Lise Menard Smith is an American sales and design consultant, podcast host, and autism advocate. She gained fame after appearing with her son, Connor Tomlinson, on the Emmy-winning docuseries Love on the Spectrum.
Key Takeaways
- Lise Menard Smith is best known as Connor Tomlinson's mother and a supporting cast member of Love on the Spectrum.
- She shares a blended family of six children with her husband, Tony Smith.
- Before television, she worked in business development, sales, and design consulting.
- In 2025, she co-launched the Talk To Me Sis podcast with Nicci Smith, focusing on their experiences as parents of autistic children featured on the show.
Profile Summary
- Full name: Lise Menard Smith
- Gender: Female
- Date of birth: January 1972
- Age: 54 years as of April 2026
- Zodiac sign: Capricorn
- Place of birth: Longmeadow, Massachusetts, United States
- Residence: Atlanta, Georgia, United States
- Religion: Catholic
- Ethnicity: White
- Nationality: American
- Sexuality: Straight
- Hair colour: Brown
- Eye colour: Brown
- Mother: Phyllis Anderton Menard
- Father: Ronald M. Menard
- Siblings: 2
- Marital status: Married
- Spouse: Tony Smith
- Children: 6
- Profession: Podcast host, autism advocate, sales and design consultant
- Higher education: Western New England College
- Social media: Instagram, Threads
Meet Lise Menard Smith
Lise Menard Smith was born in January 1972 in Longmeadow, Massachusetts. She is 54 years old as of April 2026, and her zodiac sign is Capricorn. She has two siblings: an older brother who is differently abled and a younger sister, Jacqueline Menard Dally. Growing up, her family lived in various areas around Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut in Southern New England.
Between 1991 and 1995, Lise attended Western New England University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology. Today, she is married to Tony Smith, whom she wed on 5 April 2014. Their blended family includes Tony's children, Summer and Hunter Smith, and Lise's children from her previous marriage to Sam Tomlinson: Anna, Ben, Jack, and Connor Tomlinson.
Lise Menard Smith's Career and Rise to Fame
Lise became a celebrity in her own right as a reality TV star after her Love on the Spectrum debut in season 2, helping her son Connor navigate the show and find love. Her professional journey began as a teacher at the New England Centre for Children (NECC) in 1996, where she taught children with autism in intervention preschool classrooms for newly diagnosed non-verbal children.
After a year, she moved to Miami, Florida, with her then-husband. In an interview with NECC, she acknowledged the impact of her experience: "I worked at NECC in 1996, just for a year. It was such a formative time for me, working in the preschool area, teaching children with autism... From my time at NECC to raising Connor, it’s like I was meant to be here." She added, "The skills I gained at NECC, working with parents, families, and kids, have helped me succeed. Understanding human communication is key."
Since June 2020, Lise has worked for Surface Providers in Alpharetta, Georgia, as a sales and design consultant. She also served as an account manager for Cosentino. Between 2013 and 2014, she worked as a business development manager for Georgia Expo Manufacturing Corp. Earlier roles include positions at Heartland Payment Systems, Essential Communication, Inc, and Dang Chicks.
Autism Advocacy
Since appearing on Love on the Spectrum, Lise and her husband have been constant supporters of Connor as he pushes for legislative change. In March 2026, Georgia passed Rio's Law, advocated by Connor. The law creates a specialty license plate to alert officers that a vehicle occupant may have autism or a developmental disability, and it mandates additional training for law enforcement on interacting with people on the autism spectrum.
Co-hosting the Talk to Me Sis Podcast
Launched on 13 March 2025, the Talk To Me Sis podcast is co-hosted by Lise Smith and Nicci Smith. Inspired by their experiences as mothers of Connor Tomlinson and Tanner Smith, both cast members of Love on the Spectrum, the podcast features diagnosis stories, childhood backgrounds, and life updates of cast members such as Dani Bowman, James B. Jones, and Madison Marrilla.
FAQs
- Who is Connor's mom from Love on the Spectrum? Lise Menard Smith.
- How old is Connor's mom? Born in January 1972, she is 54 years old as of April 2026.
- Where is Lise from? She was born and raised in Southern New England, USA.
- What does Lise Menard Smith do? She is a design consultant, podcast host, and autism advocate.
- Are Lise Smith and Nicci Smith related? No, they are not related despite sharing last names.
- Is Lise Menard Smith still married? Yes, she is married to Tony Smith.
- Who is Lise Menard Smith's ex-husband? Sam Tomlinson, father of her children.
- How many children does Lise have? Four biological children, including Connor, and a total of six in her blended family with Tony Smith.
Lise Menard Smith has transformed from a supportive mother on Love on the Spectrum into a powerful voice for autism advocacy. She co-hosts the Talk to Me Sis podcast and helped her son advocate for Rio's Law in Georgia. Her career spans autism education, sales, design consulting, and public advocacy.
