Peggy Lawrence

Peggy Lawrence has been a special educator for 12 years. The past 6 years her teaching emphasis has been on working with children with autism. She has a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education with an endorsement in learning and developmental disabilities from Newman University and a master's degree in teaching with an emphasis in curriculum and instruction from Friends University. She is currently the Autism and Instructional Support Specialist at Heartspring. Her work there includes mentoring teachers and staff on best practices for working with children with autism and other developmental disabilities, individualizing curriculum, developing purposeful vocational skills, and meaningful leisure activities for each student. She also provides consultative services to the student's educational team on ways to modify the environment, adapt activities and visual supports to promote student independence.

Peggy received Structured Teaching and TEACCH Transition Assessment Profile (TTAP) training from the University of North Carolina, Division TEACCH and from the KISN project's Regional trainings in these areas. She has received certification in Classic Autism and High Functioning Autism/Asperger's Syndrome from Pittsburg State University, is a certified instructor in Advanced Crisis Intervention Prevention and a certified IEP coach.

Peggy's work with children with autism in public school districts, in the community, in extended school year programs and at Heartspring, has made her a unique and invaluable resource. She has served as a Master Teacher, for the past three years, for KISN's Summer Institute on Structured Teaching, and has given presentations for the Kansas Instructional Support Network, parents and community members on best practices for children with autism and other developmental disabilities across Kansas and internationally.