Tracey Stoll builds autism support through community-based programs

Tracey Stoll, a Greater Boston educator and nonprofit leader, has spent nearly 30 years building services for neurodiverse children and young adults. Her work now centers on The Common Room, which runs roughly 40 to 50 programs a week for young adults with high cognitive autism and related social-emotional learning profiles.

Why it matters: - Tracey Stoll’s work shows how special education, autism support and nonprofit leadership can create more access to community life for neurodiverse people. - Her model focuses on practical support, social connection and independence, not just classroom services. - The need is growing as funding pressure makes educational, therapeutic and community-based services harder for families to find and afford.

What happened: - Tracey Stoll, based in Greater Boston, has built a career spanning about 30 years in special education, social-emotional learning, autism support, curriculum development, consulting and nonprofit leadership. - Stoll now serves as executive director of The Common Room, a nonprofit that creates structured social, recreational and cultural opportunities for young adults with high cognitive autism and related social-emotional learning profiles. - The Common Room delivers about 40 to 50 programs each week. - Stoll’s earlier career included customer service and technical support roles in the project management software industry in Atlanta and New York City. - Stoll later earned an M.Ed. from Lesley University and a BS from Ithaca College.

The details: - Stoll’s credentials include board certification in special education, advanced autism specialist certification, Level 1 Clinical Training in Social Thinking®, professional licensure in special education PreK–9 and elementary education 1–6, and professional certification in nonprofit management. - Stoll has maintained professional affiliations with the National Association of Special Education Teachers and the Association for Autism and Neurodiversity. - Stoll is the mother of three sons, and two are on the autism spectrum. - That family experience helped shape her approach to supporting children, adolescents and families. - Stoll founded Learning Solutions, a social-emotional learning center for children and adolescents. - Over 13 years, Learning Solutions served more than 100 students each week. - The center offered executive function coaching, social skills groups and therapeutic learning supports. - Stoll also consulted with multiple school districts and developed curriculum, including Social Fit and S.N.A.P. (Social Notes About People). - Stoll added specialized certification through the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards in autism spectrum disorders and behavioral methodology.

Between the lines: - Stoll’s leadership style is rooted in troubleshooting and problem-solving. - She says she looks for practical solutions when challenges arise and tries to help team members without taking over their work. - Her mentor and business coach’s advice to “stay in your own lane” shaped that management approach. - Stoll tells younger women entering special education and autism support that the work is not a traditional 9-to-5 job. - She also stresses the need for boundaries so professionals can sustain their compassion over time. - The funding squeeze at federal and state levels is creating delays, fewer services and more strain on schools, families, medical providers and nonprofits. - For young adults who are unemployed or living on Social Security, access to community programs can mean friendship, belonging and reduced isolation, not just recreation.

What’s next: - Stoll plans to keep expanding opportunities for young adults at The Common Room through a multidisciplinary team and a steady schedule of programs. - Her broader focus remains on making services more accessible and philanthropic so families are not forced to bear the full cost. - The long-term goal is a stronger support system that helps neurodiverse individuals participate more fully in their communities.

The bottom line: - Stoll’s career ties personal experience to practical service delivery, with community access at the center of her work. - Her message is simple: meaningful support helps individuals grow, and stronger support networks help entire communities.