Staff

Donielle Johnson is the Program Manager at the Autism Science Foundation. She coordinates the scientific grants program, oversees ASF's stakeholder education programs and manages day-to-day operations at ASF. She has nearly five years of research and project management experience. Donielle graduated phi beta kappa from the University of Pennsylvania with a BA in psychology and has a masters degree in medical science from the University of Cambridge's Autism Research Centre. She most recently served as Clinical Research Assistant at the Center for Autism Research at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Dawn Crawford is the Events and Media Relations Manager at the Autism Science Foundation. Her main functions are to develop and implement the communications, social media and fundraising events for the organization. Dawn has nearly 10 years of nonprofit communications leadership experience from her positions at the Colorado Children’s Immunization Coalition, Exempla Healthcare and the Kempe Foundation. She is a proud buffalo from the the University of Colorado at Boulder where she earned a degree in journalism.

Casey Gold is the Program Associate at the Autism Science Foundation. Casey assists with the implementation of the brain tissue donation campaign in addition to other ASF events and programs. She has three years of teaching experience in special education, working mostly with children with an ASD. Casey graduated from Skidmore College with a BS in educational studies and will soon be receiving a masters in early childhood special education from the George Washington University.

Jason Ross joins ASF as Part-time Program Associate. Jason is a seasoned advocate for people who are often misunderstood and have suffered abuse as a result of their disabilities. He is a frequent contributor to the field of autism education and has helped others to self-actualize through oral presentations, blogging, artwork and creative writing. He continually strives to inform and defend those in the autism community who wish to better stand up for their rights and to improve the quality of their lives. Jason has appeared on a PBS special, This Emotional Life, and has served as a keynote speaker at the 2010 Autism Society of America Conference. His Drive Mom Crazy blog is widely read and often elicits responses on a variety of topics dealing with autism. He has a bachelor’s degree from Long Island University in Biology with a minor in Psychology.