Engagement Core Co-Lead
Teal W. Benevides, PhD, MS, OTR/L, FAOTA is a wife, mother, occupational therapist, and researcher. Dr. Benevides is a tenured Associate Professor in the Institute of Public and Preventive Health at Augusta University. In her current role, Dr. Benevides aims to address the most pressing medical and mental health priorities faced by the autism community in collaboration with autistic partners. An extension of this work aims to understand and reduce system barriers that disproportionately affect marginalized individuals on the autism spectrum and with other intellectual/developmental disabilities. Dr. Benevides is a Fellow of the American Occupational Therapy Association and serves on several national autism, suicide prevention, and occupational therapy organizations as a board or committee member to advance scientific knowledge translation and promotion of community priorities.
