I’m a life-long resident in Bergen County, New Jersey. I’m a graduate of Tenafly High School and both of my sons attended Ridgewood Public Schools.
With a strong passion for kids and disability issues, I have held leadership positions on the Ridgewood Public Schools’ special education parent organization. I was one of the founding parents of “The Social Place,” which organized social activities for autistic youth. When Ridgewood had a staffing crisis, she got her certification and worked as a substitute paraprofessional in the local autism program.
My current volunteer activities include:
- Organizing monthly bowling trips for autistic adults.
- Organizing monthly social and therapeutic meetups for parents with disabled children at Ridgewood’s YMCA.
- Maintaining a 850+ parent Facebook page, Ridgewood Special Moms and Dads, which is the only source of information for the entire community of special needs parents in Ridgewood, NJ
- Maintaining Transitions New Jersey Facebook page
- Member of the League of Women Voters, including the Education Subcommittee.
- Member of ACCESS Ridgewood
- Member of the autism think tank for Ridgewood’s YMCA.
- Member of North Jersey Masters Group.
Laura McKenna, PhD 