Workshop Description

This 2-hour session will discuss the concept of neurodiversity and its implications for your classroom. We will review the terms commonly used with neurodiversity. In addition, we will investigate and compare the medical model of disability and the social model of disability.

Event Details 
These events are free and open to Merrimack College students, alumni, and the local education community. Certificates of participation will be emailed to you following each workshop.

Location

Zoom.

Registration

Registration is required. Register Now. Register as soon as possible to secure your seat and to receive reminder emails with campus and/or Zoom logistics. Individual workshop announcements will be sent via MINTS email prior to each session.

Certificates of Participants

Certificates of participation (2 hour) will be provided to you following the workshop

Presenters 

Helen Fitzgerald has been a speech-language pathologist for 23 years. She has worked with children of all ages across her career. She has run private social language groups as well as seen students in private practice. She currently works at Andover High School where she supports students through collaboration, consultation, co-teaching, and direct service. Additionally, she facilitates workshops on Special Education topics such as language disorder, executive function, and disability inclusion with Stephanie Hand for the Massachusetts Teacher Association and Andover Public Schools. She is passionate about bringing awareness to teachers about the impact of learning and communication disorders both in and out of the classroom. She actively mentors graduate students, has served as Clinical Fellowship Supervisor for new speech-language pathologists, and has mentored Speech Pathologists new to the district. She holds a master’s degree from Northeastern University.

Stephanie Hand has over 20 years of experience teaching inclusion classes and small, substantially separate classes in biology and physical science at Andover High School. She additionally facilitates workshops on Special Education topics, such as disability inclusion, with Helen Fitzgerald for the Massachusetts Teachers Association and Andover Public Schools. She was named Science Educator of the Year for Essex County in 2018. She actively mentors new teachers in Special Education, with a deep appreciation of the benefits of peer-to-peer collaboration within the academic community, supporting the development of communities of practice. She holds masters’ degrees from Columbia University and Fitchburg State University.