Alescia comes from a family of educators that passed a love of learning onto her at a young age.  Throughout her childhood, Alescia has memories of her mother modeling the values of inclusion and acceptance for all people, regardless of ability or disability. When her twin cousins were born prematurely, Alescia witnessed first-hand the incredibly powerful work of occupational therapists in the NICU and Birth-to-Three system, and her professional journey was inspired.

 

Alescia earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Occupational Therapy from Quinnipiac University in 2003 and went on to earn her Master of Science degree in Occupational Therapy from Boston University in 2008. She developed a passion for working with children and has had the privilege of collaborating with amazing clinicians and educators in some of the top-rated school districts in the country.  She holds national certification and registration in occupational therapy (NBCOT) as well as national certification as an assistive technology practitioner (RESNA). She is licensed by the Connecticut Department of Public Health as an occupational therapist with AOTA-recognized expertise in the areas of early identification, pediatrics, and handwriting. Alescia has completed extensive professional development and training in the areas of sensory integration, autism, trauma-informed practice, visual motor perceptual skills, special education, deaf-blindness, and low/no vision. In her role as an occupational therapist, Alescia has researched, documented, and delivered professional development for educational teams as well as supported parents and therapists in the home and community settings. Additionally, Alescia has successfully written and won grants allowing for the creation of sensory-informed classrooms in public school settings.

 

After years of school-based clinical work and private practice, Alescia identified a growing need for educationally-based assistive technology services that included critical consultation and training practices across the student's educational career.  Alescia has worked in educational settings, pre-vocational placements, and transitional programs as an Assistive Technology Specialist, consulting on literacy support programming, Universal Design For Learning guiding principles, and curricular access for complex learners. Ms. Ford presents on a wide range of topics, conducting professional development seminars for school districts and educational teams, SEPTA/PTA organizations, and local and state conferences. Ms. Ford designs and implements assistive technology plans including needs assessment, professional development and training, ongoing consultation services, and referral and caseload management processes. She works to build capacity at the team, faculty, and district administration levels in order to maximize generalization and application of tools that benefit students.

 

Ms. Ford has written and published countless developmentally-minded articles on Adapt & Learn's Inform. Inspire. Include. blog and is continually published in industry magazines and numerous online forums. Alescia was a contributing Advisory Board member of Wolf + Friends and a contributing content writer for Autism Parenting Magazine and Harkla.co. Through her company's Inform. Inspire. Include. blog, Alescia also helps to connect families with products that are designed with development in mind. 

 

Adapt & Learn was founded on the mission that children of all abilities can play, adapt, learn, and develop with the right therapeutic and educational supports. We strive to help them along this continuum by fostering a love of learning and building upon individual successes. 

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