Mary Lynch Barbera (CC '82) has had several careers since graduating from Central Catholic in 1982. After graduating from West Chester University in 1986, she became a Registered Nurse in Philadelphia while pursuing a Masters Degree at the University of Pennsylvania. At the age of 25, Mary became a Nurse Manager at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and published several articles and studies in peer-reviewed nursing journals. 

Together with her husband, Dr. Charles Barbera (now CEO of Reading Hospital) Mary moved back to Berks County in 1996 and soon after became a mother to Lucas and then Spencer who were born 18 months apart. 

Mary planned to return to her nursing career eventually, but after Lucas was diagnosed with moderate-to-severe autism one day before his third birthday, Mary turned her attention to autism. 

She was the Founding President of the Autism Society of Berks County in 2000 and, after helping Lucas learn many skills, became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). From 2003 until 2010 she worked as the Lead BCBA for a large grant through the PA Department of Education as she worked to provide better education and support to thousands of students throughout Berks County and PA.

In 2007 Mary's first book, The Verbal Behavior Approach: How to Teach Children with Autism and Related Disorders was published. It is now available in 17 languages, and Mary has traveled around the world speaking about her book. 

After obtaining her PhD from Alvernia and becoming their first PhD in Leadership graduate in 2011, Mary became interested in getting her methods online and started her first online course in 2015.

Her Turn Autism Around online courses, podcast, and second book by the same name followed and focus on treating the earliest signs of autism in toddlers. Mary now spends every day working as an online entrepreneur to educate parents and professionals from almost 100 countries on her 4 step Turn Autism Around® approach (to increase talking, decrease tantrums, and improve eating, sleeping, potty training and more) through free and paid training at MaryBarbera.com! 

When Mary's husband first mentioned the possibility of autism when their son Lucas was just 21 months old, she told him that he didn't have it and that she never, ever wanted to hear the word autism again. Now autism is her life's work and always will be. Mary's goal is to change the way autism is detected and treated around the world forever.

Crediting Central Catholic Education

Mary has very fond memories of her time at Central Catholic! She had great friends and was in the same class as her "Irish twin" sister, Kathy Lynch Henry, and her brother Dennis' wife, Kathy Franey Lynch! 

She was involved in the musicals, learned to play the guitar, and was a Bel Aire (small music group) which helped her learn how to perform and speak in front of crowds.

Mary also credits her English teachers at Central for teaching her how to write well (and the secretarial typing class for learning how to type well too)! She uses these skills every single day! 

Advice for Current Saints

1) We all need 8 positives to every negative so try to be around people who are inspiring and positive. Give compliments whenever you can and smile when you are in new situations!

2) Education is never a waste. If you take a class you don't like or don't do well in or you get a degree but then get a job in another field, you will learn what you love and are good at and your experiences will build on each other.

3) You can learn anything if you put your mind to it and most of it you can learn online.

4) In addition to educational classes and online courses, to truly master something, you'll need many different mentors, tutors, and coaches along the way. Even if it's expensive, you should always consider getting additional coaching to get to your goals more quickly and easily!

In Her Spare Time

While she spends most of her time on autism, Mary loves hanging out in Wyomissing and at the Jersey Shore with friends and family, including her parents Ed and Marie (Gibney) Lynch who both graduated from Reading Catholic and turn 83 this month. They now live only a few blocks away from Mary.

She is thankful for her Central Catholic education and also very happy with her decision more than 26 years ago to move back to Berks County!