Deborah Whittaker presently serves as the Board Secretary for the Orange County Asperger’s Support Group. Her formal introduction into the world of Asperger’s began when her third child, Jameson, was diagnosed at age 8, leading to the recognition of other family members including her mother and two sisters. Deborah has served local communities as a volunteer coach and Board Member for AYSO leading to recognition from the National governing bodies as Region of the Year.
For several years she and her husband were foster parents whose care included medically fragile and technology dependent minors leading to the formation of a non-profit designed to raise awareness and provide services for special needs children under the jurisdiction of the dependency courts. Deborah worked within various County Departments of Children and Family Services developing systems, policies and processes to improve outcomes for children in the foster care system, mentoring new personnel as well as youth under her direct supervision. She has been actively involved in the facilitation of transition programs through local school districts, integrating services across agencies including Employment Development Department (EDD), Department of Rehabilitation (DOR), Regional Center (RCOC & IRC) as well as multiple Social Services Agencies.
Serving in a variety of positions at University of California, Irvine Deborah has provided executive and administrative support to faculty and staff in the School of Medicine coordinating business and academic functions. Deborah earned her Associate of Arts in Science and Math at Victor Valley College, Bachelor of Arts degree in Life Span Developmental Psychology from California State University of San Bernardino and Health Care Executive MBA from Paul Merage School of Business at University of California, Irvine. Deborah considers herself blessed to be the mother of four children as well as the grandmother of four (for now).
