Lydia Altamiranda
Lydia Altamiranda is a second-year Master's student at the University of Texas School of Social Work. She is a 2025 graduate of the University of Utah, where she completed a double major in Health, Society, and Policy alongside Human Development and Family Studies. In addition to her degrees, she holds a certificate in Community Engagement. Prior to graduate school, Lydia worked as a therapeutic preschool specialist, where she supported young children with intellectual and developmental disabilities and trauma histories. This experience deepened her commitment to showing up for children and families during some of their most vulnerable moments. Lydia is passionate about early childhood intervention and supporting individuals with ID/D, believing that every child deserves a foundation built on safety, connection, and belonging. As a Project ACCESS scholar, Lydia is excited to deepen her understanding of trauma-informed and person-centered approaches to care.
Megan Byrd
Megan is a second-year student in the MSSW program at the Steve Hicks School of Social Work at the University of Texas at Austin. She holds a BA in Creative Writing and Fine Art from Hofstra University in Garden City, New York. Megan has several years of experience working with ASD/DD individuals across a variety of age groups and settings. She believes everyone deserves access to culturally competent mental healthcare and is dedicated to serving the neurodivergent and ASD/DD community as a social worker.
Itzel Casillas
Itzel is a second-year graduate student in the Speech-Language Pathology master's program at The University of Texas at Austin. She earned her bachelor's degree from The University of Texas at Austin in 2023 and has experience supporting students in both clinical and school-based settings. As a Project ACCESS Scholar, Itzel has developed skills in providing trauma-informed and person-centered care. She attributes her passion for the field to her brother, a person with autism, who has demonstrated remarkable growth throughout his life with the support of social workers, teachers, speech-language pathologists, and his family. After graduation, Itzel hopes to support children and adults with disabilities, as well as their families, through compassionate and culturally responsive care.
Madison Castillo
Madison is a second-year master’s student pursuing her degree in speech-language pathology. She earned her bachelor’s degree from The University of Texas at Austin in 2025 and, during that time, worked as a paraprofessional in a life-skills elementary classroom before beginning graduate school. As a Project ACCESS scholar, Madison has received specialized training in trauma-informed care and person-centered practices. She has a strong interest in Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) and a deep passion for supporting families through relationship-centered, strengths-based, and collaborative practices. Madison is committed to providing neurodiversity-affirming, individualized support that empowers individuals with complex communication needs and their families.
Liz Delfeld
Liz Delfeld is a third-year graduate student at UT Austin’s School of Social Work. She graduated from Loyola University Baltimore in 2021, with an interdisciplinary Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and Writing. After graduating, Liz worked as a Milieu Counselor at The Home for Little Wanderers group home, working with adolescents with and without disabilities. She then spent three years working as a Counselor/Teaching Assistant at Milestones Day School, a specialized special education school in Massachusetts that utilizes a school wide Positive Behavior Intervention and trauma-informed care to work with students with multiple disabilities. Liz also worked at the Capitol School in Austin, providing support for preschoolers with disabilities, and currently works at UT Austin’s Institute for Organizational Excellence, as a graduate research assistant. Liz loves working with neurodivergent children and their families, as well as neurodiverse adults, with an interest in play therapy, arts and music based therapies, IFS, CBT, DBT, existential therapy, narrative therapies, and body-based somatic work. She is also passionate about medical social work and the mind-body connection. Finally, Liz’s experience has led her to love psychoeducation and mezzo-level work, and she has become zealous about using the most current research to inform, train, and help teams and organizations work together to provide the best care/education for every student/client. In her free time, Liz enjoys listening to and playing music, teaching/hosting yoga and dance events around Austin, as well as reading and swimming at watering holes with family and friends.
Abigail Jimenez
Abigail Jimenez is a second-year graduate student in the Speech Language and Hearing Science master’s program at The University of Texas at Austin. Abigail received her bachelor’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Our Lady of the Lake University. As a McNair Scholar alumni, Abigail conducted research on the relationship between AAC, mental health and self-advocacy. Through this experience, she fostered a love for communication and helping others advocate for their right to communication. As a Project ACCESS scholar, Abigail has enjoyed learning about the different ways speech language pathologists can collaborate with other professionals to holistically support the clients they serve. Her clinical interests include augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), bilingualism and supporting students with disabilities.
Claudia Ocando
Claudia is a second-year graduate student in speech-language pathology. Claudia completed her undergraduate studies at Florida State University in 2021 and worked as a registered behavior technician working with children with Autism and other concomitant disorders for 2 years before beginning graduate school. Through this experience, Claudia has developed a passion for working with underserved populations from multilingual and multicultural backgrounds. Claudia has an interest in early-intervention and bringing resources to the caregiver and child using a child-centered approach and integrating the principles being taught through project ACCESS.
Hollyann Wood
Hollyann (she/her) is a second-year Master’s student at the University of Texas at Austin in the Steve Hicks School of Social Work. Her undergraduate degree is also from UT Austin with a double major in Psychology and Philosophy. She is returning to school after a variety of work and life experiences including healthcare, higher education administration, entrepreneurship and tech, and being the mother of three children. She is passionate about neurodivergence and universal design and is excited to work on developing accommodations and adaptations that make evidence-based interventions accessible to more people. She is passionate about working with children and families with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, the communities around them, and as a part of interdisciplinary teams in multiple settings. She is proud to be part of Project ACCESS.