Meet Our Special Education Consultants
Our Special Education Consultants partner with local educators, families, and learners to provide customized support. This ranges from individualized strategies for learners and their teams to broader, foundational guidance for universal support systems.
Eaton RESA's Special Education Consultants provide local educators, learners, and families support in the following areas: Assistive Technology (AT), Augmentative/Alternative Communication (AAC), Autism, Deaf/Hard of Hearing (D/HH), Visual Impairment (VI), and Orientation & Mobility (O&M).
Meet Our Consultants
Staci Anderson: Specialist/Consultant - Transition
Staci Anderson joined the Eaton RESA team in 2013. Staci has over 18 years of experience in transition and special education. Staci earned a Bachelor's degree in Psychology and a Masters degree in Counseling both from Michigan State University. As a Transition Consultant, Staci is dedicated to improving postsecondary outcomes for students with disabilities. Her work focuses on supporting educators, administrators, students, and families through effective transition planning, compliance with state and federal requirements, and the development of meaningful educational and employment opportunities for students. Visit the Transition Services page for more information.
Christy Lobdell, Assistive & Instructional Technology Consultant
Christy joined the Eaton RESA team as the Assistive & Instructional Technology Consultant in 2019. Prior to this role, she worked as a Speech-Language Pathologist, developing a strong passion for increasing learners' access to and engagement with their school experiences. A graduate of Michigan State University, Christy holds both a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts degree in Audiology & Speech Sciences. She partners closely with Assistive Technology and Educational Technology leaders across the state as well as locally through REMC 13 and 517 Ed Tech. Through these collaborations, Christy is dedicated to working with learners and the teams who serve them to increase accessible learning experiences through strategies, tools, and universal supports.
Partner With Us for Staff Training
We offer customized, engaging training sessions for local district staff on a wide variety of topics. We welcome the opportunity to meet with your team, share our expertise, and provide the ongoing support your educators need to succeed.
Ready to collaborate? Review the offerings below to explore available professional development opportunities and request a training session for your staff.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Training Offerings
Autism Training Offerings
Request professional development in the area of Autism
| Topic | Target Audience | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Foundations in Autism | Administrators Dean of Students General Education Teachers Special Education Teachers | Key principles of effective, evidence-based support, including communication strategies, structured environments, visual supports, and promoting independence and inclusion. |
| Visuals and Prompting | Dean of Students General Education Teachers Special Education Teachers Paraprofessionals | Support for using two of the evidence-based practices, visuals and prompting, for supporting students to increase engagement and decrease interfering behavior (e.g. social stories, schedules, first/then, etc.). |
| Accommodations in the Classroom | General Education Teachers Special Education Teachers | Differentiated methods for accommodating classroom assignments and environments to promote student engagement. |
| Peer to Peer Supports | Administrators General Education Teachers Special Education Teachers Paraprofessionals Students | Explain the "why" and "how" of peer support for increasing social interactions and discuss ways that peers can support each other through the Participation vs. Helping model. |
| FAPE in the LRE | Administrators Dean of Students General Education Teachers Special Education Teachers | Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) is the foundation of special education, with the understanding that all students are general education students first. This training session helps all school staff understand what FAPE and LRE mean and their role in supporting students with disabilities. |
| Increasing Engagement in the Classroom | Administrators Dean of Students General Education Teachers Special Education Teachers Paraprofessionals | Practical strategies and real classroom examples that honor diverse learners in inclusive settings. Strategies that support SEL (Social-Emotional Learning) and belonging, universal supports that benefit every learner, and approaches that foster focus and self-regulation. |
| Planning for Collaboration between Paraprofessionals and Teachers | Paraprofessionals General Education Teachers Special Education Teachers | Providing structures for ways to collaborate on supporting students, and discussing strategies that work in the classroom setting. |
Assistive Technology (AT) Training Offerings
Assistive Technology Training Offerings
Request professional development in the area of AT
| Topic | Target Audience | Description |
|---|---|---|
| AT in the IEP | General Education Teachers Special Education Teachers Service Providers | Review AT & IDEA, review the AT consideration process, and documentation in MiPSE. |
| Bookshare | General Education Teachers Special Education Teachers Service Providers | Overview of Bookshare.org including who qualifies, types of resources, ways to access, creating reading lists, and time with a sandbox account. |
| Read & Write Chrome Extension: Features and Integration | Administrators General Education Teachers Special Education Teachers Service Providers Paraprofessionals | This overview of the Read&Write Chrome Extension will include a tour of the tools, how to use them, when to integrate them into teaching and learning tasks, and time to explore. |
| Chromebook Accessibility Overview | Administrators General Education Teachers Special Education Teachers Service Providers Paraprofessionals | Overview of built-in accessibility supports on Chromebooks, including the shortcuts menu and using tools like Magnification, Dictation, Select-to-Speak, On Screen Keyboard, and Keyboard Shortcuts that allow for equitable access and interaction with the curriculum. |
| Ensuring Accessible PDFs | Administrators General Education Teachers Special Education Teachers Service Providers Paraprofessionals | Attendees will learn various methods for making static text (worksheets) digitally accessible as well as techniques for annotating the digital version of PDFs. |
| Chromebook Like Your Learners Do | Administrators General Education Teachers Special Education Teachers Service Providers Paraprofessionals | Attendees will learn the various tools built into their students' learning device, the Chromebook, including system settings, touchpad tips, unique keyboard buttons, keyboard shortcuts, and built-in apps (Screencast, Camera, Annotation, Accessibility). |
| Designing Accessible Materials | Administrators General Education Teachers Special Education Teachers Service Providers Paraprofessionals | Attendees will learn the difference between the various types of inclusive technology including Assistive Technology, Accessible Technologies, and Accessible Educational Materials. Considerations for designing accessible material will be covered as well as resources from Apple, Google, Microsoft, and CAST. |
Augmentative & Alternative Communication (AAC) Training Offerings
AAC Training Offerings
Request professional development in the area of AAC
| Topic | Target Audience | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Intro to AAC Basics | All Staff | Discuss what AAC is and bust common myths while learning basic concepts and vocabulary |
| Low Tech Full Class Supports - Communication | All Staff | Discuss what low tech supports we can use to support communication for all learners |
| Proloquo Vocabulary & App Training | All Staff | Discuss how the Proloquo vocabulary is set up and additional functions of the app |
| Proloquo2Go Vocabulary & App Training | All Staff | Discuss how Proloquo2Go vocabularies are set up and additional functions of the app |
| Prompting & AAC | All Staff | Discuss the Prompt Hierarchy and how to use the least restrictive prompt and why |
| Incorporating AAC into the Classroom | All Staff | Collaborative discussion on your activities, rules, learners, and how we can start small and build from there |
