CT FEAT Announces Spring 2016 Professional Scholarship Winners
For more than 18 years, Connecticut Families for Effective Autism Treatment (CT FEAT) has worked to increase the availability of high quality services for individuals on the autism spectrum. This commitment is exemplified in the organization's unique scholarship program for professionals seeking specialized training in applied behavior analysis (ABA).
During the past decade, CT FEAT's Craemer Shea Memorial Scholarship for Professional Development has awarded more than $59,000 in scholarship money to 31 Connecticut educators, including special education teachers, behavioral therapists, and speech pathologists. For the 2015-2016 academic year, scholarships were awarded to two individuals:
1) Sophy Brocke, an ABA therapist at Trading Spaces in East Hartford, from Vernon, CT. Ms. Brocke is enrolled in a master of science program in applied behavior analysis and autism spectrum disorders at Elms College in Chicopee, MA.
2) Julie Conti, an ABA instructor and behavior analysis intern at Meliora Academy in Meriden, from Middletown CT. Ms. Conti is pursuing a master's degree in applied behavior analysis and autism at the University of Saint Joseph in West Hartford, CT.
The scholarship amounts to $1,000 per semester, with recipients eligible to reapply for additional funding as they continue their studies. Most recipients have received multiple scholarships and many have completed their professional certifications with CT FEAT's assistance. CT FEAT's board of directors reviews applications prior to each academic semester.
CT FEAT's Professional Scholarship recipients have pursued their studies in a variety of ABA graduate programs, including Elms and Endicott Colleges in Massachusetts, Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU), Saint Joseph's University, Western Connecticut State University, Pennsylvania State University, the University of Massachusetts at Lowell, and Bay Path University.