Barbara Palilis received her Master’s degree in Communication Disorders from the University of Southern California in 1973.  She worked as a Speech/Language Pathologist in private practice, hospitals, clinics, and school districts.  In 1999, Barbara created Circle of Friends - The Path to Inclusion (C0F), an inclusion program for teens and young adults with disabilities at Santa Monica High School, in California. 

In 2005, she founded a nonprofit organization that trains schools to open CoF chapters on their campuses. CoF also provides a "Summer" program that focuses on inclusion within the community of West Los Angeles. In 2007, Barbara brought inclusion to the college level, where CoF linked young adults with special needs to the UCLA student population, teaming with the "Pathway @ UCLA Extension" program.

In only 6 years, CoF has been established on 70 campuses throughout California, Oregon, New Mexico, and New Jersey, affecting more than 1000 students with special needs and over 15,000 of their non-disabled peers! CoF not only brings inclusion now to all school campuses and communities, but also makes a strong long-term social impact on future generations who will gain a lifelong understanding and acceptance of differences through their experiences in CoF.