Turning Personal Challenges into Hope for Thousands
Every community is fortunate to have people who quietly dedicate themselves to making life better for others. In Clarkson Valley, one of those extraordinary neighbors is Terrie Desloge, whose compassion and volunteer leadership have earned her one of the region's highest honors.
Terrie with WOA Award Luncheon Chair Bess Wilfong
Forest Hills resident, Terrie Desloge has been named a 2026 Women of Achievement honoree, recognizing her exceptional volunteer service and advocacy for children with developmental disabilities, neurodiverse youth and families throughout the St. Louis region. The prestigious award, established in 1955, is the oldest continuing program in the area dedicated exclusively to recognizing women's volunteer leadership and lasting community impact.
For Terrie, this mission began close to home.
After her daughter, Faith, was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, autism and epilepsy, Terrie experienced firsthand the challenges many families face while searching for places where children with complex needs could simply feel safe, accepted and understood. Rather than accepting those barriers, she decided to remove them.
After her daughter, Faith, was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, autism and epilepsy, Terrie experienced firsthand the challenges many families face while searching for places where children with complex needs could simply feel safe, accepted and understood. Rather than accepting those barriers, she decided to remove them.
She founded The Synapsory, a nonprofit organization dedicated to sensory regulation, inclusion and respite support for children with developmental disabilities, neurodiverse youth and those who have experienced trauma. What started as one mother's determination to help her own child has grown into a resource that now serves thousands of families throughout Missouri and more than five additional states.
The Synapsory provides sensory kits, caregiver resources, specialized training and sensory-motor rooms that help schools, organizations and families create environments where every child has the opportunity to thrive. The Synapsory is also one of Missouri's first to provide a Snoezelen sensory and motor room, providing free respite care for parents of children with special needs—a place where children can experience calm while caregivers receive much-needed support.
Her work reaches far beyond individual families. Schools, first responders and community organizations have all benefited from her efforts to build greater understanding of neurodiversity and create more inclusive spaces for children who often experience the world differently.
Terrie is one of only 10 women selected for the 2026 Women of Achievement class following an extensive public nomination and review process. Together, this year's honorees represent volunteer leaders whose work spans health advocacy, family support, veterans' services, social justice, education and community enrichment throughout the St. Louis metropolitan area.
While awards are never the goal of volunteer service, this recognition shines a well-deserved spotlight on Terrie's unwavering commitment to helping others. Her vision has transformed one family's journey into hope and healing for thousands of others who now know they are supported, connected and never alone.
Clarkson Valley is proud to celebrate Terrie Desloge and congratulate her on this remarkable honor. Her story reminds us that when compassion is paired with action, one person truly can make an extraordinary difference.