Golnar Djahanbani was born in Tehran Iran, and moved to the United States in 1976. Golnar has a Bachelors of Science Degree in Clinical Psychology and a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature. She has studied and traveled throughout the world and these diverse settings have given Golnar a panoramic understanding of human culture and traditions that have impacted her personally & professionally. Her family moved to Washington DC and in 1991 her second child Justin was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum disorder. Among the many things Golnar has done in her life one of the most profound and greatest privileges has been raising her son with autism and helping him thrive in the world. This has provided a deeply personal and unique experience from which she draws her inspiration to educate, advocate, and raise awareness about autism and the issues families face. She became a major advocate for several special needs organizations such as Cure Autism Now fundraising and aiding in the growth and development of their program. She was highly involved in policy development, fundraising and outreach for Special Education Programs in the State of Virginia. Currently she is a consultant for the LA Regional Center and on the Board of BCR a day program for children and adults with special needs in Burbank California. Golnar feels passionately about helping families address the cultural stigma of having a child with autism. She believes breaking the Taboo of Autism requires us to dialogue about the complex feelings of grief, guilt and shame so that parents can feel empowered.