Director's Update
What's Going On In Special Education In Bedford
April is Neurodiversity Awareness Month
Ashley Utrup, MS, MBA-HCM, CCC-SLP
Amanda Weaver, MS, CCC-SLP
Olivia Kirsch, MS, CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologists, Bedford Public Schools
What is the neurodiversity movement?
The neurodiversity movement is a perspective that recognizes neurological differences,
such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and other developmental diversities, as natural
variations of the human brain rather than disorders or deficits that need to be fixed. This
movement advocates for acceptance, understanding, and accommodation rather than
normalization. Neurodivergent individuals have unique strengths, perspectives, and
contributions and there is not one "correct" way to communicate.
How does this impact speech and language therapy?
Speech-language pathologists who adopt a neurodiversity-affirming approach recognize
and celebrate the diverse ways individuals communicate instead of viewing differences
in communication through a deficit-based lens. This perspective encourages therapists
to adjust interventions to honor the individual's communication preferences, strengths,
and challenges. This perspective is often referred to as “neurodiversity-affirming
practices”.
By embracing neurodiversity-affirming practices in speech therapy, therapists can help
students develop communication skills that are authentic to themselves, leading to
increased confidence, self-advocacy, and overall well-being. It promotes a shift away
from a one-size-fits-all approach to therapy and encourages therapists to acknowledge
and respect the diverse ways in which individuals navigate the world of language and
social interaction. This promotes inclusivity and empowerment.
What would this look like in therapy?
For example, neurodivergent individuals may experience sensory sensitivities that can
make direct eye contact uncomfortable or overwhelming. A speech-language
pathologist could address the individual’s lack of eye contact, which assumes a
“one-size-fits-all” approach to social interactions. Instead of targeting eye contact,
speech-language pathologists can consider another way for the student to
communicate that they are attending to their communication partner. Instead of
targeting direct, sustained eye contact, speech-language pathologists can teach
students to visually reference. Visually referencing involves using visual information
from the environment (gestures, facial expressions, objects, etc) to aid in
communication. This teaches the child to use visual information to support their
communication exchange without requiring them to engage in sustained eye contact.
This way, the target goal of attending to the communication partner is still addressed
without requiring the neurodivergent individual to engage in a behavior that is
uncomfortable (eye contact).
THANK YOU SEPAC!
March 15 Professional Development Day
The Special Education Staff want to thank the Special Education Parent Advisory Counsel for providing us with a wonderful breakfast and lunch on our professional development day. It was absolutely amazing. We had a lot of work to do that day and it just helped us focus on the work at hand. It felt really wonderful to feel so appreciated. We thank you very, very much!
All special educators and related service providers will meet at Bedford High School to learned about the new IEP form. We will begin using the new form starting in September of 2024. We will be sharing more information with parents as we get closer.
A group of teaching assistants participated in Safety Care De-escalation training at the Lane School.
Another group of teaching assistants and some specialist teachers participated in a professional development by Lisa Gurdin BCBA, LABA at JGMS in the auditorium. The presentation, “The Art of Supporting Our Students: Understanding Why We Do What We Do,” was an interactive training that enhanced staff's understanding of the reasons behind students' behavior and how they can help their students achieve their goals.
Bridge Program at Lane School
The student in the Bridge Program had a field trip to Good Pickin' Farm in Westford. Look at those smiles!
Special Education Parent Advisory Counsel (SEPAC)
BEDFORD SEPAC (Special Education Parent Advisory Council)
SEPAC is a group of parents & caregivers of children receiving special education support and/or children with disabilities. All parents & caregivers welcome! We meet for support, education, networking and resource sharing.
Bedford SEPAC General Meetings: Virtual
Come and discuss special education programming in Bedford and how we can best support our children.
Wed, Apr 24, 2024 at 7:30 PM with guest Marianne Vines
Thurs, May 16, 2024 at 7:30 PM
Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/4172275285?pwd=OTZaeHZOM3lSY1h4Z0J5SndVMTk0Zz09
Meeting ID: 417 227 5285
Passcode: 333333
Email: bedfordmasepac@gmail.com
Web: bedfordmasepac.org
Facebook group: https://www.facebook. com/groups/BEDFORDMASEPAC/