Cecelia Thompson is the mother of a public school student living with autism. She is the Chairperson of Special Needs for PARENT POWER, and works as a monitor for the state Bureau of Special Education. She is past chair of the Philadelphia Right to Education Local Task Force IU 26, a parent-led group representing the interests of special needs children and families. She previously spent seven years at the Arc of Philadelphia advocating for the rights of individuals living with disabilities.