Shelley has supported Southern California families through regional center systems, school transitions, and daily planning decisions that can feel overwhelming when handled alone.
ABOUT SHELLEY
Meet Shelley — calm guidance for your family’s next steps.
I support Southern California families with clear planning, thoughtful advocacy, and practical coordination so you can move forward with confidence and feel truly supported.
About Shelley
Experience that helps families move forward with clarity.
Her approach is person-centered and practical: listen first, map real options, and build steps families can confidently use right away.
Every plan is designed to reduce confusion, strengthen communication across support teams, and uncover unmet needs before they become bigger barriers.
Most of all, Shelley is committed to helping families feel informed, supported, and hopeful about what comes next.
Value 01
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Compassionate guidance
Value 02
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Organized advocacy
Value 03
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Future-focused planning
Editorial Feature
Shelley’s Story
The Beginning
When Jason was a baby, he was happy, crawling, and making eye contact. After his 17-month vaccinations, he became feverish and cried for hours. I spent that night putting him in cool baths, trying to comfort him. I called our pediatrician and left a message with Jason screaming in the background. I did not hear back until the next morning.
After that, I began noticing changes. His eye contact was gone. He cried so much that we could barely sleep, and I could not seem to console him. I believed the reaction and the changes I was seeing were connected. I had questions no one could answer for me: What had happened? What did Jason need? How was I supposed to help him?
Jason was diagnosed with autism at two and a half. My husband and I were both working full time, and suddenly our lives were filled with appointments, therapies, and decisions we did not feel equipped to make. I knew my son needed support, and I had to learn how to find it.
I found a group of mothers led by Lisa Ackerman. Sitting together in her living room, I finally met people who understood the questions and fears I was carrying. That community grew into TACA, now known as The Autism Community in Action. It reminded me that I did not have to figure everything out alone.
Learning to Advocate
Then came the IEP meetings. I learned to arrive prepared, ask questions, and push for an education that met Jason’s needs. Progress was rarely a straight line. As he grew, I learned something that still guides me today: Jason takes in information best in small pieces he can understand and keep. The plan had to work for him.
Getting the right school support took years of advocacy. We worked with an attorney and reached agreements with the school district that allowed Jason to attend New Vista School for high school. Seeing him thrive there showed me what can happen when the support truly fits the person.
Today, Jason is 29. We are in our sixth year using California’s Self-Determination Program. He has support with social skills and daily living, and he is in his fifth year working at Albertsons. His team and I continue to adjust his program as his goals change. We are now working toward his next step: living more independently. He is happy and has a full life. As his mother, that means everything to me.
Why I Started Imagination Solutions
Throughout these years, I found myself helping other families understand school services, regional center systems, and the decisions in front of them. I knew how overwhelming it felt to be handed a stack of information and still not know what to do next.
When I retired from my career in commercial property management, I wondered what came next. Eventually I realized I had been doing meaningful work alongside that career for years. Imagination Solutions grew from my experience as Jason’s mother and advocate, and from my desire to help other families find their own way forward.
I will listen to what is happening in your family, help you understand your options, prepare for the conversations ahead, and work with you on a plan that makes sense for your real life. I know how much it matters to have someone beside you who understands the system—and remembers the person at the center of it.
HOW WE WORK TOGETHER
A steady, family-centered approach from first conversation to next steps
Each step is designed to help families and support teams feel informed, organized, and confident about what to do next.
Listen first
Support begins with understanding the family, the individual, and the goals that matter most.
Organize the path forward
Complex systems become easier to navigate when next steps are clear, thoughtful, and manageable.
Advocate with care
Questions, meetings, and planning conversations are approached with both professionalism and heart.
Plan for real life
Recommendations are shaped around daily needs, practical realities, and long-term well-being.