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School of Education

School of Education

Special Services Professional Development Academy 2020-2021

Mission Statement

The purpose of the Special Services Academy is to create an opportunity for dialogue and an exchange of ideas and experiences for Directors of Special Services, Learning Disabilities Teacher Consultants, School Psychologists, School Social Workers, and Speech Language Specialists. Through collaboration with university administrators and faculty, the academy will provide professional learning communities that offer growth opportunities for members through sessions which focus on promoting reflective practice and positively impacting student and teacher learning. A network of support and resources for members will be established for developing new experiences.

Workshop Information

The Academy will hold 4 virtual workshops this year with topics on timely issues directly related to matters of interest to attendees.   Special Services session times are from 1 PM – 2:30 PM.

Special Services Professional Development Academy Membership This membership includes attendance (up to 5 people) at each of the four sessions.  Attendees can be changed as needed.  Sessions run from 1 PM – 2:30 PM.  The yearly fee for membership in the academy is $200.

Online Workshop Registration Forms:

Register Now for 2020-2021 Membership

Workshops Dates

All sessions to be held virtually using Zoom. Dates are subject to change.

Session 1:  Tele-therapy – Thursday, October 22, 2020

Session 2: Supporting students through racial injustice and creating inclusive communities – Thursday, December 10, 2020

Session 3:  Dyslexia, Literacy, and Distance Learning – Thursday, February 18, 2021

Session 4:  Autism Programming – Thursday, April 22, 2021

Additional invitation to attend the Leadership Conference on Wednesday, May 19, 2021 (5:00 – 8:00 pm)


Special Services Academy Steering Committee

  • Ms. Natalie Gricko, Supervisor Child Study Team, Woodbridge Township Schools District
  • Dr. Mary Haspel, Assistant Professor, Special Education, Monmouth University
  • Ms. Helen Ihde, Special Education Academic Supervisor, Freehold Regional High School District
  • Ms. Jo-Ann Johnson, Learning Disabilities Teacher Consultant, Point Pleasant Borough Schools
  • Dr. Ai Kamei, Assistant Professor, Special Education, Monmouth University
  • Dr. Stacy Lauderdale-Littin, Assistant Professor, Special Education, Monmouth University
  • Dr. Kathryn Lubniewski, Assistant Professor, Special Education, Monmouth University
  • Dr. Carol McArthur-Amedeo, Lecturer, Special Education, Monmouth University
  • Ms. Diane Schrieks, Special Education

Previous Workshops

  • Suicide Prevention
  • ADHD and Executive Functioning
  • Maximizing behavior analytic services in schools
  • Considerations & Strategies for Teaching Social Skills
  • Criminal Justice Advocacy
  • Defensible IEP’s
  • Transition
  • Mental Health Issues, Concerns, & Dialogue
  • Tiered Systems of Support
  • Evidence-based Practices for Students with Autism
  • Legal Issues
  • LRE Implementation
  • Assessment
  • Reading Approaches and Individualized Reading Programs
  • Role of the Social Worker on the Child Study Team
  • Dyslexia
  • Special Education and Its Relation to PARCC

Additional Information

For more information regarding the Special Services Academy and the workshop series, please send e-mail to soessa@monmouth.edu.