Resumé of Diane Woodward, CSW

Diane Woodward, CSW is the Director of Transition Services at the Wildwood Institute. She has an extensive background in working with children and adults with learning disabilities, mental retardation, autism spectrum disorders (including Asperger's Syndrome), and other neurological impairments and developmental disabilities.

Ms. Woodward is a graduate of Adelphi University with a Bachelor's Degree in Social Work (Dual Major: Psychology) and a Master's Degree in Social Work. She is a licensed social worker in the state of New York. In addition, Ms. Woodward is a certified field instructor for the School of Social Work at the University of Albany, a board member of the New York State Association of Persons in Supported Employment (APSE), co-chairperson of the New York State Rehabilitation Association's (NYSRA) Partnerships with Schools committee, and chairperson of the Job Placement Consortium's (JPC) Youth Committee.

Having worked for over eleven years at Wildwood Programs, Ms. Woodward has held a variety of positions including Residential and Family Support Social Worker, and Director of Supported Employment prior to creating Transition Services for the Wildwood Institute. Her combination of experience with schools, children, and adult service regulators and providers makes her uniquely equipped to assist school districts in the delivery of high quality services for their students transitioning from school to the adult world.

Several areas of expertise for Ms. Woodward are:

Creation and implementation of social skills groups, particularly for children with autism spectrum disorders
Training on the educational and behavioral needs of children and adults with learning disabilities, neurological impairments, mental retardation, and autism spectrum disorders
Facilitating positive communication between families and schools
Conducting Diagnostic Vocational Evaluations (DVE)
Program development in areas such as pre-vocational training, teaching social skills, and social-sexuality skills training
Assisting school districts with the development of IEP goals

Ms. Woodward is available for presentations and consultations on the above topics as well as:

How to effectively develop partnerships with the business community to increase community integration
Developing vocational placements for students with autism spectrum disorders
Overview of autism spectrum disorders and their impact on the classroom
The "Top Three" for successful transitions