Be Patient, Try New Things, and Think Outside the Box

“Be patient. Be willing to try new things. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box.”

That’s the advice Stacy shares with anyone interested in adaptive physical education. As the Adapted Physical Education and Aquatics Specialist at Forest Rose School, he works with students from kindergarten through high school who have a wide range of abilities and support needs, including students with complex medical needs.

“My job is to adapt physical education activities and games to meet each student's individual needs and abilities so that everyone has an opportunity to participate, learn, and have fun,” Stacy said.

Some of his students use communication devices to express themselves, while others use wheelchairs or gait trainers to help them move. Stacy finds creative ways to help every student participate, including through activities in the pool.

“In the pool, we use water-based activities to work on movement, strength, mobility, and other individual goals while making sure students enjoy themselves,” he explained. “At the end of the day, it's about finding ways for every student to be involved, experience success, and enjoy being active.”

Fairfield DD works to help people live more independently and make meaningful contributions in their communities. Stacy sees this mission in action through the opportunities students have participating, building skills, and discovering what they enjoy.

“Every student deserves the chance to be included, try new things, develop skills, and experience the joy of being part of a group,” Stacy said. “Sometimes that looks different for every student, and that's okay. By adapting activities to their individual abilities, we can help students build confidence, develop independence, and experience meaningful participation. To me, that's what inclusion and empowerment are all about.”

One of Stacy’s favorite parts of his job is seeing his students’ personalities shine through as they discover activities they enjoy. He loves finding ways to get them excited about participating and celebrating the moments when they have fun.

“Some of the best moments are hearing a big belly laugh, seeing a huge smile, or hearing one of those excited squeals that lets you know a student is having a great time,” he shared. “We work on important skills, but we also get to build relationships, have fun, and create positive experiences for our students.”

For Stacy, success looks different for every student. It might mean trying something new, making progress on a skill, participating in an activity in a different way, or becoming more comfortable in the water.

“It doesn't have to be a huge milestone to be meaningful. Sometimes the smallest steps represent the biggest accomplishments,” he said. “And sometimes, success is simply seeing a student laugh, smile, or make a happy sound because they're enjoying the moment. Those are the moments that make all the hard work worthwhile.”

Helping students succeed takes creativity, patience, flexibility, and an understanding of each person's needs. Stacy often finds new ways to adapt activities so students can participate in ways that work for them.

“An activity might look different from what someone expects traditional PE to look like, but that doesn't make the experience any less meaningful,” he explained. “Every student has the right to participate in ways that are appropriate for them, and my goal is to create an environment where they feel included, supported, and successful while having fun.”

The impact of Stacy’s work can reach far beyond the classroom and school pool. One of his favorite memories is seeing how an experience at school helped a family discover something they could enjoy together.

“I remember a parent who took their child swimming at the local YMCA for the first time as a family. The parent got to see just how much their child loved the water and shared that they wished they had started doing this sooner,” he recalled. Swimming has since become a bigger part of their family’s life. “That memory means a lot to me because it shows that what we do can reach beyond our APE classes and the pool at school.”

For Stacy, moments like this show how helping students discover something they love can open the door to new experiences for the whole family.

“We can help students discover something they love and give families the confidence to explore new experiences together,” he said. “Seeing a student enjoying the water, watching their family share in the excitement, and knowing that experience has become part of their lives is incredibly rewarding. Those are the moments that remind me why I love my job.”

Stacy’s advice to others interested in adaptive physical education is to get to know their students, celebrate their progress, and appreciate the small moments along the way.

“Progress doesn't always happen quickly, and sometimes it looks different than you expected. It's important to recognize and appreciate every step forward, no matter how small it may seem,” he said. “Most importantly, remember that building relationships is just as important as working on skills. When you truly enjoy what you do and celebrate your students for who they are, the little moments can become the biggest rewards.”

This year, Chad set an important goal of improving his health and wellness. He decided he would not only improve his health, but also create a space for others to do the same. His walking group has met consistently for over a month.   

Chad took the initiative and started his own walking group that he calls “Steps with Chad.”   

“I was working on losing weight, and one of my goals was to walk a lot and to help fix my back problems,” Chad shared when asked what inspired him to create his group. “I am still working on it and working on stamina. I feel a lot better now that I am losing weight! I am down to 291 pounds, and I am hoping to lose more!”   

Chad explained that he structures the group's path for walking, including what day they meet and how far. Recently, the group has accomplished one trip around the entire building, which is further than when they first began. Originally, the group would only go halfway around the building, and now Chad has big goals for them.   

“My goal is to do another half lap, then move to two full laps, then three around the building,” he said. “Eventually I hope we can take a walk to the bank and back, or towards the lumber yard. I am interested in getting to different locations, maybe even towards Lowes.”   

While Chad has celebrated the group’s accomplishments, he also has his own personal aspirations.   

“My personal goal is to not have any medical problems and to lose the weight, but I’d also like to have more than three people attend the group,” He shared. “Maybe even five or six; I really want to expand it. If one day I have five, I’d like to then take it up to six or seven.”   

Chad goes out of his way to get his community involved to reach his goal of six to seven people.   

“I talk to people and say, ‘Hey, do you want to join today?’ I encourage the ones who want to join,” he said. “This has changed my life because I get to connect with more people. In this group, we get to see community members come together, and a few people have said they love the group and they love the idea.”   

When asked what his favorite part of being the leader of the walking group is, Chad said it ranges from the people to even being outside.   

“My favorite part has been seeing people, talking to people, and working on my health,” He shared. “Also being able to be outside in the fresh air and getting some movement in.”  

When Chad isn’t busy with Steps with Chad, he loves creating objects on the 3-D printer. He loves to create new toys and games. Between his walking group and hobbies, he is working on building what he calls ‘the new Chad.’ One that focuses on his health and being more open to others.   

Chad has advice for others that are wanting to accomplish their goals, and he decided to share the great advice given to him when starting his own journey.   

“I had two people give me really good advice; she says, ‘stay with it,’" he explained. “People tell me I’m looking good and looking better, looking lighter. I feel one hundred times better than I did. Keep going and don’t give up. Never surrender.”   

For most people, the beginning of fall is a busy time. Ranging from the start of school to closing the chapter of summer activities, a new season is in full swing. That also rings true for our Professional Development Coordinator, Jennifer.

Between the new hire orientations, agency training, and running multiple leadership programs, Jen is also responsible for the agency-wide All-Staff meeting every September. We sat down with Jen and revealed the ‘woman behind the curtain’ to highlight not just her position, but how she lives out Fairfield DD’s mission every day.

“I help make sure our team members have the training, certification, and skills they need for their role and to do their jobs well,” Jen shared. “A lot of my job is behind the scenes, but ultimately, I’m focused on helping our people and our organization grow.”

Jen has helped facilitate leadership development programs for team members during her time at Fairfield DD, including collaborating to create a new additional program. This program is designed as the next step for team members who complete the Emerging Leaders program. It gives emerging leaders an opportunity to build on what they have learned, develop deeper leadership skills, and continue working toward their leadership goals within the agency.

Beyond developing leaders internally, Jen believes her role directly affects those who live out Fairfield DD’s mission.

“I think of my role as supporting the people who make our mission possible. Whether it is to make sure our team has the training, skills, leadership development, and support they need to be successful,” she said. “So, while I’m not necessarily working directly with the people we serve, I’m helping strengthen the people and culture behind the services we provide.”

Jen emphasized that success is not achieved just by team members completing training, but that it runs deeper than that for her.

“Success for me is not just everyone completing their trainings, or I had good feedback from All-Staff, although I’m certainly okay with that piece too! More importantly, when team members feel connected and invested in what we do here and equipped to support those we serve,” Jen laughed. “At the end of the day, my hope is that we are all growing and learning together, and maybe, if we’re lucky, we may have a little fun too!”

When asked what her favorite part of her role is, she shared that it all comes back to learning.

“My favorite part of my role is learning new things and sharing them with others. I am constantly looking for better resources, ways to communicate, and creative ideas to keep my co-workers invested in themselves and Fairfield DD.”

Jen explained that through learning and sharing with other team members, she feels Fairfield DD as a whole is building parts of a community.

“I’m here as a support to help connect the dots and bring us together through opportunities like new hire orientation, trainings in Relias, or All-Staff Days. We are part of a community, and I am happy to be a part of creating that.”

She had advice for people interested in joining the Fairfield DD team, but that advice applies to anyone trying something new.

“You don’t have to know everything when you start! Even if you know a lot, things are always changing,” she said. “The beautiful thing is that there will be guidance and support along the way to help make sense of it all, or nonsense of it all.”

At the end of the interview, Jen was asked if she had anything else to add, anything else she wanted people to know. She finished with one last piece of advice for everyone.

“Ask lots of questions, keep learning, and lean on the people around you. There is always something new to learn!”

"Live your life--burn the tires off, get new tires, and burn them off again." 

That's Michael's philosophy. To him, life is meant to be lived. It's about saying yes to new experiences, finding adventure wherever you can, and never letting someone else decide what's possible. 

That outlook has shaped Michael's life from the very beginning. As a child, he was always eager to try something new, and he was surrounded by family and friends who made sure he could. One of his favorite memories is sledding after a fresh snowfall. Whenever it snowed, his friends would stop by so he could join them. After every ride down the hill, they pulled him back to the top in the sled so he could do it all over again. 

When Michael was 11 years old, he attended summer camp and surprised everyone by jumping off the high dive. By the following summer, campers spent the entire week asking if he would do it again. He waited until the last day of camp before climbing the ladder and taking the leap one more time. "I didn't do it for me," Michael said. "I did it to show other people they could do it too." That mindset has stayed with him throughout his life. 

Today, Michael is always thinking about the next adventure. Instead of saying something can't be done, his family and friends work together to figure out how to make it happen. Alyson now supports Michael as a provider when he needs additional assistance. She has known Michael her entire life because he is her dad's best friend. Every spring, the two sit down and create a list of experiences they want to have during the year. What started as a few ideas written on a chalkboard have evolved into a whiteboard full of adventures waiting to happen. 

Every year ends up different. One year was all about concerts, and together they saw Journey, Def Leppard, and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Another year focused on festivals, with visits to the Strawberry Festival in Newark and a campground where friends were staying. They also share a love of comedy and have enjoyed shows at The Funny Bone in Easton. The list is always growing because, for Michael, there is always something new to experience. When other friends and family see the list, they then want to get involved too! 

Last summer, Michael added a pontoon boat ride on Buckeye Lake near his home to the list. For many people, using a wheelchair might have seemed like a reason to say it wasn't possible. Michael and his family saw it as a challenge to solve. They securely mounted his wheelchair to the floor of the pontoon boat, then used a crane and a Hoyer lift to transfer him into position before trailering the boat to the lake and launching it into the water. Both Michael and Alyson laughed that getting onto the boat turned out to be more of an adventure than the ride itself.

Alyson is quick to point out that while she has helped Michael experience new things, he has challenged her just as much. On her first day as his provider, she was nervous about some of Michael's medical routines, but Michael reassured her that she was doing great. She was also hesitant to drive his accessible van at first, and again, Michael encouraged her every step of the way. Years earlier, Michael hadn't even realized an accessible van could be customized for him. Once he learned it was possible, he knew it would give him greater independence with the support of his provider. Today, they're celebrating the final payment on that van. It is a milestone that represents years of adventures together and many more still to come. 

Michael has also introduced Alyson to some of his favorite hobbies. He taught her the basics of football before taking her to her first Cleveland Browns game, and now they watch games together every season. He also introduced her to fantasy football. The two play in the same league, Michael won the championship last year, and they're already looking forward to drafting their teams again this season. 

Whether it's a concert, a comedy show, a football game, or a boat ride, Michael believes life is about making memories and sharing them with the people around you. His advice for anyone who's nervous about trying something new is simple: "Start small. Take a walk around your neighborhood, then explore a little more. Don't worry about what anyone thinks or says. You deserve these experiences as much as anyone else." 

Michael has spent his life proving that adventures aren't defined by how easy they are. They're defined by the willingness to try. As he likes to say, "Live your life--burn the tires off, get new tires, and burn them off again." Judging by the ever-growing whiteboard of ideas, he's nowhere near finished. 

Amy Koenig recently took a moment to talk about her role and the important work she does. With calm dedication and a commitment to supporting others, Amy is committed to ensuring the well-being of the individuals Fairfield DD serves in her role as MUI Coordinator.

State law requires Fairfield DD to ensure all served are in healthy and safe environments and bring about quality improvement through a system called Major Unusual Incidents, or MUI. Steps to prevent further incidents and improve a person’s life is the goal of each incident investigation. While the Fairfield DD mission moves beyond safety, Fairfield DD recognizes it as an important foundation.

“I review incidents reported that involve individuals we serve,” she explained. “We determine what occurred and then what support is needed to ensure their health and safety.”

Amy’s work is more than reviewing what happened. She takes time to listen, understand each situation, and help find solutions. She also wants to make sure people feel safe, heard, and supported. “Helping individuals feel safe and supported is an important part of helping them achieve their goals and develop their independence,” she shared. “My role connects with Fairfield DD’s mission by ensuring the health, safety, and quality of life for the individuals we serve.”

The work of the MUI team can sometimes seem focused on problems or difficult situations. Amy sees things differently. She looks at each incident as a chance to learn, make changes, and provide better support. “Often an incident is misconstrued as being negative,” she said. “However, they can provide valuable opportunities for learning and growth. Not just for the individuals, but for their providers as well.”

For Amy, success happens when people work together to find solutions and prevent the same problems from happening again. Every situation is different, and each person and team has their own needs. “Success to me is when effective prevention planning is implemented through team collaboration,” she said. “Then through that collaboration, when it results in us no longer having recurring incident reports for the same situations, which is what I consider success.”

When asked about her favorite part of the job, Amy didn’t hesitate: “It’s the people.” She enjoys working with her co-workers and community partners. She also enjoys gathering information and following up on situations. “I enjoy gathering information and following up on circumstances, kind of like doing a little detective work in a sense,” she said.

Through her thoughtful approach, commitment to safety, and care for the people she serves, Amy plays an important role in supporting the Fairfield DD mission. Her work shows that challenges can also be chances to learn and improve. Through listening, teamwork, and compassion, Amy helps Fairfield DD provide safer and stronger support for the people we serve.

At Fairfield DD, Early Intervention (EI) helps children from birth until their third birthday, build important skills while giving families the confidence and support they need along the way.

For Marjorie and her nearly 3-year-old son, Jaxon, that journey began just over a year ago with a goal of helping him communicate. At first, Jaxon was shy around his Developmental Specialist, Marla. Today, Marjorie says he runs to greet her every time she visits.

Since starting Early Intervention, Jaxon has made great progress. He has always made sounds, but now he uses them to communicate and connect with the people around him. Marjorie has also seen him become more comfortable with others.

"He is comfortable with more people now," she said. "He plays with family members, looks at books with us, and enjoys interacting. He never really wanted to do that before. It's been amazing, and I'm so thankful for Marla and the Early Intervention team."

One of the biggest changes Marjorie has noticed is Jaxon's eye contact and attention. She says he listens more and responds when she calls him, something that didn't happen before.

"It was hard because he wouldn't look at me, and I didn't feel like he was really listening," Marjorie said. "Now he listens more, and when I call for him, he comes running out of his room."

As Jaxon continues to grow, Marjorie is excited to see him communicate in whatever way works best for him.

"I'm looking forward to him talking or using sign language; however, he learns to communicate," she said. "I just want him to be able to tell us what he wants and have the same opportunities as other kids."

Marjorie says the coaching and simple ideas she has learned from Marla and the Early Intervention team have made a big difference. They have given her the confidence to support Jaxon's growth at home every day.

"It's amazing," she said. "I feel like eventually he can do the things we hope for. He has opened up so much. He used to be in his own little world, and now he is so vibrant."

For Marjorie, Jaxon's progress is more than a list of milestones. It is a glimpse of the bright future ahead.

“Just because he is autistic doesn’t mean he can’t do things other kids can do, he just needs some extra help,” She laughed and recalled a recent moment between the two. “He is super smart; he knows when he is not supposed to do something.”

As the interview ended, we asked Majorie if she had any advice for parents to begin their journey with Fairfield DD, and she emphasized the importance of speaking up.

“Open up and ask all the questions you can. Be open to all the help you can,” she suggested. “Marla has been so great and when she asks if I have any questions there is nothing you can’t ask. Try to get help for them as early as you can. I appreciate everything Fairfield DD has done.”

Speech has opened up Willa’s world. She talks about everything she sees, sings along to music at home, and loves to “boss” Mom and Dad around.

When Willa was about one year old, her parents noticed she wasn’t babbling or talking as much as they expected. By age two, they talked with her pediatrician, who suggested a speech assessment at Nationwide Children’s. The family also reached out to Help Me Grow on their own. Both assessments showed that Willa could benefit from speech support. Hearing this was comforting for Jennifer and Jacob. As first-time parents, it helped them understand what was going on and what to do next.

Today, Willa talks all the time. Having words has helped her share her thoughts, feelings, and personality. She tells friends and family “I love you,” shows her silly sense of humor, and even lets everyone know when she has a strong opinion. Being able to communicate has helped her make closer connections with others. Her parents say they really know who she is now, and that means everything to them.

Willa received speech therapy in two ways: private practice sessions and home visits from Karen, her Early Intervention Speech Therapist. Jennifer and Jacob appreciated Karen’s style. Karen explained the big picture without overwhelming them. She also showed them what to practice between visits so Willa could keep improving.

Jennifer, who has a background in mental health, knows progress takes time and practice. With the right tools and support, the family felt confident helping Willa every day.

One of Jacob’s favorite memories was hearing Willa sound out a word while looking at a book. He was deeply moved and proud of how far she had come.

Speech has opened up Willa’s world. She talks about everything she sees, sings along to music at home, and loves to “boss” Mom and Dad around. She has built strong relationships with Karen and others and shares her personality more freely.

This fall, Willa will start preschool. She qualified for speech services through the school so she can keep working on her articulation skills. Her parents are excited to see her make new friends and continue learning.

The Early Intervention team helped the family try new things in the community. They went to a painting party and story time at Art & Clay on Main. They said they might not have tried an activity like that without the invite, but now they know they can.

The family also appreciated how easy the EI process felt. They were concerned that working with multiple agencies might be difficult the coordination worked well for Willa. Their team was responsive, supportive, and met them where they were. They were especially grateful for the guidance they received as Willa prepared to move from Early Intervention to school-based services.

Fairfield DD is home to many important roles, but some of the most essential work happens quietly behind the scenes. One of the people making sure everything stays on track is Taylor Peeps, our Operations Department Administrative Assistant. Taylor has been part of the team for just over a year, and her impact is felt across the entire organization. 

In her role, Taylor coordinates communications, maintains records, schedules appointments and meetings, manages team calendars, supports financial processes within Operations, works with outside vendors, and assists with a wide range of administrative needs. She’s truly a jack-of-all-trades, helping to keep daily operations running efficiently so services can be delivered without interruption. 

Taylor shares that her favorite part of the job is the variety. While she has consistent tasks, such as processing invoices or scheduling, no two days look the same. Whether she’s meeting with vendors, building new projects, or putting her creative skills to use in Canva, she appreciates that boredom simply isn’t part of the Operations department. 

For Taylor, success means knowing her work is done accurately, responsibly, and contributes to something bigger. This perspective applies not only to her professional life, but also to her personal life as a mom. She hopes others understand that even roles that don’t directly provide services still play a vital part in fulfilling Fairfield DD’s mission. 

When asked how her role supports that mission, Taylor explained: 

“While my role isn't a direct service position, I do feel like my role helps aid the mission! I support service quality, fiscal responsibility, collaboration, accountability, and efficiency all by doing my daily tasks. Furthermore, I put a huge emphasis on collaborating with my team and other departments for each of these as well.” 

Taylor’s insight is a clear reminder that every staff member, and every position, is essential. It takes all of us, working together across departments, to bring Fairfield DD’s mission to life. Because of dedicated employees like Taylor, we continue to bring about a vibrant community where people lead lives of greater independence and make meaningful contributions.

Melissa Sherrer is a developmental specialist and part of the Early Intervention team at Fairfield DD. She has dedicated 26 years to Early Intervention, spending her career supporting young children and their families.

One of the most meaningful parts of Melissa’s work is when a parent begins to really understand a strategy and confidently uses it with their child. She describes getting chills in those moments, especially when a family sees progress, such as a child saying their first word or a parent realizing they already have the tools they need to support their child’s development.

Melissa also really values learning from the families she visits, including the opportunity to experience and understand diverse cultures in home and community settings.

At the center of her work is Fairfield DD’s mission of supporting people with developmental disabilities to live, learn, work, and participate in their communities. Melissa lives out this mission by helping families feel confident, supported, and capable as they guide their child’s development. She sees her role as coaching and empowering families so they can build lasting skills that fit naturally into their daily routines and continue well beyond each visit.