Education Committee
The Education Committee of CHADD is established to address and enhance educational opportunities and support systems for individuals with ADHD. The committee's scope encompasses a broad spectrum of activities aimed at advocating for and advancing educational policies, practices, and resources that benefit individuals with ADHD in various educational settings.
Kristin Austin, EdD, Co-Chair
Kristin Austin, EdD, is a lover of learning and unlearning. Her goal is to catalyze individuals and structures to question, "Who is at the table? Who is missing from the table? For whom was the table built? And who is unaware the table exists?" Dr. Austin has pursued answers to these questions via twenty-plus years of administrative and faculty higher education roles domestically and internationally, as well as by leading organizations and teams through equity, inclusion, and belonging-oriented education. Currently, she serves as vice president of IDEAs (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access) at Rewriting the Code, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to disrupting and dismantling racial and gender inequality in the technology sector by equipping and empowering college women in tech. Along with her professional work, Dr. Austin engages in speaking, teaching, and pushing visibility for many inclusion topics, especially those related to neurodiversity. Holding identities of ADHD and learning disabled, she loves to create and hold space for “neurospicy” brains—like hers, and maybe yours. She holds a doctorate in higher education leadership and administration; a professional certificate in diversity, equity, and inclusion; a master’s degree in counseling; and a bachelor's degree (her favorite degree) in social work. She is also blessed to learn from three small and forgiving professors, ages fourteen, twelve, and eight, and is married to a fellow education professional. For these reasons, her favorite getaway is to Target… alone.
Chris Foster, EdD, Co-Chair
Chris Foster, EdD, has been a public school teacher for over twenty-five years. Certified in multiple subject areas, she is currently teaching culinary arts in high school (mainly baking and pastry, because who doesn't like to bake?). Writing her dissertation on teacher turnover, with an emphasis on neurodivergent teachers, led Foster to build on this research with further studies on neurodiverse educators and neurodiversity in education and the workplace. She is an adjunct professor at Wichita State University and teaches concurrent credit through WSUTech. Her son and stepson both graduated from college in May 2022; she also has a “bonus daughter” (stepdaughter) with ADHD in high school and two four-legged children. Foster has an insatiable appetite for travel, photography, and learning. She enjoys the outdoors and spending time working with others. Her personal ADHD journey began at age forty-six. Learning more about her "superpower" has made her even more passionate about helping students, teachers, families, and communities to understand the neurodiverse and learning differences.
