🎙️ Heather M. Burroughs

Co‑Host, Finding Common Ground

Hi! I’m Heather - a wife, mom of four, proud co-host of Finding Common Ground, published author, and unapologetic systems-buster with a big heart and even bigger ideas to create a future our loved ones need (and deserve). I grew up with a sister on the spectrum, long before most people even knew what autism was. Now, I’m raising four kids with wildly different support needs—including Devyn, my 18-year-old daughter who doesn’t use spoken words but has plenty to say. We live in Hilton, a suburb just outside Rochester, NY.

I used to be painfully shy (think sweaty palms, shaky voice—the works). But somewhere between fighting insurance denials, decoding Medicaid policy, and winning an eight‑year federal court case against Gates Chili Central School District for my daughter’s right to be honored—I found my voice. Now I use it. A lot.

I started out as a school psychologist, supporting early intervention through transition services for some of the most complex needs in our county. From there, I was recruited to help build behavioral health programming at Monroe Community Hospital, where I led projects that brought dignity and delight to long-term care—including Serendipity Cove, a pioneering indoor sensory retreat widely featured by local media (13WHAM). Also during my tenure there, I helped secure funding and initiated The Friendly Place Project, a reimagined dementia care model centered on therapeutic design and patient dignity (Monroe County Planning Board PDF).

Most recently, I joined AutismUp to lead the Rochester Neuro‑Inclusive Housing Market Analysis, one of New York’s largest studies of adult housing needs in the developmental disability space. That research helped lay the groundwork for inclusive change and I am proud to serve as the Director of Advocacy. I also serve on the board of the Coalition for Self‑Direction, helped co-found the ROC Family Governed Network, and have been invited to speak at this year’s First Place Global Leadership Symposium - my biggest stage yet!

But some of my most powerful advocacy happens on the podcast I co-host with Steve Gonyea—Finding Common Ground. We don’t just talk about tough topics—we give everyone a seat at our table. I’ve been blessed with many mentors throughout the years, and I’ve learned so much from Steve—his mindset is contagious and often confirms what I already knew deep down, but needed a push to act on. Not going the traditional route takes a kind of bravery that needs to be sparked—and we hope our platform does just that.

Through bold, unfiltered conversations, we grow unexpected alliances, uncover viable solutions, and shine a light on everyday people blazing trails in their own communities. We want to make it easier for others to spot a blueprint they might be able to use in their own backyard. Because let’s be real: preaching to the choir doesn’t move the needle. Arguing to be right only divides us. But finding common ground? That changes everything.

We're not waiting to be rescued. Families like ours have always been the ones most motivated—and most equipped—to drive lasting change.

LinkedIn AutismUp Coalition for Self‑Direction First Place AZ Symposium