NAPSEC Turns 40 in 2011!

Plan on joining us next year for our 40th Anniversary Celebration at South Seas Island Resort. Mark your calendars to make sure you don’t miss it - January 16 - 19, 2011! This is a big one and we couldn’t have gotten here without you. Make sure you plan to help NAPSEC celebrate in the same fashion that you have helped NAPSEC flourish over 40 years! Thank you!!!

2010 NAPSEC Leadership Conference

Conference Awards Presentation

NCASES Accreditation Presentation

Attendees With Contact Information

Keep in contact with your colleagues!

Conference Exhibitors

Conference Advertisers

Conference Awards Presentation

Direct Care Worker of the Year

Dr. Bruce Ettinger - TCI, Ralph Macajoux - awardee,

Dr. Dorothy Van Horn, NAPSEC President

Ralph Macajoux

NAPSEC 2010 Direct Care Worker of the Year

The Children’s Institute

Verona, NJ

Ralph highly values the educational process, both for himself as a Professional and for his students. He views it as “not just a job, it’s an adventure.” Not only does Ralph attend the professional trainings offered, he applies and reviews the learned techniques, strategies, and tools frequently. He takes pride in the quality of learning experiences offered at TCI, championing them with others involved in the educational field. When engaged in his classroom assignment in a secondary autistic class, Ralph sees his responsibilities as much more than just supporting the teaching of reading, math and science with his students. Always keeping a positive mindset he uses every teachable moment with students to foster proper social skills, eating habits, hygiene, and problem solving skills. With a broad view of what is involved in the educational process for special needs, Ralph also addresses the less tangible, but important skills of understanding symbolism, humor, and dealing with the basics of life when working with those students in his care. Using his own talents to tap into his students’ multiple intelligences, Ralph has also facilitated two electives for secondary students at TCI, horticulture and guitar, enriching their experiences and enjoyment in learning.

He gives unselfishly of himself; whether it’s the need to assist in another classroom, handle a distressed student or willingly stay after hours to help plan and set up lessons and programs. Described by his peers as kind, approachable and calm, Ralph often finds himself in an informal mentoring role with new students.

Ralph has been a part of almost all the volunteer activities at TCL. He can be found assisting at each fundraiser, working with TCI’s former Boy Scout Troop, current Respite Program, and After School Program. Ralph has also provided childcare for TCI students for evening parent support groups and family nights, which enable parents to then participate in these offerings. His personal philosophy is “If there’s a need and I am available, I will help”. In addition to his work at TCI, he has taken this approach and applied it very successfully in other activities for the special needs population. Ralph has been involved in academic and social skills training with clients in the community. He currently runs various bi-weekly activities groups for special needs adolescents and adults for the JCC, Metro West. On Friday evenings, Ralph orchestrates a “Guys Night Out” for the adult special needs population. A Co-ed social activity entitled “Adult Saturday Night”, is also provided for the adult special needs population. On Sundays, he initiates a co-ed Teen Recreation Group for adolescents ages 13-16 that involve them in a variety of interest appropriate social activities. As one of his colleagues has described him, Ralph is an exceptional person who “contributes to the well-being of others”, whether it’s staff, students, family or friends. 

Related Service Provider of the Year

Nicole Boivin - Spurwink Serivces, Elizabeth Davis - awardee,

Dr. Dorothy Van Horn - NAPSEC President

Elizabeth Davis 

Related Service Provider of the Year

Spurwink Services

Portland, ME

Elizabeth Davis is a highly respected and beloved Speech & Language Pathologist at our Brunswick Staff Secure (BSS) program located in Brunswick, Maine. Since assuming responsibility as the Director of Educational Services in the fall of 2007, I have come to  know Betsey and the outstanding work she does with clients at BSS and as part of her consulting work to school districts and other agencies. In addition to the important role she plays at BSS, Betsey has assumed a leadership role among our SLPs and brought to them a wealth of successful instructional strategies and resources throughout her tenure at Spurwink Services.

Betsey Davis is a skilled SIP with innate sensitivities and the ability to communicate and collaborate effectively with her educational and clinical teammates and with the BSS residential staff in order to provide our clients with consistent and effective treatment across environments. Betsey has, quite literally, helped to transform lives as evidenced by a presentation she and a young client recently gave at the Maine Autism Resource Fair entitled, Living with Autism: One Man’s Story of Driving a Hearse, Counting Telephone Poles and Groovin ‘to Elvis. The presentation speaks to the growth of this young man as he came to understand, with Betsey’s help, his physical and emotional responses and Biggers to life’s daily challenges and to develop strategies to deal with them in satisfying and acceptable ways.

One of Betsey’s greatest strengths is her ability to assist students in mastering the social skills necessary to successfully navigate the world around them. Betsey is skilled at teaching “the hidden curriculum”, the unspoken but known do’s and don’ts that most of us grew up knowing but which must be learned and mastered by clients in her care. By teaching students the nuances of language and body movements, by creating social stories that reflect their personal interests, and by focusing on “real life” knowledge and skills, Betsey is able to help her students build self confidence and the ability to find their place in the world.

Most recently, Betsey has introduced “video scripting” into her weekly “Girls Group” activities. The group is comprised of female adolescents in residential treatment who are learning important social skills in a safe, fun and supportive environment. The use of an MP3, or video player to assist students in remembering the steps of a skill (such as taking a shower – the steps of taking a shower were written down, put into “lyrics”, then music was added and “The Shower Song” was born) is making a huge difference for students who often find tasks such as personal hygiene or remembering how to behave in different social settings almost insurmountable. The video scripts allow Betsey’s students to be as independent as possible by offering a variety of supports – from cueing youth into activities within their daily schedule to prompting them about how to behave in different social settings. Betsey hopes to one day be able to offer her students a whole library of social scripts on video that they can draw from. As she explains it, “It’s important to do anything we can to make kids more comfortable. Holding a baud held video player is normalizing for kids and allows them to be more independent. Besides, it’s cool!” 

Educator of the Year

Diane Somers - Chapel Hill Academy, Kelly Bustante - Awardee,

Tom Celli - Chapel Hill Academy, Dr. Dorothy Van Horn - NAPSEC President

Kelly Bustante

Educator of the Year

Chapel Hill Academy

Lincoln Park, NJ

Kelly Bustante is the Head Teacher of Chapel Hill Academy, a position earned as a result of her exceptional teaching skills and her incomparable ability to carry responsibilities that far exceed the standard ‘call of duty’ for teachers.

In the classroom, Kelly provides each student with a learning environment that will afford them success. She maintains structure, but is flexible enough for each student to triumph; she demands that her students work to their fullest potential, while remaining warm and approachable; she encourages students’ strengths as she helps them improve in areas where support is needed most. Kelly is wildly popular not only with her own students, but also with younger students who anxiously await the day they are old enough to be in her class.

In addition to running a classroom, Kelly is the head of the Math department. Kelly developed and implemented the ‘Math Lab’, a class dedicated to augmenting math skills through the use of manipulatives, math games, critical thinking challenges, and problem solving activities. She also campaigned to lengthen math classes to one hour a day, so that students would be provided the opportunity to work in ‘Math Lab’ on a daily basis. The results of her efforts are such, that the students of Chapel Hill have shown steady improvement on the Math section of A.S.K for the last three years.

Kelly has taught Spanish classes and there isn’t a staff or student who hasn’t enjoyed her rapid-fire ‘Paco-says’ game, in which she teaches the names of body parts. Kelly is responsible for tracking, coordinating and ordering math, reading and large arts textbooks for every child in the school, which is no small feat. She along with the school psychologist, run a transition group which is in place to guide students in the establishment of an individualized, step by step plan for high school and higher education. Kelly routinely mentors new staff and is much sought after by seasoned staff in need of support.

Kelly has a great deal of responsibility in terms of students L.E.P. implementation. Upon the acceptance of a new student, Kelly reviews the T.L.P. and works with the L.D.T.C. in placing the student within academic groups that will prove most beneficial. She ensures that each student is receiving the appropriate accommodations and modification, related services, and educational support. Kelly works with the administration in coordinating annual review, re-evaluation, and transition meetings, with the teachers testing and performance statements, to facilitate a seamless operation wherein the student, parents staff and district representatives, are able to meet and review the students most current levels of performance. This incredible task is vital to decisions made about each child’s future, and Kelly is truly gifted in her ability to make it all come together with ease.

Kelly is the testing coordinator for Chapel Hill Academy. This particular duty entails researching each student’s needs in  terms of placement, accommodations and modifications. She then coordinates the testing groups, ensuring that each child’s needs are met. Kelly trains and coaches in proper proctoring and adherence to the stringent regulations that are inherent of mandated testing. From grades 3 to 12, Kelly guarantees that all test regulations are complied with. As if this weren’t enough, Kelly makes daily deliveries of gum, candy and pep talks, that quiet nerves of students and staff during what can be a stressful couple of weeks!

Kelly is also the curriculum coordinator for Chapel Hill Academy. She has put an astounding amount of time and effort into the research and development of a fluid curriculum that is comparable to that of any public school. Kelly single-handedly wrote the curriculum for most subjects spanning from pre-k through grade 12. Her dedication is such that she reviews and refines the school curriculum, on a yearly basis, taking into account suggestions from staff research into other schools, new materials, and best teaching practices.

Kelly advocates not only for her students, but for the population at large by speaking on their behalf during state testing seminars, as well as pushing for students to be tested in Chapel Hill instead of having to suffer the stress of returning to district to rest in an unfamiliar setting. She has spent many years running booths at both the N.L.E.A. and A.S.A.H. conferences, in an effort to explain what Chapel Hill does, and just how incredible the children she works with are. Kelly also spends time manning a booth at the fall festival held in Chapel Hill’s hometown in an effort to educate local residents, teachers, and parents about the special education population, the schools that service them, and the need for community unity for the betterment of education for special education students and typical students alike. Kelly Bustante is an exceptional educator whose passion for children is incomparable.   

Executive of the Year

Connie Laird - Awardee, Dr. Dorothy Van Horn - NAPSEC President

Connie Laird

Executive of the Year   

ACCEL

Phoenix, AZ

Connie Laird exemplifies the intent and purpose of NAPSEC in providing premier services and an indispensable voice for private education services in the community. She represents the ACCEL core values of excellence and dignity for students and adults with special needs across the lifespan. This is evident in the substantial expansion of the ACCEL program under her leadership.  Since Connie Laird has been Executive Director, student referrals have increased by 300%. ACCEL has grown from 90 students and $2,000,000 in total income in 1998 to over 300 students and $14,237,000 in income in 2009. Financial security has significantly improved through initiatives, such as 1) securing a successful bond issue, 2) increasing grant income by over $480,000 in three years, 3) and creating key staff positions, including the departments of Operations and Finance, Organizational Development, Human Resources and IT Directors to maximize operational productivity and develop a comprehensive fundraising plan. Connie has created a new organizational structure consisting of 5 Centers of Excellence, each headed by a Vice President, (Educational Services, Training and Program Development, Support Services and Special Projects, Organizational Development and Finance and Operations), to foster quality programming, a regional consultation model, and to secure an endowment for future programs.

In 2002 , Connie initiated a comprehensive effort to maximize program quality for students and adults with disabilities. She assembled a team of developmental and behavioral professionals to implement evidence based recommended practices in the field of special education. This has resulted in innovative programs which include 1) an ACCEL Model Classroom assessment and intervention protocol, a data based model to document effective classroom management and teaching strategies with integrated methodologies; 2) an innovative functional curriculum which includes classroom and vocational enterprises such as a recording studio and jewelry making businesses; 3) a diverse vocational transition program which provides vocational opportunities in over ten career paths (including a commercial kitchen, café, and food handlers licenses for students) with modifications to accommodate a wide range of ability levels as well as job coaching and community placements; 4) Michael’s Garden adult program and retail businesses created in response to the needs of ACCEL’s graduates and larger newly opened Autism Clinic providing ABA intervention programs in the school, home and clinic settings. ACCEL received NCASES accreditation this year.

ACCEL has been serving over 40 public school districts in the Phoenix Metropolitan area since 1980. This year ACCEL has established a consulting service model to train teachers regionally and nationally, and to provide intervention for students on their regular school campuses within the Phoenix community. The establishment of an Autism clinic has also increased services for families in Phoenix. Connie was elected to the Board of Directors for the National Association of Private Special Education Centers (NAPSEC). Connie was instrumental in the formation of AAPSEP, Arizona Association of Private Special Education Providers, the in state organization serving private schools for special needs students. ACCEL also partners with the Phoenix Autism Society in sponsoring their biannual conferences.

NCASES Accreditation Presentation

ACCEL

Connie Laird, ACCEL, Phoenix, AZ, receives

NCASES Accreditation Certificate from Joe Leshko, NCASES Chair.

  Brookfield Schools

Dr. Dorothy Van Horn accepting the NCASES Accreditation Certificate for Brookfield Schools, Cherry Hill, NJ.

Board of Child Care - Strawbridge School

Tom Curcio talks to attendees on the benefits of accreditation after receiving the

NCASES Accreditation Certificate for Board of Child Care - Strawbridge School, Baltimore, MD.

ScenicView Academy

Doug Gale thanks NCASES for the experience of accreditation and recommends it to attendees.

Mr. Gale accepted the NCASES Accreditation Certificate for ScenicView Academy in Provo, UT.

Spurwink School

Carleen Bellaire, from Spurwink School in Lincoln, RI, accepts the

NCASES Accreditation Certificate from Joe Leshko, NCASES Chair.

Programs being accredited in 2009, but not attending the conference:

     The Children's Guild, the Baltimore, Annapolis and Chillum, MD locations.

     The Watson Institute in Sewickly, PA.

Attendees With Contact Information

Keep in contact with your colleagues!

Dr. Arthur      Hill, III      Kennedy Krieger Institute                                  hill@kennedykrieger.org
Susan   Kimmerly            The New School of Montpelier                           Skimmerly@9east.net
Kikke   Levin-Gerdner    The Webb Schools                                              klevingerdner@harthosp.org 
Chico   Martin                 The New School of Montpelier                           Chico@9east.net
Marcel  Rocheleau           The New School of Montpelier                           marcel@9east.net
Kathy   Sullivan-Orton    ACCEL                                                               korton@accel.org 
Michael Schack               Joseph Academy                                                  mschack@josephacademy.org
 

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Conference Exhibitors

Rethink Autism

Rethink Autism makes effective and affordable autism treatment tools available to professionals and parents everywhere. Our web-based program provides an individualized ABA-based curriculum for the individual, hundreds of dynamic instructional videos of best practice teaching interactions, step-by-step training modules, automated progress tracking and online professional support. The recently-launched Rethink Autism Training Center provides training tools for organizational staff and our comprehensive curriculum allows the professional to prepare their own programs for individual clients. School districts, early intervention services and specialized education programs nationwide are utilizing Rethink Autism's program to serve the needs of individuals on the autism spectrum.

Representatives

Daniel Etra

Jamie Pagliaro

daniel@rethinkautism.com

Math-U-See Special Education

Math-U-See provides a firm foundation in mathematics for students struggling in math with special needs. Teachers are provided with the tools, skills and training needed to present an explicit, structured, systematic and cumulative program using multi-sensory teaching techniques.

The latest study just completed covers 1500 students who averaged 100% to 133% test score improvements in Albuquerque, NM, for the last three school years. Math-U-See has In-Service Training as well as a Teacher Certification Program. Teachers are provided with a Student Workbook and Test Book. Both teacher student use the manipulatives teaching math concepts preschool to Algebra 1 until the student can successfully teach the concepts back.

Stop by the booth for a full Workshop DVD and additional materials which includes a large Place Value Chart with which to teach.

Representative

Gary Sinclair

MUSConvCoord@aol.com

The Partlow Insurance Agency

The Partlow Insurance Agency, the endorsed Property/Casualty insurance provided for NAPSEC, provides property and casualty insurance products and consultation to NAPSEC and member programs. This comprehensive insurance package included General Liability, Professional Liability, Abuse & Molestation Liability, Directors & Officers Liability, employment Practices Liability, Employee Benefits Liability, Employers Liability (Workers' Compensation), as well as Property, Business Interruption, Auto and Crime. Participants benefit from the firm's experience, expertise and the cost effectiveness and protection of group purchase. Partlow is also endorsed by NAPSEC's state association members in Arizona, Illinois, New Jersey and Virginia.

Representatives

Dr. John Markwood, VP of Association Services

jmarkwood@partlowinsurance.com

Brian S. Parlow, VP

Jerry B. Partlow, CEO

This End Up Furniture

This End Up Furniture, long known for our durable, solid wood, crate style furniture now offers 12 NEW styles of fully upholstered soft seating. Also new, our Coastal Cottage solid wood collection will provide years of service while creating a warm, home like atmosphere. Please take a moment to visit our booth and be sure to check our new web site at www.thisendup.com. This End Up Furniture -- classic value that's versatile, durable and made in the USA!

Representative

Fabio Ruberto

fabioruberto@thisendup.com

FlagHouse

Flaghouse introduces two new catalog titles, Flying Start and Giant Leaps. Dedicated to early childhood, Flying Starts serves all children aged 0-5, offering fitness, learning, and school readiness products. Giant Leaps offers over 2,000 products for children ages 5-21 with special needs. Both catalogs feature our exciting, interactive technology products LightSpace, OptiMusic, Xaviz, GestureTek virtual reality and Snoezelen multi-sensory environments.

Representative

Marion Blum

601 Flaghouse Drive

Hasbrouck Heights, NJ 07604-3116

1-800-265-6900 Phone

1-800-265-6922 Fax

marion.blum@flaghouse.com

Carousel Industries, Inc.

Representatives

Rian Fenn

Teal Porter

659 South County Trail

Exeter, RI 02822

1-800-401-0760 Phone

tporter@carouselindustries.com

Carousel Industries is a premier technology solutions provider designing, implementing and maintaining powerful converged communication networks for small, medium and enterprise customers worldwide.

Woodward-Ross Jewelry

Representatives

Marcia Woodward

Woody Woodward

1832 Windsor Place

Louisville, KY 40204

502-608-9880 Phone

WRJewelry@aol.com

Sterling Silver (some unique shell pieces), fashion jewelry, watches, handbags, beach bags, travel totes and accessories.

Conner Strong

Representatives

Jack Tarditi

Greg Grimaldi

401 Route 73 North, PO Box 989

Marlton, NJ 08053

1-877-861-3220 Phone

benefits@connerstrong.com

Health and welfare strategic consulting, program management, underwriting, data management, and communications. 

Cathy Purple Cherry, AIA

Contact (not attending)

Catherine P. Cherry

One Melvin Avenue

Annapolis, MD 21401

410-271-1771 Phone

410-990-0222 Fax

Cathy Purple Cherry, AIA began architectural studio in 1995. Today, the 12 person design firm thrives in Annapolis, Maryland with a passionate focus on the design of facilities for individuals with special needs combined with sensitivity to sustainable design. Cathy is personally connected to the special needs community by her life experiences with her disabled brother and son and strives to connect these experiences with the incredible design skills of her firm. At the core of Purple Cherry Architects is a dedication to Purposeful Architecture - architecture that will have a life-long positive effect on individuals with varying physical and emotional disabilities - the mission and passion of Cathy Purple Cherry.

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