Facilitators
Elizabeth Morgan
A proud Motherscholar and scholar activist, Elizabeth is a Candidate in Human Development at UC Davis. An educator by training, she holds a Master’s in Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and has supported Early Childhood practitioners in utilizing developmentally appropriate practice and inclusion strategies since 2004. Elizabeth works as a program coordinator for the UC Davis Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities at the MIND Institute. Her area of focus includes Early Childhood and Early Intervention Services with a specific interest in under-represented populations. She’s also an elected Board member for the Association for University Centers in Disabilities (AUCD) and Warmline Family Resource Center from her work as an ASD parent activist. When she isn’t thinking about autism service equity, Elizabeth enjoys the theater, watching Netflix, and spending time with her family and their dog, Billie Jean.
Benita Shaw
Benita is a proud mother of two young men. She has two Associate’s of Arts Degree (one in Human Services and the other in Drug and Alcohol Counseling) and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology and Ethics. Benita works as a Community Education Specialist at UC Davis MIND Institute in the Resource Center. She is a board member for Supported Life Institute, The Fly Brave Foundation, as well as the Disability Right Education and Defense Fund (DREDF). Benita serves on the advisory committee’s for State Council on Developmental Disabilities, Alta Regional Center Self-Determination and Sacramento City Unified School District CAC. After many years of advocating for her son in 2017, she founded the GIFTS Foundation (Give Information and Support For Families to Triumph Successfully) which is a 501(c)3. Benita reminds herself everyday that with GOD all things are possible as long as she stays His course and keeps the Faith.
