As a biologist, Michelle was trained to study life cycles and systems. As a parent of a child with complex needs, she found herself living in a complex ecosystem of services — and began mapping the stages special needs parents experience through their child's life cycle, but are rarely taught to expect.

For more than two decades, Michelle has navigated the realities of raising a now adult with severe non-verbal autism while working, advocating, and managing the many invisible responsibilities that special needs parents carry. Her journey with her son Aaron has taken her through fragmented and difficult systems that can be for families to navigate. And her son fell through every crack, so she can tell you about them all.

She is the founder of ParentDashboard, a social purpose initiative focused on helping families build sustainable support networks and access meaningful resources for long-term caregiving. Branded as The Natural Entrepreneur, she runs Vancouver Island Social Media helping online service providers develop their online offers and events.

Life Cycle of a Special Needs Parent combines Michelle’s lived experience, systems thinking, and advocacy to help caregivers understand the stages of the journey and build a life that supports both their child and themselves.