My passion is watching children succeed and demonstrate that they understand social reinforcement/praise and are proud of their accomplishments.
Michelle Sherman came to WEAP with a variety of experience in social work practice and had direct experience treating adults on the autism spectrum. Michelle began her career working in a residential treatment facility/group home in Santa Clara, California from 1989-1993. She started as a case manager and advanced to a clinical supervisor and clinical director before she was promoted to program director.
Michelle started working for WEAP in 1994 with Dr. Sallows and Dr. Graupner. She trained at UCLA and was clinically supervised by Dr. Ivar Lovaas, Nina Lovaas, and the UCLA clinical research team. Since then, Michelle has been an integral part of WEAP, offering invaluable clinical guidance to clients, families, and clinicians in Wisconsin and internationally. She’s helped start up an autism center in Malaysia, clinically supervised in England, Canada and Australia, and been instrumental in beginning WEAP’s first social skills groups, play groups, teen groups, and sibling groups.
Michelle currently serves as the family treatment guidance specialist. The treatment she provides families is modeled from a family-centered care treatment emphasis/focus. Michelle supports families in a number of ways, including parent training, general clinical guidance, mentoring, setting up services in the community, facilitating communication, and coordinating care with other agencies. She also supervises the social skill groups in Madison and runs the Janesville Learning Center’s teen and young adult social skills group.