About Us

Spectrum Awareness Group

About Us

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Meet our officers, and the reasons we are here.

Our Officers

Spectrum was born on February 15, 2006 in our boys' classroom after school. Spectrum's officers know first hand what this struggle is about.

Leslie Pierce

Leslie is our President and founder of Spectrum. She has two children, Cadence and DJ. Cadence has Propionic Acidemia and disabilities related to her disease. DJ has autism.

She is also a Registered Nurse, a competitive powerlifter, an avid reader of horror novels, and has been married to Jay for 13 years.

Cathey Klug

Cathey is our Vice President and mom to Dalton, who has autism and is non-verbal, and to Trace, 9. She has been married to Robert for 14 years and enjoys making crafts.

Jenny Arrick

Jenny is our Treasurer/Secretary and is mom to Ben, who has autism, and Josh, age 5. She has been married to Matt for 8 years. Jenny enjoys making homemeade candles and crafts. They also live with their 2 year old boxer, Duke.

Our kids..

Cadence was born with a rare metabolic disorder, called Propionic Acidemia. She has incurred brain damage from her episodes of very low pH and very high ammonia. She is g-tube fed four times a day and is on a strict diet and medication regimen. She is also in the 3rd grade and is the most talkative child ever to have grown lips.

DJ is Cady's little brother, and was born with autism. He is verbal (oh, boy) but did not speak until after 3 years old. I taught him sign language first, which he used until he learned to speak. Now he rarely uses signs. DJ is not gluten/casein allergic. He is in kindergarten and is like twins, seemingly in two places at once.

This is Dalton Klug, autism, age 12.

This is Ben Arrick, autism, age 7.

We meet on Wednesdays at the WCCCF on Rt 7 in New Martinsville.

The Wetzel County Center for Children and Families is located just outside New Martinsville proper. Take Rt 2 North or South to Rt 7. Once on Rt. 7, travel approximately 3 miles, the WCCCF is on the left.