Meet Olivia Fryer | Autism Society of Greater Phoenix, Executive Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Olivia Fryer and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Olivia, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
The Autism Society of Greater Phoenix’s mission is to create connections, empowering everyone in the Autism community with the resources needed to live fully. We are the oldest Autism organization in Arizona and one of the oldest affiliates of the Autism Society of America. We have proudly served the Valley of the Sun since 1973. We provide education, advocacy, support, training, social events and more for Autistic individuals and their families of all ages.

The people that we serve are the heart and soul of the organization. We have been fortunate to serve our community for 51 years. At the Autism Society of Greater Phoenix, we strive for excellence. We strive to fulfill our purpose of supporting Autistic individuals and their families across Arizona and beyond.

This isn’t just a job for us. It’s a passion that will never dim. We truly believe in supporting our community to the best of our ability. We are a small team. We are run by families for families. Many of our team members are parents to Autistic children and some are Neurodiverse themselves. Our shared vision and values have contributed to the success and growth of the organization.

This year, we were Nationally recognized as the Autism Society of America’s 2024 Affiliate of the Year. We are excited to share that in the upcoming year, we will be expanding our service area to now cover 83% of Arizona’s population. (The remainder is served by another affiliate).

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I initially went to college with the idea of being a Psychologist and having my own practice. I decided to move to Arizona two weeks after graduating from college in Ohio, mostly because I wanted a change of scenery and to get away from the snow. I began working with children in kinship foster care and immediately realized that I enjoyed working with children and families and supporting them to the best of my ability. I worked in the field for nine years and eventually unfortunately realized I was burnt out when the reasons why some of the children came into care was no longer shocking to me. Around this time, my first child was diagnosed with Autism. At the time, I didn’t know much about Autism besides the stereotypical view portrayed in the media so I immediately began to learn as much as humanly possible about Autism and how to support my son. My son really changed the trajectory of my career because I knew I wanted to make the world a better, more inclusive place and to help him and others as much as possible. I wanted to be able to offer a supportive hand to individuals and families across their journey. My own journey wasn’t easy, as I tried to navigate a career and raising a child with a disability, while learning about Autism and being a first time parent. I felt like some people didn’t believe I could be successful because I was young and because I was a parent. I had someone tell me that once. I worked for a few disability related organizations and eventually was invited to join the board of the Autism Society of Greater Phoenix. After serving for 4 years, I was approached about becoming the Executive Director and humbly accepted. This was truly a dream job for me that I had manifested into the universe many times. My advice to others is simply to never stop believing in yourself, you can accomplish anything you set your mind to. It’s easy to listen to the naysayers but we all have potential. It’s important to focus on yourself and your “why.” If you do what you love and truly have a passion for what you do, you will succeed. You may have to take a step back to move forward along the way but it will be worth it. Today, I have been in my position for just shy of 3 years and I am proud that I have led the organization to receive National recognition as the Autism Society of America’s Affiliate of the Year. The Autism Society of Greater Phoenix is here to provide support to families across Arizona. I always like to say that we are a small but mighty team. And just because our name has Autism in it, we are inclusive of all. Many of our programs and supports are applicable to other disabilities as well.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love Arizona and enjoy visiting Sedona. I often refer to it as my happy place. The views are stunning and the Red Rocks provide a feeling of calmness and healing. There are so many great places to hike and eat. Bearizona is a fun attraction to visit. Strawberry is also great ; I enjoy staying at the Strawberry Inn. Locally, I take guests to visit Spencer’s Place and the Boyer Bakery to eat and drink, each is located in Surprise. The Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park and the Phoenix Zoo are always a great time. Downtown Phoenix is a great place to catch a concert or sporting event.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to thank our small but mighty leadership team, Callie Walling, Kristen Puma and Terry Perez, our board of directors, meeting leaders, supporters, volunteers, community partners, and those who were once a part of our family, who got us to where we are today. I am proud to lead this incredible, dedicated team.

I would like to personally thank my family, especially my Autistic son, Enrique. He has been my greatest teacher in life. He taught me to be brave, to throw preconceived notions out the window and to focus on making the world a better, more inclusive place, one day at a time.

Website: https://phxautism.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autismsocietyofgrphx/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olivia-f-b62a7a13a

Twitter: https://x.com/AutismPhoenix

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/autismsocietyofgrphx/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCPaCxf3CRfdE666to0ec7A