Our Mission
Our goal is to support, educate and advocate for caregivers and individuals who are neurodiverse. We want to give the individuals access to services and funding so they can reach their full potential and valued members of their community. We provide resources to give individuals a platform to interact with the community on their terms. In turn, we work to educate the community around them so that the individuals will be fully seen and accepted.
Our target population will be those within Jefferson County, Missouri. Both those who are diagnosed and those who are undiagnosed are welcome. People of all ages and backgrounds are invited to our Little House
What does “Neurodiverse” mean anyway?
When we refer to neurodiverse individuals, we’re referring to anyone with a brain that processes the world in its own unique and beautiful way. Typically the neurodiverse community includes individuals with diagnoses of autism, ADD/ADHD, or a variety of learning disabilities such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia. It can also include those with cognitive delays and genetic, medical, and neurological conditions among others. We want to help these individuals, from children to adults, to make the most of their unique minds, while providing resources to cope with the challenges of their disabilities.
D&D Club
Bowling Club
Gaming Club
At Little House of Neurodiversity, our team is dedicated to creating a supportive and inclusive environment for the neurodiverse community. Each member brings unique skills and experiences, united by a shared passion for advocacy and empowerment.
Meet Our Team
Heidi Rosenthal – CEO and Co-Founder
Heidi Rosenthal is a video producer/director with 15+ years of experience creating television programs, short films, documentaries, and promotional videos.
Heidi became interested in autism and neurodiversity when she produced and directed a documentary titled The Spectrum of Autism in 2000. Since then she has met many parents of children with neurodiverse diagnoses who were not able to get the help needed for the growth and independence of their children. Because of this, she put her producing skills to work to help found Little House of Neurodiversity. She now serves as the Co-founder and CEO of Little House.
Rachel studied Marketing and Business Management at University of Phoenix and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Marketing and Public Relations from Ashford University.
She worked at Ansira Engagement Marketing for 6 years in advertising reimbursement and marketing. She also planned and hosted many employee engagement events.
She has been working with United Healthcare for the past 10 years working with providers to ensure their problems are resolved and contracts are correct. She now serves as the COO for Little House.
Rachel Ertel – COO
CindyJo Fryer – Education Lead
CindyJo has a B.S. in chemistry from Emporia State University and an M.Ed. in Secondary Education from Grand Canyon University and works as a chemistry teacher at Confluence Preparatory Academy. She has many years of experience as a teacher and is known for her staunch philosophy that any student – neurodiverse or otherwise – can reach high standards if given the tools to achieve. Why lower the bar when you can raise the student instead? As such, she typically teaches mixed classrooms with neurotypical and neurodiverse students working together. It is this philosophy of raising the student that has brought her here on the Little House team, now proudly serving as our Education Lead.
Eric is a dedicated neurology resident at Saint Louis University Hospital. He has experience working with neurodiverse patients both in the hospital and at the Knights of Columbus Center for Developmental Pediatrics. He has also volunteered with St. Louis ARC helping with Club South, a social dance for adults with disabilities. He is passionate about helping the neurodiverse community and plans to keep doing so far into the future. He is one of the leading designers for Club Little House and is working on incorporating social skills lessons into it and he serves as an executive board member.
Eric Elizondo –
Executive Board Member
Sydney Elizondo – Executive Board Member
Sydney is a caring and “nerdy” pediatric neurology resident at Cardinal Glennon Hospital in St. Louis. She has three years of dementia research experience and has volunteered with the Knights of Columbus Center for Developmental Pediatrics as well as St. Louis ARC, working with people with neurodiverse people of all ages. She also worked at Pony Bird in Hillsboro MO as a direct support professional for individuals with developmental disabilities who needed significant support with activities of daily living. She is involved in resource coordination, internal affairs organization, and curriculum design, and is a member of the board. Excitingly, she is also in the process of getting an APA-approved certification through Geek Therapeutics for running therapeutic tabletop role-playing games such as Dungeons and Dragons.
Vicky James is the Chief Advancement Officer for Lafayette Industries. Lafayette is the largest full-time employer of adults with developmental disabilities in Missouri. Vicky does Lafayette’s event planning and grant writing.
Prior to Lafayette Vicky was the President & CEO of Sunnyhill, Inc. for twelve years and worked at Sunnyhill for a total of twenty -five years. Sunnyhill provides residential, recreational, and educational opportunities for children and adults with developmental disabilities. Vicky enjoys being part of connecting individuals with opportunities that connect them to their community and fulfills their goals.
Vicky James –
Executive Board Member
