We have come a long way, but this is just the beginning!
2012 - Year 1
Jennifer Kesler: Our First Intervener
We sat down with our very first Intervener, Jennifer Kesler, to reflect on her time and the first year at Ellis where our integral 1:1 Intervener model first took flight. Jennifer began as a caregiver for kids with special needs and soon realized the value of helping people find their voice. She took on the role as our first Intervener because she believed that “being able to communicate thoughts and feelings is the most essential part of being a person”. Jennifer channeled her passion and energy into growing the Ellis Center remaining adaptable to every stride the Center made. Thank you, Jennifer for all you have done to help Ellis be where it is today!
2013 - Year 2
Linda Alsop: Building our Team
We met with Linda Alsop, a team member specializing in deafblindness and one of our first board members to reflect on the beginnings of our programs. Her earliest contributions helped get Ellis off the ground when she eagerly joined a team of teachers, therapists, and specialists to help cultivate a multidisciplinary model not seen in other school programs. Linda recalls the formation of a passionate team collaborating with one another to develop a child-led curriculum. Today, Linda continues to provide her expertise through specialized team trainings as well as coaching for interveners ensuring the evolution & growth of Ellis for years to come. Thank you Linda!
2014- Year 3
The Johnson Family: First Camp ImpAACt
We connected with the Johnson Family to reflect on one of our summer programs, Camp ImpAACt! Our first Camp ImpAACt launched in 2014 as “one of the few programs in the country for non-speakers to participate and get quality level of support when it comes to using AAC devices”, according to the Johnson Family who have brought their son, Nolan, to 5 separate years of Camp—and counting! The Johnson’s recall their son having a blast and being engaged in each of the activities specially adapted for him and his abilities, coming home each day from Camp exhausted from the fun & excitement. The Johnson’s recommend Camp ImpAACt to any family as it is one of the only programs in the country for non-speakers specializing in AAC, reaching over 55 children from across Georgia and 6 different states. Thank you, Johnson Family for allowing us the privilege of serving your son!
2015 - Year 4
Dr. Christine Roman-Lantzy, PhD. : Community Education Events
As we continue moving through our journey of the past 10 years, we want to highlight the evolution of our community education events and an individual who has made an enormous impact in education. Dr. Roman-Lantzy, PH.D is one of the leading pioneers on Cortical Vision Impairment (CVI), a brain-based vision impairment. Dr. Roman-Lantzy’s connection with the Ellis Center has grown over the years, serving as the featured speaker at 3 different Community Educational Events on various topics surrounding CVI. "Children with CVI have visual impairment all day long, so everyone who touches that child’s life should know and understand", Dr. Roman-Lantzy points out, sharing her expert knowledge educating families, teams, and teachers on such a complex topic. Thank you Christine Roman, PhD for sharing your expertise with the Ellis Team and our community here in Atlanta!
2016- Year 5
The Carter Family: Extended School Year
Flashback to 6 years ago in 2016, we launched our first Extended School Year (ESY) program! The Carter Family enrolled their son Taylor while seeking out a summer school that could adapt to his needs. "Every summer [Taylor] has improved in all learning areas including communication and it has set us up for a more successful year and shown us what he's capable of and what to push for," the Carter family notes. Ellis has collaborated with Taylor's home public school to share strategies for implementing learning goals to promote consistency in the year ahead. "Attending [Ellis] every summer feels like coming home and we are always excited for his time there and what he will learn and improve on. We know they truly care for Taylor and all of their students and work really hard to make a difference". Thank you, Carter Family for being faithful in letting us be apart of Taylor's education!
2017- Year 5
Puja Saxena: Evaluation Services
We are highlighting the last 10 years of Ellis each week and in 2017, our multidisciplinary evaluation services program first began. This program has expanded and most recently, Puja Saxena was seeking vision evaluation services for her daughter, J.P.- "I knew the evaluators [at the Ellis Center] would be well versed in rare and complicated topics and I did not find any other comparable resources in my community" Puja states. The in-depth and wholistic vision evaluation completed by highly-qualified team members created a better understanding of what supports J.P. needed to optimize her visual access; "When the educational team better understood my child's unique needs, they were empowered to be much more effective and patient" Puja noticed. We are honored to support families and students like Puja and J.P. everyday!
2018- Year 6
Rhonda O’Gorman: Growing our School Program
The year 2018 was an exciting time for our school program, with student enrollment expanding quickly! This week, we feature a school family who has been faithful to Ellis over the years, witness to the growth in both her daughter and our school program. With Adair’s complex communication needs and dual-sensory loss, her mother Rhonda, as well as their public school system knew that the Ellis Center was the best program to meet her needs. “She’s very happy walking into school, she feels very independent, and that’s so important….I love how they’re always thinking of ways to have her involved in the community!” Rhonda observes. Finding consistent educational support for the journey Adair & Rhonda have experienced is critical. “As parents, we all want to support our children and make them happy productive citizens of the world; Ellis allows for that. [They help] find your child where they are, set goals of where they can go, and help them reach those goals,” Rhonda trusts. Thank you, Rhonda, for your dedication to Ellis and allowing us the opportunity to serve Adair & your family!
2019 - Year 7
Pam Quattlebaum & Heather Radlmann: Assistive Technology & Occupational Therapy
In the year 2019, we welcomed our current Occupational Therapist, Heather Radlmann to our Team! Heather has an extensive background in Assistive Technology and we soon after welcomed AT Specialist, Pam Quattlebaum, to our team to work in partnership with Heather, continuing our collaborative model at Ellis. “Student success is truly dependent on the team taking the time to create and set up an environment with proper accommodations and adaptations,” Heather and Pam explain, “Students can do their best when thought is given to their sensory and motor needs and thoughtful custom and consistent supports are put in place.” This special environment involving a multi-disciplinary approach is achieved through a partnership between many professionals: “Having a highly skilled team that includes an AAC trained SLP, a TVI and PT and other experts is the dream environment,” Heather and Pam believe. Thank you Heather & Pam for all of your hard work in making Ellis a one-of-a-kind experience for our students!
2020 - Year 8
Nicole Palumbo: Speech-Language Pathology
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 was an inspirational year for us! We welcomed Nicole Palumbo, Speech-Language Pathologist, as a full-time team member. At Ellis Center there are many student successes and with Nicole's support, one of our students found her voice. Nicole began working with Allison, a teenager who came to Ellis without a complete communication system. “Knowing Allison is blind, I wanted to find a system that offered a tactile component. That lead me to [a communication device] you can customize to have auditory prompts and a tactile keyguard”, Nicole states. Nicole worked diligently with Allison learning a new way of communication which took “time, practice, repetition, and motivation.” “As Allison became more familiar with the device, you saw a sense of autonomy and pride develop,” Nicole celebrates. For example, now Allison will indicate on her device that she wants to interact with her classmates. She will now request "squeezes" and other sensory play from her peers. Thank you, Nicole, for your dedication in providing a voice for children!
2021 - Year 9
All Saints’ Episcopal Church & Coda Tech Square
In 2021, we expanded our connections to our local business partners in the Atlanta Midtown Community. We have had a tremendous amount of support from many local partners welcoming our students into their spaces for both pre-vocational learning opportunities as well as community based instruction. Tracey from All Saints' Episcopal Church says, "All Saints’ has a long tradition of helping in the community and we are elated to be able to include the Ellis Center as one of our partners...All Saints’ has many children’s and youth programs on our campus and we felt it would be a great opportunity to welcome new faces to our block and learn from each other." Community Manager at Coda Tech Square states, "We look forward to continuing our existing relationship with Ellis and expanding in the future by creating volunteer or internship opportunities, supporting Ellis through awareness and tenant engagement." We are so thankful for our community partners that help to foster learning and inclusivity in the community!