About me
Audrey Vernick is the Director of Patient and Family Advocacy for the Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery Alliance. Her journey into advocacy began with her son, Bennett, who suffered an in utero stroke leading to unrelenting infantile spasms. After failing multiple anti-seizure medications, Bennett underwent a right hemispherectomy at age two; despite later requiring a shunt for hydrocephalus, he remains seizure-free today.
Her firsthand experience navigating the complexities of post-surgical care drives Audrey’s commitment to supporting families through the medical, educational, and psychosocial realities of epilepsy surgery across the entire lifespan. Audrey is a recognized leader in the Transition to Adulthood, providing comprehensive guidance across domains such as healthcare, financial planning, independent living, and social integration. Audrey developed the transition-specific content for the Alliance and has spoken nationally on these topics for the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA), the National Association of School Nurses (NASN), and the Child Neurology Foundation.
As a former educator turned advocate, Audrey’s work focuses on translating the implications of brain surgery into effective classroom and real-world strategies. She guides families and school teams in understanding the nuances of disability and impairment to develop robust goals, accommodations, and supports. Central to her approach is a commitment to trauma-informed care and "caring for the caregiver," recognizing that a successful transition requires supporting the family unit as they navigate the psychosocial and systemic challenges of lifelong disability.
Audrey is a trained special education advocate through COPAA’s Special Education Advocate Training (SEAT) and holds an Advanced Advocate Training Certificate. She is a certified "Future Planner" through The Arc and a trained Memory Coach for the HOBSCOTCH epilepsy self-management program. Audrey collaborates widely with clinicians and hospital teams to improve support and outcomes for families navigating drug-resistant epilepsy, serving on the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) Social Work Section, the HOBSCOTCH Youth Advisory Committee, the Infantile Spasms Awareness Network (ISAN), the Rare Epilepsy Network Adulthood Transition Working Group, and the Child Neurology Foundation Lifespan Care Coalition.
Her advocacy has been recognized by the California State Assembly for her "unwavering commitment" to underserved communities, and she was the 2010 Support for Families Honoree for her work founding Camp Bennett, a constraint-induced movement therapy program. Prior to her career in advocacy, Audrey spent 15years as an accomplished photojournalist, author, and educator. Her documentary photography has been featured in The New York Times, Time, and Newsweek, and she is the author of two books, Picture the Girl and Unveiled. Audrey holds a B.A. in journalism from San Francisco State University.
