SCHOOL OFFERINGS
I offer a variety of services for schools including, transition consulting, professional development trainings and the “Finding Your Element” course. Below you will find descriptions of each service.
Transition Consulting Services
• Consult with school teams to develop curriculum based on students interests and individual talents.
• Assist in developing partnerships in the community related to students interests to provide real world experiences for students.
Professional Development Trainings
“Discovering Your Students’ Talents” Workshop
What are your students’ talents and natural abilities? In this session you will be participating in activities to help you get in touch with those unique abilities that are within each of your students. You will develop strategies for how your students’ can use their natural talents in your class. You will also identify exciting new career possibilities for your students based on their natural talents. Students and teachers can use this information to develop meaningful IEP goals and inspiring post-secondary visions!
Student-Led IEP Meetings Training
IEP meetings are an opportunity for students to experience leading their own lives! Students who lead their own IEP meetings are empowered to take ownership and responsibility for their lives. In this session you will discover the many benefits of students leading their own IEP meetings. You will explore how students can be part of the process of developing their IEPs goals. You will also be identifying strategies to support your students in developing the skills to lead their own meetings. You will walk out of this training feeling excited and inspired by the possibility of your students’ leading their own IEP meetings!
Supported Decision-Making Training
In this session you will learn what Supported Decision-Making is and how it works. You will discover how Supported Decision-Making can empower a student to keep their rights and become a self-determined adult. You will also learn about the movement to educate youth and family members about alternatives to guardianship such as Supported Decision-Making. You will have the opportunity to ask questions and find out every you ever wanted to know about Supported Decision-Making.
"Finding Your Element” Course
The teen years are a time for youth to figure out what is next for them in life. One important component of this is for students to “find their element”. When you are in your “Element” things flow easily and come naturally to you. The term “Element” was coined by Ken Robinson, author, speaker and international advisor on education.
Every person has something they are naturally good at and enjoy doing. The “Finding Your Element” course is designed to give students an opportunity to discover what that is. Students see what makes them uniquely who they are and explore careers that match their skills. During this course students engage in exercises and activities to help them identify their talents, interests and what they care most about and who they are as a person.
This course aligns with the Massachusetts Department of Education advisory that “students have a personal awareness of their individual talents, interests, dreams and passions.”
Examples of exercises and activities used in course
- Use Multiple Intelligence theory developed by Dr. Howard Gardner in which all people have different kinds of intelligences to help students identify how they are smart. Dr. Gardner identified nine intelligences. These are Naturalist (nature smart), Musical (sound smart), Logical-mathematical (number/reasoning smart), Existential (life smart), Interpersonal (people smart), Bodily-Kinesthetic smart (body smart), Linguistic (word smart) and Intrapersonal (self-smart). These intelligences are important to identify as a young person begins their transition into adulthood. They are strong indicators of the types of careers a person will thrive in.
- Game activities to develop teamwork, decision making and self-initiation skills
- Vision collages
- Mindfulness activities to help calm and focus their minds, decrease anxiety and increase mood
- Leadership activities
Testimonials
Simply the best! Emily brings such joy and passion to the work that she does guiding others to find their joy and passion! Emily has an incredible ability to guide individuals in the process of discovering their talents and their path to a meaningful life.
Jan Hollenbeck
Coordinator of Secondary Transition and Related Services, Medford Public SchoolsEmily’s charismatic personality and her affinity for focusing on the positive swept me off my feet. I wanted in. And I wanted Joe to be able to experience the feeling of excitement and empowerment I was feeling. After all, this was about him in his transition period of his education. Emily has made all the difference in our lives, and most importantly in Joe’s.
Tonya Sullivan
parent & Medford SEPAC co-chairI can vouch for Emily’s coaching skills, 100%! Talking with Emily regularly has made me a better parent AND partner, without all the efforting and struggle that society would tell us we need to do in order to "get better". I am ongoingly grateful that Emily offers this support!
Anne Lafleur
ParentEmily’s approach to transition planning, student determination and support for each student/young adult’s personal vision for the future is rooted in a “Talent Discovery” process – an organic, illuminating, hopeful collaborative and inspiring person-centered experience that takes “invisible’ gifts, strengths, talents and assets and makes them tangibly “visible” for the student’s transition into adulthood.
Kathy Meagher
Transition Coordinator, Shore Educational CollaborativeEmily’s Person-Centered meetings provide a protected, safe space for both students and staff to reflect, dream and plan. Emily infuses a positive strength-based perspective as she guides conversations.
Charlotte Heim
Occupational TherapistThank you, Emily! Your coaching helps me cope with the worry I experience as a parent. More and more I am able to appreciate my kids as the incredible individuals they already are! You're terrific!
