social skills info

My New Position

2008-03-14T14:22:00.000-07:00

I was recently appointed Associate Director of the Asperger's Association of New England. I feel very welcomed by the AANE “family” and would like you to get to know me a bit. I am an Antioch Autism Spectrum Disorders Program graduate from the class of 2005 and recently was a consultant for schools and families concerning children with AS and other similar disorders. My background is in education, for over 20 years I was a classroom teacher as well as an environmental educator. For almost 3 years I have run a support group for parents in the North Conway NH area close to where I live. I have been very active in my community where I have been involved with my local High School’s Equity Committee, the Northern NH Autism Task Force, Valley Outreach - which is a coalition of agencies and consultants working to improve the lives of families, and NH Connections. I have enjoyed my 28 years of living and working in the Mt. Washington Valley but it is time to move on. My husband and I have recently purchased a house in Portsmouth NH which is commuting distance for both of us.
As AssociateDirector I will focus on chapter development, conference planning, chapter support group guidance, as well as helping with the day to day operations. I recently returned to school at Antioch where I applied my graduate credits I earned from the ASD Certificate program towards a Masters in education. In my free time I enjoy baking, gardening, walking my dogs, and spending time with family. I have twin boys who are freshmen in college who are very excited and happy for me in my new role at AANE.
Please feel free to stop by to meet me or give me a call to say hello. I look forward to all I can do to help AANE grow and meet the needs of families and professionals in the New England region.

social skills info

2007-12-06T16:42:00.000-08:00

I have worked for the past twenty years in education, as a classroom teacher, an environmental educator and now as a consultant. My experience includes teaching ages from kindergarten to high school and I have special interest in inclusive education. Currently I serve on many committees in my community. At my local High School I am on the Equity Team, whose mission is to look at the issues of bullying and harassing behavior. I am a member of Valley Outreach, a coalition of agencies and professionals networking to provide supports to children and families. Starting in 2006 I became a member of the Easter Seals/NHS Autism Network for the North Country, to help coordinate services for families who have children with ASD.
In 2005 I graduated from Antioch New England University Graduate School's Autism Spectrum Disorders Certificate Program with specialized training in pragmatic group skills. Currently I am finishing my Masters in education. I have studied under nationally recognized and published authors Elsa Abele CCC, SLP, Teresa Bolick PhD, and at Michelle Garcia Winner’s Center for Social thinking.
I have developed and present a series of programs helping educators and parents understand socially challenged children. As a consultant I work with children with a range of issues including NLD, ASD, Asperger's, and ADHD. In November of this year I was presenter at the 19th Annual CHADD International Conference in Washington DC. I have a private practice for training children with pragmatic/social skill deficits that range from elementary to high school age. These groups meet once a week for an hour and we work on and practice specific skills. Finally I run a monthly support group for parents of children with NLD, ASD, Asperger's, and ADHD in northern New Hampshire.