#MTP2016

MAKING THINGS POSSIBLE: Social Success November 5, 2016 | 8:00 am - 4:00 pm

Welcome to the fourth annual Making Things Possible Conference at Cotting School made possible by the generosity of the Burr Family. This year’s conference focuses on the many ways we, as parents and professionals working with children in settings or at home, work to practice and develop social skills to support student success and learning in a variety of settings. We have brought together expert speakers and workshop leaders to share evidence-based, practical strategies in hands-on sessions and discussions throughout the day. In addition, our vendor and resource exhibit areas will provide the opportunity for you to explore a variety of programs, products and services. Our hope for the conference is that it Cotting School becomes a forum to share ideas, inspire each other, and connect through conversation. 453 Concord Avenue Detailed workshop descriptions are included in this program. We are offering 4 Lexington, MA workshop tracks and many of the workshops are offered more than once. Please [email protected] make your selections carefully and feel free to contact us with any questions at www.cotting.org [email protected].

Conference is Free and Lunch is Included! Making Things Possible: Social Success November 5, 2016 SCHEDULE OF THE DAY Keynote Talk Hear About Our Social Success; How Cotting Made It Possible

A trio of super social Upper School students at Cotting School, will be kicking off the “Making Things Possible: Social Success” Conference for us as our keynote presentation this year! Elizabeth, Tessa, and Dan will talk about how practicing social skills with peers and professional helpers, has helped them grow socially. Join us for a glimpse at the social side of Elizabeth, Tessa, and Dan!

Schedule of the Day

7:30 am - 8:00 am Vendor Welcome & Set-Up Tweet with us! You can followus on Twitter @ 8:00 am - 9:00 am Registration/Coffee CottingSchool, we’ll Refreshments/Resource be Tweeting about the Vendor Area Visits Conference using the hashtags 9:00 am - 9:10 am Welcome Remarks #SocialSuccess #MTP2016 #CottingSchool 9:10 am - 9:30 am Keynote Presentation

9:30 am - 10:30 am Workshop Session 1 Traffic alert! If you plan to travel Route 128, tune in 10:45 am - 11:45 am Workshop Session 2 to local traffic reports on November 5 due to planned 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm Lunch/Resource & road closures. Vendor Area Visits/Tours

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm Workshop Session 3 Visit our photo station on November 5 to take a selfie or 2:15 pm - 3:15 pm Workshop Session 4 a photo with our Conference photo frame! We’ll be there to 3:30 pm - 4:00 pm Reception/Tours help!

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Workshop Session #1: 9:30 am – 10:30 am I Want to Ride Make it and Take it: Finding a Circle of From the Classroom to Mindfulness-Based Stress the Rollercoaster: Reduction for Parents Low-Tech Visual Friends the Workforce The Importance of Pam Varrin & Supports Bill Ironfield & Julie Weiss & Julienne LeBlanc Community Outings Suzanne Morse-Fortier Karen Waddill Marcie Thomas (Also offered session 3) (Also offered session 3) Activities and Travel (Also offered session 2) (Also offered session 3) Nancy Hale

SPOT: Speech and OT Starting Young and Transition is a Social Success at the Social Cognitive Theory Working Together to On the Right Foot (or Social Thing Dinner Table Melissa Mulvey & in Practice Improve Social Skills Neuro-Pathway)! Molly Marshall Susan Haley & Lucy Etre Anne Trecker & Aubrey Rubin Mike Teuber Dorothy Lucci (Also offered session 3) (Also offered session 3) (Also offered session 3) (Also offered session 3)

Workshop Session #2: 10:45 am – 11:45 pm WORKSHOP LISTING WORKSHOP Fostering Social Skills Tips For Brothers and Sisters: Using YouTube In Your Mindfulness in Across the Curriculum Navigating Through The Original Social Social Skills Lessons Education Shahn Knights & Post-High School Life Skills Group Stephanie Soule Megan Hennessey Susan Woodin Karla Estrada Pamela H. Varrin (Also offered session 4) (Also offered session 4) (Also offered session 4) (Also offered session 3) (Also offered session 4)

How Can We Encourage Creating Social Community Trip Kids to Think Critically? Make it and Take it: You’re With Us! A Sense Enrichment with Preparation: Setting Exploring Mindful Use Low-Tech Visual of Belonging for All Minecraft, Movie making, our Students up for of Language by Parents Supports Michael Plansky and Media Oh my! Success (Using the STOP and Professionals Karen Waddill (Also offered session 4) Carrie Breaux Strategy) Linda Murphy (Also offered session 1) (Also offered session 4) Jillian Gleason (Also offered session 4)

Workshop Session #3: 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Mindfulness-Based Stress Let’s Talk About It: Starting Young and From the Classroom to Social Success at the Reduction for Parents Use of Teen Discussion On the Right Foot (or the Workforce Dinner Table Pam Varrin & Group to Practice Julie Weiss & Julienne LeBlanc Neuro-Pathway)! Molly Marshall Suzanne Morse-Fortier Dorothy Lucci (Also offered session 1) Transition Social Skills (Also offered session 1) (Also offered session 1) Nancy Hale (Also offered session 1)

Transition is a SPOT: Speech and OT Tips For Finding a Circle of Student Panel: Don’t Social Thing Working Together to Navigating Through Take Our Word For It! Melissa Mulvey & Friends Bill Ironfield & Marcie Susan Haley & Lucy Etre Improve Social Skills Post-High School Life Mike Teuber Anne Trecker & Aubrey Rubin Karla Estrada Thomas (Also offered session 1) (Also offered session 1) (Also offered session 2) (Also offered session 1)

Workshop Session #4: 2:15 pm – 3:15 pm Creating Social Brothers and Sisters: The Using YouTube In Your Enrichment with Mindfulness in Visual Supports: From Original Social Skills Social Skills Lessons Minecraft, Movie making, Education Theory to Technology Group Stephanie Soule and Media Oh my! Megan Hennessey Karen Waddill Pamela H. Varrin (Also offered session 1) Carrie Breaux (Also offered session 2) (Also offered session 2) (Also offered session 1) How Can We Encourage You’re With Us! A Sense Kids to Think Critically? Fostering Social Skills Using Theme-based of Belonging for All Exploring Mindful Use Across the Curriculum Groups to Help Students Michael Plansky Shahn Knights & of Language by Parents (Also offered session 2) Susan Woodin Make Social Connections Dorothy Lucci and Professionals (Also offered session 1) Linda Murphy (Also offered session 2) 3 #MTP2016 www.cotting.org Making Things Possible: Social Success November 5, 2016 WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONS Workshop Descriptions

Brothers and Sisters: The Original Social Skills Group Social skills are being practiced every day in our homes. From learning to take turns to navigating complicated issues of fairness, our children with disabilities and their typically developing siblings are learning and practicing their social skills together throughout all stages of development. This workshop, facilitated by Pam Varrin, will provide an opportunity to learn from a Cotting family – parents and young adult siblings – reflecting on the advantages and challenges of siblings growing up in their “original social skills group.” Pamela H. Varrin, Ph.D; Cotting School

Creating Social Enrichment with Minecraft, Movie making, and Media Oh my! Fostering Social Skills Across the Curriculum For many people, navigating social nuances is more than This workshop will explore methods to incorporate social challenging. The Spotlight Program uses a unique model that skill development into existing, traditionally “academic” goes deeper than teaching discrete “social skills”. Spotlight seeks periods of the day to maximize practice time and yield higher out the most popular interest topics of an age demographic rates of success. and then creates a socially-enriched environment where skills Shahn Knights, Justice Resource Institute are learned incidentally in a safe and supported way. Spotlight Susan Woodin, Justice Resource Institute looks for activities typically done in isolation and then attempts to redesign them into a socially relevant and intrinsically motivating experience of success. From the Classroom to the Workforce Developing a successful vocational program for individuals Carrie Chapman-Breaux MA BCBA-LABA ; The Spotlight Program with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a process that begins in elementary school and continues through high Finding a Circle of Friends school. Teaching functional skills is essential for successful We’ll explore the history of Cotting School’s “Circle of career planning. In this workshop we will review current Friends” and describe the different components of the methods to determine children’s job preferences and program. We will take you through the process in which strengths, and review the importance of both work and social student groupings are made, how we choose excursions, and skills in establishing a career plan and goals. School-based how we incorporate community inclusion into our overall vocational training includes teaching appropriate work goals. This session will also highlight the differences of social habits, developing positive attitudes toward employment, time when it is structured (during the school day), compared and learning basic vocational tasks. Examples of vocational to a more flexible social experience. training include curriculum development, sampling potential work options, and long-term development of career goals. Bill Ironfield & Marcie Thomas; Cotting School Julie Weiss, MSEd, BCBA; The New England Center for Children Julienne LeBlanc, The New England Center for Children

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How Can We Encourage Kids to Think Critically? Make it and Take it: Low-Tech Visual Supports Exploring Mindful Use of Language by Parents and The term “visual supports” incorporates a wide range of tools Professionals designed to present information to students in pictures and/ Each time we speak, we have the opportunity to choose our or words. Visual supports are used to organize information and words. Speaking in a mindful way can mean that we are events, supplement verbal instruction and cue communication. purposefully choosing words that will invite and empower During this session examples of common visual supports such individuals with social communication difficulties to think as schedules, first-then board and social stories, as well as less critically. When we pause to think about what we say and common tools like contingency plans and visual scenes will be how we say it, kids in turn stop to think about what they say shared. Seeing is great, but making is better. Participants will have or do in response. In this presentation, participants will be the opportunity to choose from a pre-selected set of low-tech, shown a speaking style called “declarative language” that can visual support tools to customize and create for their own use. be naturally used within social interactions to encourage The bulk of the session will be spent adapting your choice, then connection and learning across areas of perspective-taking, printing, laminating, cutting and velcroing so that you leave with a flexible thinking, problem solving and experience sharing. ready-to-use low-tech visual support tool. Due to the “hands-on” We will also explore how our new product, Social Thinking

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONS WORKSHOP nature of this session, the number of participants will be limited. and Me, like all Social Thinking products, seeks to encourage Karen Waddill, M.A., CCC-SLP ATP; Cotting Consulting declarative language in our interactions with our students. Linda Murphy; Peer Projects Therapy From The Heart Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Parents If you are raising a child with a disability, you are likely well I Want to Ride the Rollercoaster: The Importance acquainted with the experience of stress. Recent research has of Community Outings Activities and Travel suggested that chronic stress can take a toll on both physical Presenter will share experiences from families of children/ and emotional functioning. Ongoing stress can serve as a potent young adults with significant disabilities who have actively challenge to maintaining energy and hope in the long haul of included their son/daughter in a variety of community parenting children with disabilities through the lifespan. As activities, family vacations, and just “going out and having parents of young adults with disabilities, as well as professionals fun”. Benefits, challenges, and planning tips will be included. supporting families, the presenters of this workshop have learned about the experience of stress from “both sides of the Nancy Hale, MSS, LSW; HMS School desk.” The search for new tools to address ongoing stress brought them to the Kennedy Center at Vanderbilt University to be Let’s Talk About It: Use of Teen Discussion Group trained in an innovative program that pairs professionals with to Practice Transition Social Skills parents to lead short-term groups, teaching mindfulness-based Workshop will focus on the use of “Teen Group” as a way to help stress reduction techniques to other parents raising children students with disabilities learn and process new information with disabilities. This presentation will share an overview of related to transition/adult life, practice social skills with peers this training, including research on stress and parent support, and professional helpers, ask questions, share concerns, practice/ some mindfulness-based exercises, and resources for building role play skills related to unfamiliar experiences. mindfulness into daily life. Nancy Hale, MSS, LSW; HMS School Pamela H. Varrin, Ph.D; Cotting School Suzanne Morse-Fortier, LICSW

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Mindfulness in Education Starting Young and On the Right Foot WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONS In this workshop session, participants will learn how to (or Neuro-Pathway)! incorporate mindfulness and meditation practices into the Even young children experience stress; they get disappointed, classroom curriculum. Participants will be exposed to many sad or angry. Wouldn’t it be great if we could help them cope different components of mindfulness including: specific with life’s little “curve balls?” We can “set them up with the mindfulness practices, and research findings that support neuropathways that help them make lemonade when life mindfulness practices in the classroom. We’ll discuss how to gives them lemons! In this workshop we will discuss some create a “relaxation/mindfulness place” in your classroom, school tools from a curriculum, Think Smart and Feel Good™ that or home and how parents and teachers can help students utilize helps young children be more self-aware, resilient, calmer, these mindfulness practices. Please come with an open mind and better able to handle life’s lemons. We will discuss ways to and an open heart. Be ready to find or create your “zen” space. help young children develop the “right” thinking so that they Megan Hennessey, M.Ed; Cotting School create those positive neuropathways for life. Dorothy Lucci, M.Ed., CAGS; Aspire (A program of MGH) Social Cognitive Theory in Practice The benefits of using a Social Cognitive methodology with Community Trip Preparation: Setting our Students students who have challenges with social understanding are vast up for Success (Using the STOP Strategy) and well-documented. However, as educators and parents, we The STOP strategy breaks down every situation into four are sometimes presented with difficulty putting into practice the elements- Space, Time, Objects, and People. At Cotting, many teachings and strategies of this methodology. This session our students enter new situations often, like heading out on offers a basic overview of Social Cognitive methodology, lessons, community trips or working on various job sites. Previewing ideas for collaboration, and practical ways to put teaching into these situations by brainstorming about the Space, Time, practice at the late elementary through early high school levels. Objects, and People we will encounter in the community Susan Haley, Social Thinking exercises problem-solving skills, planning and organizational Lucy Etre, Cotting School skills, situational awareness, and helps set our students up for success. We use the STOP strategy to help our students Social Success at the Dinner Table visualize and understand what to expect in a new situation. We can preview a variety of strategies and skills that cater Studies have shown that the dinner table is a great time to to the student’s greatest potential challenges on community connect with your family. This can be a challenge for any busy trips, such as travel safety, staying with the group, managing a household. Join us for discussion and sharing of ideas about how wallet, identifying and interacting with store employees, time to include every family member with planning, preparation, and management, and more. The STOP strategy helps Cotting mealtime conversations at your own dinner table. students apply the social skills, problem-solving skills, Molly Marshall, Cotting School and planning skills that they learn in school to their many Christin Rivera, MS, CCC-SLP; Cotting School experiences outside of school. Jillian Gleason; Cotting School SPOT: Speech and OT Working Together to (STOP Strategy by Sarah Ward, MS, CCC-SLP, of Cognitive Improve Social Skills Connections) This workshop will emphasize the role of collaboration of speech and occupational therapy when addressing functional social participation for students with disabilities. The presentation will include examples of Speech/OT Social Skills groups with activity ideas, as well as theoretical background on these two disciplines working together in order to facilitate social success. Anne Trecker, Public Schools Aubrey Rubin, Boston Public Schools 6 #MTP2016 www.cotting.org Fourth Annual Burr Family Conference November 5, 2016

Student Panel: Don’t Take Our Word For It! Using Theme-based Groups to Help Students Make At Cotting School, many of our students have worked Social Connections exceptionally hard at increasing their understanding of the Many students with learning differences are enrolled in social world. As much as the Cotting staff loves to boast social groups. Why not capitalize on their interest in Legos®, about our students’ progress, we’d rather have them share it Animee® or MineCraft®? Oftentimes in individuals with with you themselves! “Don’t Take Our Word For It” offers learning differences, these interests are amplified and all- attendees a chance to hear from a panel of both past and consuming, so we shy away from encouraging them. With present Cotting students as they share their experiences with deliberate planning we can harness the power of an interest/ social learning. passion to our advantage. In this workshop we will explore Susan Haley, Social Thinking ways of creating theme-based or interest-based social groups Lucy Etre, Cotting School to improve social competence and relationships. Dorothy Lucci, M.Ed., CAGS; Aspire (A program of MGH) Tips For Navigating Through Post-High School Life Students and parents find that their children’s high school Using YouTube In Your Social Skills Lessons WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONS WORKSHOP experiences were crucial and beneficial to their academic A scene from Frozen, a Taylor Swift video, a State Farm and social emotional growth. The school community created insurance commercial…all part of a social skills lesson. a network of support for both students and families. This Movie clips, music videos, and homemade videos can community also provided young people with experiences be a fun way to encourage socially-appropriate behavior, beyond the school walls. How about life post-high school? conversational turn-taking, perspective taking and problem Students with disabilities and their parents report that quality solving. See some examples of how to use video in your social of life after high school can sometimes become stagnant skill lessons at school or home. because the opportunities become limited, which negatively Stephanie Soule, M.S., CCC-SLP, ATP; Cotting School impacts the quality of life for young people with disabilities. This session will provide students and families with tips for navigating through post-high school life in order to ensure Visual Supports: From Theory to Technology that our young people with disabilities continue to achieve at The use of visual supports is considered to be an evidence- their highest potential and level of independence. based instructional method (National Standards Project (2014) and use of technology-based supports is well supported in Karla Estrada, Boston Public Schools special education literature (Odem, et.al. 2014, Shane, et.al. 2011). This session will provide a brief overview of theories Transition is a Social Thing of these evidence based treatments, as well as technology Transition Planning has many components, including that is well-matched to supporting the strategies. Technology researching postsecondary education, exploring employment highlighted will include tools for iOS devices (iPhones and possibilities, determining level of support needed to live iPads) and Google (web or Chromebook) based solutions. independently, and putting together a transportation plan. Karen Waddill, M.A., CCC-SLP ATP This presentation focuses on the development of social opportunities as a key part of transition planning and how it is integrated into all of these components. Feel welcome You’re With Us! A Sense of Belonging for All to share successes, dreams, questions and challenges for the A meaningful life includes a home, a job, family, friends and young adults in your family or school. social opportunities with peers — able and otherwise! In this workshop we will share and learn about creating inclusion Michael Teuber, M.Ed., CAGS; Cotting School opportunities for young adults with disabilities with typical Melissa Mulvey, M.S., CCC-SLP, ATP; Cotting Consulting peer college groups. Michael Plansky; You’re With Us!

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Workshop Presenters WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONS Carrie Chapman-Breaux, MA BCBA-LABA Jillian Gleason The Spotlight Program Cotting School Carrie received her MA from San Francisco State University Jillian is a Speech and Language Pathologist at Cotting where she majored in Special Education with a certification in School. Jillian enjoys working with students to strengthen autism studies. Having participated in theater and acting all their social skills and use assistive technology for her life, the opportunity to blend her two passions is a dream communication. Jillian was a student intern at Cotting during come true. Carrie dedicates her career to creating socially- her graduate studies and is thrilled to return to the school in relevant and individually-meaningful programs that focus on the Communication Therapy department. current trends. Carrie developed an entire curriculum that uses the online game Minecraft as a means to foster social Nancy Hale, MSS, LSW competencies. In addition to the creation of the documentary HMS School for Children with Cerebral Palsy Autism Through my Lens (with ), The Spotlight Program uses film making as a creative means to Nancy is a social worker who has spent the last 30 years teach executive functioning skills in the form of movie shorts learning from and advocating for children with disabilities completed at the end of a 6-week summer camp. Carrie and and their families. Currently, she works at HMS School in the Spotlight Program have partnered with the Cotting School Philadelphia, supporting students with significant physical for the past 4 years where they offer an after school drama disabilities and health challenges. Prior to HMS School, program for the incredible actors of Cotting School. While not Nancy worked with families in a variety of Rehab programs creating epic Minecraft structures, Carrie enjoys being a mom, at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia/Children’s Seashore singing, and trying to convince her boys to eat their vegetables. House. At HMS, Nancy is energized by the collaboration among team members, including parents and students, working towards the mutual goal of helping young people Karla Estrada reach their highest level of independence and engagement in Boston Public Schools their school program, family and community. Dr. Karla Estrada is the Deputy Superintendent of the Office of Academic and Student Support for Equity Team (ASSET) in Susan Haley, MA, CCC-SLP, ATP Boston Public Schools. She has spent 20 years in education as an Social Thinking educator and administrator committed to creating educational opportunities for all students. As an educational leader, Dr. Estrada Susan graduated with a Master’s Degree in Speech-Language is committed to ensuring the educational success of all students. Pathology from in 2007. She is a She believes that being an education partner with students, licensed, ASHA certified, Speech-Language Pathologist and families, communities, and fellow educators is essential to creating RESNA certified Assistive Technologist. Susan formerly the opportunities needed to achieve this success for all. worked as a Communication Therapist at Cotting School before her transition to work at Social Thinking Boston. Lucy Etre Susan has continued to work closely with her former colleagues and has periodically provided staff-training in Cotting School order to facilitate student’s social development. Lucy is a middle school teacher at Cotting, where she has worked for the past 3 years. She received her undergraduate degree at Northeastern University and a Master’s Degree in Special Education at Simmons College. Lucy is passionate about helping her students expand their social skills and offering them opportunities to practice these skills in school and community settings.

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Megan Hennessey Julie LeBlanc Cotting School The New England Center for Children Megan Hennessey has been teaching at Cotting School for three Julie joined The New England Center for Children® in August years. Her background is in Elementary Education and Severe of 2011 after graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree from the Special Education. Her teaching passions include integrating University of Florida. She is currently holds the position of mindfulness strategies and meditation tools into the classroom Vocational Specialist. Julie recently graduated from Western so that students learn how to quiet their mind, be more self- New England University with a Master’s Degree in Applied aware, and present in the classroom so they can best learn. Behavior Analysis and she has been a Board Certified Behavior Analyst since May 2016. Julie is a member of the Association of Behavior Analysis International (ABAI) and Bill Ironfield the Berkshire Association of Behavior Analysis and Therapy Cotting School (BABAT). Bill Ironfield arrived at Cotting School in September of 2015. Initially, Bill was a Program Assistant in Cotting’s Middle

WORKSHOP PRESENTERS WORKSHOP School, but soon progressed to work more closely with all Dorothy Lucci, M.Ed., CAGS of the classes at Cotting as the Art Teacher during Cotting’s Aspire (A program of MGH) Extended Year Program. Bill is currently teaching Performing Dot is a national consultant, speaker and school psychologist Arts at Cotting and has worked with students in Cotting’s who has decades of experience in the fields of education and Circle of Friends program. “Circle,” for short, is an after psychology. Currently Dot is the Program Director and Program school program promoting independence, socialization, and Manager of Consultation and Professional Development at inclusion in a safe, fun atmosphere. Aspire, a program of MGH. Her clinical interests include the use of technology and biofeedback devices in the instruction of social and emotional learning, positive psychology, and Shahn Knights, MSW, LICSW mind-body practices. Her specialization lies in program design The Victor School and inclusion of individuals on the Autism Spectrum. Dot has Shahn is the Clinical Director at The Victor School in Acton. numerous publications in the field and served on the Board Shahn had a private psychotherapy price in Acton for 12 years of Directors of the Asperger’s Association of New England and served as a clinician in residential settings for 6 years. (AANE) for 16 years. She is an adjunct faculty member in the She developed and ran a theater workshop for middle school Graduate Schools at Lesley University. In 2010 Dot was a Senior students diagnosed with Asperger’s for 3 years. Through this Investigator at the Mind and Life Summer Research Institute: experience she learned how to incorporate social skills basics Education, Developmental Neuroscience and Contemplative through scene study, incorporating body awareness, with vocal Practices: Questions, Challenges, and Opportunities. Dot serves and language skills development. Shahn brings these skills as a clinical scientific consultant to Symtrend, Inc. and is the and ideas to the clinical Team at TVS. Shahn received her co-author of Think Smart Feel Good a PK-Grade 2 curriculum. undergraduate degree from Emerson College and her Master’s Ms. Lucci is certified as a Level 1 certified Social Thinking™ degree from . Trainer. Dot earned her undergraduate degree from and her M.Ed. and C.A.G.S. in school psychology from the Univ. of MA. Dot is certified as a school psychologist and has an extensive background in neuropsychology while at Medical School.

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Linda Murphy WORKSHOP PRESENTERS Peer Projects Therapy From The Heart Linda is a speech language pathologist and RDI® Consultant, who received her Master’s Degree from Emerson College. She loves going to work each day at her private practice, Peer Projects Therapy From the Heart, in Beverly, MA. Linda also loves to write when she has time, and co-authored the recently published Social Thinking and Me with Michelle Garcia Winner. Linda is the happy mom to two, young, “wow Molly Marshall, B.A. they’ve got a lot of energy!” boys. Cotting School & HOPEhouse Molly is the Vocational Support Coordinator as well as a Job Michael Plansky Coach in the Project Bridges program at Cotting School. You’re With Us! Additionally, she works at HOPEhouse where she helps Michael is the Founder and President of You’re With Us!, a students with independent living skills. Before her role in non-profit organization that seeks to create better communities the Pre-Vocational and Transition Services Department, by harnessing the benefits of inclusion for people with Molly was a Program Assistant at Cotting School. Molly disabilities. You’re With Us! does this by identifying and works to help students be successful in their work experience training college clubs, groups, and teams to be welcoming placements in the community. and supportive peers to people with disabilities. You’re With Us! was created due to the positive experience Michael’s son Suzanne Morse-Fortier, LICSW Maxwell has had with the Northeastern Men’s Basketball Team. Max is 17 years old and has cerebral palsy. Suzanne is a clinical social worker in private practice and a member of the Faculty at the Institute for Professionalism and Ethical Practice at Boston Children’s Hospital. Christine Rivera, MS, CCC-SLP Cotting School Melissa Mulvey, M.S., CCC-SLP, ATP Christine has been working as a Communication Therapist Cotting School at Cotting School for 5 years. Her interests center around augmentative and alternative communication for individuals Melissa works for Cotting Consulting, an outreach program with complex communication needs. Additionally, Christine’s of Cotting School, providing services to students and teams in current daily focus includes supporting students in local school districts. She is also an adjunct faculty member community inclusion. at Fitchburg State University in the Graduate and Continuing Education Department and has been teaching there part- time for many years in both traditional face-to-face classes Aubrey Rubin and classes with online components. Melissa’s background Boston Public Schools as a speech-language pathologist brings a strong language Aubrey is a speech and language pathologist for the Boston foundation to her intervention with students and teams. Public Schools. She has worked for Boston Public since Melissa developed and directs Talk2U AAC Camp, a summer graduating from the MGH Institute of Health Professions in camp program at Cotting School for ‘tweens and teens who 2005. Aubrey has worked in a variety of schools within the use AAC. Melissa is a certified member of the American system but has always specialized in working with students on Speech-Language-Hearing Association, holds licenses with the autism spectrum. She has worked with student ages 3 to the Department of Elementary and Secondary 22 in both substantially separate as well as inclusion settings. Education and Division of Professional Licensure, and is Currently Aubrey is working at the Mattahunt School and is a certified as an Assistive Technology Professional through the pragmatic language specialist and augmentative and alternative Rehabilitation Engineering Society of North America. communication consultant within the district. 10 #MTP2016 www.cotting.org Fourth Annual Burr Family Conference November 5, 2016

Stephanie Soule, M.S., CCC-SLP, ATP Anne Trecker Cotting School Boston Public Schools Stephanie is a speech-language pathologist and the team Anne is an occupational therapist and sensory integration leader of the Cotting Communication Therapy Department. specialist with the Boston Public Schools. Anne provides She provides therapy in the areas of social skills, speech and consultation to occupational therapists and teachers related language skills and augmentative communication. to children with significant sensory integration issues. In addition to consulting, she provides OT services to children at the Mission Hill K – 8 School. Before working for the Michael Teuber, M.Ed., CAGS Boston Public Schools, she was the Clinical Director of Cotting School Occupational Therapy Associates-Watertown. In that position Mike has been a member of the Cotting Community since she worked with children with a wide range of disabilities, 1996. He is currently the Director of Transition Services with special emphasis on children with autism. She has at Cotting School. Mike has taught in both the Lower and lectured on sensory integration theory and intervention Upper School programs at Cotting School over the years. throughout the U.S., and presents frequently for parent WORKSHOP PRESENTERS WORKSHOP Mike is skilled at incorporating community partnerships and teacher groups in the Boston area. In addition, she was and guest speakers into Cotting programs to enrich the the founding Executive Director of The Spiral Foundation experiences of students and staff. Mike recently earned his at OTA-Watertown, a non-profit organization founded CAGS degree from UMass Boston. to support research and education in the area of sensory integration. Marcie Thomas Cotting School Pamela Varrin, Ph.D. Marcie has worked at Cotting School since September 2000. Cotting School Marcie has been a program assistant working with Lower, Pam is the Coordinator of Family Support Services at Cotting and Middle School. Marcie also serves at a Team Leader and School. In addition to her work at Cotting, she is a member is the Co-Founder of Cotting’s after school program “Circle of the Faculty at the Institute for Professionalism and Ethical of Friends”, which began in 2004. Marcie enjoys helping Practice at Boston Childrens Hospital. Her dual experience students build their independence while socializing with as a clinical psychologist and parent of a young adult with friends out in the community. disabilities informs every aspect of her work.

Karen Waddill, M.A., CCC-SLP ATP Cotting Consulting Karen is the Director of Cotting Consulting. Karen has held different roles at Cotting since 2002. In her current role she oversees a team of consultants and also works as one. Karen travels to work with school districts and families about strategies to support their children, in and out of school, and with colleagues and professionals to modify and adapt the general educational curriculum to meet each student’s unique needs.

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Julie Weiss, MSEd, BCBA Susan Woodin WORKSHOP PRESENTERS The New England Center for Children Justice Resource Institute Julie joined The New England Center for Children® in June Susan has been the Education Director at JRI’s The 1990. She currently serves as a Director of Vocational Services. Victor School in Acton for five years. In addition to her She received her undergraduate degree at Boston University administrative experience in Special Education, she has in Rehabilitation Counseling and Master’s Degree in Intensive worn virtually every hat at the Team meeting, having been a Special Needs from Simmons College. Julie has been a Board parent of both special needs and typical children (promoted Certified Behavior Analyst since 2001. Julie is currently an to grandparent a few years ago), advocate, classroom adjunct at Endicott College in the ABA/Special Education teacher, special education teacher, and reading specialist at program. Research interests include task analysis, teaching various times in her life. She also taught three semesters of procedures and vocational preferences. Her research has been introductory-level English for Park University at Hanscom published in the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis and Air Force Base. Susan holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees Behavior Analysis in Practice. Julie has presented at regional in English, an Ed.M. from the Harvard Graduate School of and national conferences including ABAI (Association of Education, and two CAGs in administration and leadership. Behavior Analysis International), Berkshire Association of Behavior Analysis and Therapy (BABAT) and Association for Professional Behavior Analysts (APBA).

Our Vendor & Resource Areas Will Feature Tables By:

3L Place MassMATCH AbilAtec Monroe Wheelchair Advocates, Inc. MyTeam Triumph Baystate Financial New England Home Medical Equipment Brain Injury Association of MA Perkins Braille & Talking Book Library The Center for Health & Athletic Performance REHAdapt Crick Software, Inc. Specialized Housing Easter Seals, MA Waypoint Adventure Fletcher Tilton PC …and more! Federation for Children with Special Needs

Special thanks to Joe Ferris of OMNI Marketing Group.

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