Neurodivergent Advocates of East Texas
About Us
Learning & Sharing
We Bring Together Families for Fellowship and Support
Neurodivergent Advocates of East Texas started out as a passion project between two moms in early 2022. Their shared struggles that came with having neurodivergent children pushed them to do more in their community and form the current nonprofit Neurodivergent Advocates of East Texas.
The goal was to build a community of other families like theirs that bring together resources that empower them. Today this nonprofit continues to grow in size. What started as a playdate group on Facebook with 5 families a year ago, is now 700 families and growing into their second year of existence.
Co-Founder Casey McCoy hopes to continue growing year after year. Blessed with a board of resources NAET currently has, we plan to bring more to the families right here in East Texas.
Meet the Team
Together with a board of parents, special education advocates, and medical professionals we have formed the Neurodivergent Advocates of East Texas to bring together families for fellowship and support.
Casey McCoy
Co-Founder and Director of Operations
Casey Hawthorne McCoy is the co-founder and Director of Operations for Neurodivergent Advocates of East Texas. Casey was born in Houston, then moved to Tyler in 1996 and has called Tyler home since. She is a mother to 3 little girls. Her oldest was diagnosed with Autism at the age of 3.
Casey is passionate about service and locating resources for children with different abilities. Casey met the other co- founder by chance at a park with their kids back in Spring of 2022. They shared the vision to create a non profit that would provide events and activities for the differently abled community, along with gathering resources to share monthly. What started as a Facebook Playdate group has since grown into a full service nonprofit organization. Together with a board of professionals, Neurodivergent Advocates of East Texas are here to serve all over East Texas and help build a community of inclusion for all abilities.
Lisa Mousselli Resweber MA, BCBA, LBA
Board Chair
Lisa Mousselli is the President and Executive Director of Autism Response Team Texas. She graduated from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology with an MA degree in Applied Behavior Analysis. Lisa has been in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis and working with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) for the past 19 years. Lisa began in this field by volunteering in a special day class that educated children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Lisa is inspired through lessons that each child interaction provides and continues to strive to further the field of ABA, and ensure that services are provided with integrity and commitment to the true nature of the science.
Anne Cates, MD
Board Member
Dr. Anne Whitney Cates was born and raised in East Texas. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Baylor University in 2004 and her Medical Doctorate degree from Baylor College of Medicine in 2008. She then remained in Houston to complete her Pediatric residency at Baylor College of Medicine/Texas Children’s Hospital in 2011, at which time she moved back home to East Texas to practice General Pediatrics in Longview. She is board certified in Pediatrics and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, reading, sewing, and traveling when the opportunity arises. She lives on Lake Tyler with her husband and four children.
Ana Barnson, MA, NCC, LPC, EMDR Certified Therapist
Board Member
Ana Barnson is a bilingual Licensed Professional Counselor with a certification in EMDR and a passion for helping the East Texas Community. With her Master’s Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of Texas at Tyler, she quickly set out to help survivors of abuse through their healing journey at the East Texas Crisis Center. As a Therapist and Director of Client Services at the non-profit ETCC, Ana served families impacted by trauma and abuse while furthering the center’s community outreach and education mission.
In her private practice, Ana connects with clients through EMDR, often integrating play, movement, and sandtray into her counseling to focus on an individual’s growth and resilience. As a TBRI Practitioner, she works with caregivers to help kids overcome mental health challenges and strengthen parent-child relationships. She regularly works with children, adolescents, and adults who may be challenged by depression, anxiety, complex PTSD, dissociation, and grief due to traumatic experiences. Ana Barnson also provides supervision for new helping professionals during their internships.
Born and raised in Bogota, Colombia, Ana Barnson has been part of the East Texas community for over 12 years. She is passionate about volunteering or collaborating with organizations and events such as the Baby Block Party, the UT Tyler Social Work Advisory Committee, and the Neurodivergent Advocates of East Texas. In her free time, if she is not hiking, camping, or running with her husband, she treasures playing board games and laughing with friends and family around the tabletop.
Rebecca Williams
Board Member
Rebecca Williams is a Senior Clinical Instructor with The University of Texas at Tyler School of Nursing. She graduated in 2010 with a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing and in 2014 with a Master’s of Science in Nursing Education. Rebecca is married to her high school sweetheart. They moved to Tyler, Tx immediately following high school graduation and decided this was where they wanted to raise their family. They have 3 daughters and their middle daughter was diagnosed with Autism at the age of 5.
Rebecca is passionate about serving vulnerable populations. Her main focus includes locating resources and connecting people to those resources to better their lives and health outcomes. Rebecca met the founders and board members of Neurodivergent Advocates of East Texas at one of their many Parent Resource Nights following her daughter’s Autism diagnosis. She heard their mission, vision, and wanted to serve and be a part of it. During a time when she felt lost, scared, and unsure of next steps for her daughter, NAET provided a safe haven for her family. Her hope is to continue harvesting a community for families of the differently abled where they feel safe, supported, and included.
Kathryn Chavira
Board Member
Kathryn Chavira was born and raised in Houston, TX. She graduated from Baylor Unviersity in 2019, with a Bachelors in Communication Science Disorders with a concentration in Speech Language Pathology. In 2020, she obtained her teaching certification in Special Education and began teaching at the Wayne D. Boshears Center in Tyler ISD. She later became certified in Deaf Education, and since 2022, has worked with students across multiple districts as an Itinerant teacher through Tyler RDSPD. Her special interest is in Augmentative and Alternative Communication, as she believes everyone deserves a voice. As someone who was late diagnosed Neurodivergent, Kathryn is passionate about early intervention and enjoys helping others advocate for themselves and/or their families. She lives with her husband, daughter, 2 dogs and 2 cats. In her free time, when she isn’t spending time with family, she enjoys doing puzzles, playing video games, crocheting/quilting, reading books or roller skating.
Equity Statement
At Neurodivergent Advocates of East Texas, diversity, equity, and inclusion are at the core of who we are. They are central to our mission and our impact. We know that having varied perspectives helps generate better ideas to solve the complex problems of a changing—and increasingly diverse—world. Whether related to accessibility, gender, ethnicity, age, or sexual orientation, it’s important to find intentional ways to grow in our understanding and support of others. Together, we continue to build an inclusive culture that encourages, supports, and celebrates the diverse voices of our community.