers University with a Bachelors in Psychology. While attending school she began her career teaching autistic children at the Douglass Developmental Disabilities Center (DDDC), one of the premier educational programs serving this population since 1972. She now has over 35 years of experience in special education and behavioral psychology. Over the span of her career, she has worked in school settings, home settings, residential and group home settings, as well as various employment settings. She has worked with people of all ages and levels of ability, from preschool through adulthood.
In addition to her professional work in the field of autism, Jill has a son and other family members that are autistic. This gives her a unique perspective as both a family member and a professional. For several years she ran a social development center with her autistic son until he moved on to follow his own path. Since then, she has been providing support services to various organizations throughout Southwest Florida.
Jill is also certified in various health and wellness modalities including yoga, therapeutic art, meditation, and ayurveda. She is passionate about helping others learn to manage stress and improve their health in all areas of life. Her eclectic background brings a unique perspective and keen insight to all her work.
She is very excited to be working with My Autism Connection and looks forward to growing with the participants of this wonderful organization!