Past Presentations
Supporting Your Child’s Development: Milestones, Reflexes, and When Extra Help May Be Needed
March 10, 2026 Flyer | Recording | Slides
Dr. Amy Wheadon, Founder and Owner of KidSHINE LLC, took a closer look a developmental milestones in the preschool and early elementary years. We covered gross motor, fine motor, and sensory motor skills, along with reflexes that can sometimes play a role win the child’s development. We learned what these skills look like, what may be red flags for challenge ares, and when it might make sense to seek extra support.
Transition Timelines
November 18, 2025 Slides
Andrea Morris, Director of Family Support Center & Advocacy at The Arc of Greater Haverhill-Newburyport, spoke with us about the important steps that individuals with disabilities and their families need to make, to develop a plan for the future.
Special Services Programming; Integrated Monitoring Review
September 16, 2025 Recording | Slides
At our first general meeting of the 2025-2026 school year, the APS Special Services team gracious joined us to talk about: (1) Special Services programs at Andover; and (2) the Integrated Monitoring Review to be conducted by DESE’s Office of Public School Monitoring in December 2025.
Navigating Peer Relationships for Teens and Teens: A Guide for Parents
May 13, 2025 Confidence Challenge Cards | Personal Web Activity | Podcast Resource List | Recording | Slides | Tween Conversation Starters
Lorraine Connell, Founder of Peers Not Fears, and distinguished expert in teen leadership coaching, spoke to us about how peer relationships play a vital role in the lives of teens and tweens, shaping their self-esteem, decision-making, and sense of belonging. This interactive session provided us with practical tools and insights to support our children as they navigate the challenges of friendships, social pressures, and group dynamics.
Helping Our Children Thrive: Supporting Executive Function Skills at Home
January 9, 2025 Recording
Kate Lamanna, Founder of Study Sense, talked to us about strategies for helping our children improve organization, time management, sustained attention, and other executive functions.
MAP, MCAS, and DCAP
December 10, 2024 Recording
Nancy Koch, Executive Director of Special Services at APS, led a discussion on the basics of progress monitoring and testing for our children, in a presentation which talked about: Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) for Grades 2-10; Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) for Grades 3-8 and 10; and Andover’s District Curriculum Accommodation Plan (DCAP) for all grade levels.
Declarative Language
May 21, 2024 Slides
Linda Murphy, speech language pathologist and RDI® Certified Consultant, spoke with us about helping our children with their social learning challenges, anxiety, self-regulation, slow processing speed, or poor executive functioning skills.
The New IEP, Explained
April 9, 2024 DESE: IEP Process, Forms, and Notices | Recording
Nancy Koch, Executive Director of Special Services at APS, reviewed DESE’s new IEP process. She explained the new IEP’s focus and rollout, and the roles of all team members including the student.
ADHD and Executive Functioning
March 12, 2024 Recording | Slides
Dr. Nicholas Golden, PsyD, MEd, BCBA-D, LABA, talked to us about the different types of ADHD, as well as treatments and strategies, including executive functioning strategies, for children with ADHD.
Transition Planning
December 12, 2023 Brochure | Flyer | Slides
Andrea Morris, Director of Family Support Center & Advocacy at The Arc of Greater Haverhill-Newburyport, talked to us about transition timelines to help prepare students for the world beyond secondary education.
Social Emotional Learning (SEL) in Andover Public Schools
October 19, 2023 Slides
Jason Levene, District SEL Coordinator at APS, gave us an overview of the core competencies of SEL, and discussed how SEL plays out throughout our schools.
