The Elijah Winfrey Show

On this weekends show Eli & Toni chat with Shelli Allen.Shelli is the Author of Amazon best seller,Steps, Forming a Disability Ministry and a contributing author in the book, Stars In Her Eye; Navigating the Maze of Childhood Autism, That Autism Mom's Guide to Homeschooling. Before ever becoming the mother of two children with autism, Shelli had a special place in her heart for individuals with special needs. As a high school student, Shelli tutored children with special needs at Delaware Elementary as well as learned sign language to better communicate with those who were hearing impaired. Now being a mother to Josh and Izzy, both affected by autism, Shelli is even more so connected with the disability community. Shelli is a parent mentor with the Missouri Family to Family and sits on the Abilities First Advisory Committee as a Parent Advocate. Shelli has given presentations to churches and universities on a variety of topics related to autism and special needs.Church was a foundation in Shelli's upbringing; a heritage she wanted to pass on to her children. Like many families in the autism community church was very difficult to be a part of. Sensory overloads and lack of understanding and support drove Shelli to write Steps, Forming a Disability Ministry. Steps is a frame work for churches to began the process of meeting the spiritual needs of the individuals and families with disabilities.