Celebrating Developmental Disability Professionals Day

Sara Grote, an administrator at Boundless recalls, “What began as a spontaneous decision at that camp has shaped my career path and deepened my commitment to making a positive difference in the lives of others.”

Right in the middle of Disability Pride Month is Developmental Disability Professionals Day. On July 15, we celebrate the people that have made a career out of helping individuals with developmental disabilities. While their journeys are varied, each Boundless employee featured in this article has made a huge impact on the people they serve.

 

What or who inspired you to become a developmental disability professional? 

Carrie Hau, Administrator for Valley Belt: I had an older cousin growing up that had Down Syndrome. She was my inspiration to become involved in this field.

Graci Book, Clinic Coordinator at Worthington Transition Program: In college, I worked at a camp for individuals with disabilities. At this camp, I found so much happiness and joy in working with the students and helping them grow. From that first day of camp, I knew I wanted to make this my career and have had an amazing time doing so.

Suzette Sayre, Director- North CIS: Growing up, my parents fostered teens in their home and volunteered for Easter Seals with individuals with developmental disabilities. As a young girl, this made a huge impact on me. During high school, my mother went to college to become an ASL interpreter and I was very involved with her training and the individuals that she was serving. So, when I graduated high school and did not know what I wanted to do next, I took a job at a 32 bed Intermediate Care Facility (ICF) in Hartville, Ohio and absolutely fell in love with the individuals and what I could do to help them become as independent as possible.

Melissa Engle, Operations Manager for Workforce & Community Services: My son, Joshua. He was born with autism and I benefited so much from the autism community that I wanted to give back.

Chasity Overholt, Clinic Director of Stepping Up and Stepping Forward: My mom and a little boy she was a special education aide for. He was a 5-year-old with autism and knew every fact about dinosaurs, and I thought he was one of the coolest people I had met!

Rachel Bertsch, Clinic Coordinator at SOAR: Not one person or one event inspired me to become a developmental disability professional, but after graduating college I went to a job fair and visited Boundless (at that time it was Step by Step Academy), and I loved what I saw. I have continued to love it since then!

Elijah Redmond, Behavior Technician: I’ve always felt called to and passionate about working with adolescents and young adults. I really wanted to improve my skills and experience with Boundless, especially because I have never had the chance to work with this particular community of individuals.

Sara Grote, Administrator of Center Based Services, Central Region: Growing up, I always wanted to become a kindergarten teacher. Pursuing early childhood education in college, I applied for a camp counselor position in Cincinnati. Unexpectedly, the only openings were in their program for individuals with developmental disabilities. Deciding to give it a chance, I discovered a profound passion for working with this population. The experience was transformative, prompting me to expand my major to include intervention specialist. Since then, I've dedicated myself to this field. What began as a spontaneous decision at that camp has shaped my career path and deepened my commitment to making a positive difference in the lives of others.

 

 Who has been a mentor for you in this field?

Carrie Hau: A workforce manager that I used to work with has been a great mentor to me. Whenever I needed anything, even though we were no longer employed by the same employer, he was and is always there to help. Now I have wonderful leadership and mentors in Lauri Livingston Roberts, Suzette Sayre and Stacey Rokoff!

Graci Book: Crystal Timmel, my awesome supervisor at Boundless, has been a tremendous help and a great mentor to me in this field. She is my go-to person when I need advice or when I need support. We are lucky to have her here.

Suzette Sayre: Although I have worked in the field for many years, I had never found someone who was as passionate about serving, learning and growing as I was. Roughly 10 years ago, I met Lauri Livingston-Roberts at a previous employer. She has been absolutely instrumental in mentoring me to be the best that I can be and has a clear passion for those we serve. I have grown by leaps and bounds under her mentoring and could not have asked for anyone better to follow to Boundless to continue my growth and service.

Melissa Engle: The individuals I have served over the past 20 years have taught me so much. I also had many professionals mentor me throughout my journey.

Chastity Overholt: Christine Fannin taught me all I know about ABA, and Kristen Solomon, a former Boundless employee, taught me how to be a professional leader. Staff used to get nervous when Christine would come in and do their evaluations. I was always psyched to have her do mine because I knew the feedback I would receive was so valuable, and I wanted to soak up as much knowledge I could from her.

Rachel Bertsch: Sara Grote has become a mentor for me in this field! I have worked with her when she was an intervention specialist, behavior analyst and clinic director. In these positions I have seen her "be relentless about improvement," which is Boundless fundamental #23. She works continuously and tirelessly to assist the individuals we serve in making progress and advocates for all. She is a wonderful role model of what a developmental disability professional should be.

Elijah Redmond: Brendan Downing, who is the clinical coordinator in my building at the Worthington campus. Brendan exemplifies many characteristics of being a leader and has been a major influence on my growth with Boundless.

Sara Grote: I have worked for this organization for a long time and have had a lot of mentors over the years, some no longer work here, like Sam Banks, and some still do, like Christine Fannin. I have also learned so much from people I have worked with over the years as well, like Chasity Overholt.

 

How has working in this field changed you, personally? 

Carrie Hau: I have been in this field for 27 years, and boy, have I seen and heard it all! My compassion to help others live their life to the fullest potential inspires me to keep moving forward.

Graci Book: Working in this field has made a great impact on my life. I have become a much more patient, kind and understanding person. I now feel like I have found my true passion in life, helping others in this field.

Suzette Sayre: My family has always been very involved with what I do for work. I have witnessed my children’s compassion for individuals, and several of them have volunteered and worked in the field as well. Watching their compassion and kindness as well as acceptance of others truly has changed me personally. Community engagement and acceptance of what we do has always been inspiring to me, so watching my family lead and guide friends to treat individuals with disabilities as just another person is a personal success in my eyes.

Melissa Engle: Working in this field has taught me that anything is possible. I've seen our individuals change and grow while cheering them on in their accomplishments.

Chastity Overholt: The field has taught me more patience than imaginable and to be accepting of people for who they are and who they want to be. I have also done almost every type of job here, so I have gained a lot of skills along the way.

Rachel Bertsch: I have worked in this field for 17 years, and I believe it has made me a more empathetic and understanding person. The individuals I have been fortunate to work with and get to know have made me a better person. 

Elijah Redmond: It has made me such a better active listener. Whether it is my peers, management or even the individuals I work with, just taking a step back and listening to what they have to say has taught me so much. Being an active listener is an important skill in many cases in life and something that has improved for me personally since I’ve worked in this field

Sara Grote: Working closely with individuals with developmental disabilities has profoundly changed me on a personal level. It has instilled in me a deep sense of empathy and patience, as I've learned to understand and appreciate unique perspectives and challenges. Witnessing the determination and resilience of these individuals has inspired me to approach life with a greater sense of gratitude and compassion. Moreover, the experience has taught me the value of advocacy and the importance of creating inclusive environments where everyone feels respected and empowered.

 

What's the most rewarding part of your job? 

Carrie Hau: My joy and inspiration seeing others succeed in life has been a driving factor.

Graci Book: The most rewarding part of the job is seeing the growth the students make and the challenges they overcome. Seeing the changes and the impact you have on someone's life is such an unexplainable thing. When I look at my students’ progress from when I first started with them or even from a year ago, it makes me tear up. This job is truly amazing.

Suzette Sayre: Absolutely the individuals! I could tell stories for days about specific individuals that have taught me so many lessons, have shown me love like no other and how to treat others. I think the most valuable lesson they have taught me is that you never know what someone else is going through in their life and that we should extend grace and be patient and kind.

Melissa Engle: The most rewarding part of my job is seeing individuals' confidence grow through community integration.

Chastity Overholt: Decreasing challenging behavior as a barrier to individuals being able to learn.

Rachel Bertsch: Seeing the individuals we serve make progress is of course rewarding, but honestly just getting to hang out and be part of our kids’ and young adults' lives is incredibly rewarding. I work with some great, great, great kids!

Elijah Redmond: The most rewarding part of my job is to see the individuals I work with grow and develop new skills. Especially when they get to brag to me about their new skills.

Sara Grote: Working in the field of developmental disabilities is profoundly rewarding on multiple levels. Witnessing individuals you work with achieve new skills and milestones brings a deep sense of fulfillment and joy. Whether it's a child mastering basic communication or an adult gaining independence in daily tasks, these moments highlight the impact of dedicated support and the resilience of individuals overcoming challenges. Furthermore, seeing staff members become passionate advocates and caregivers adds another layer of satisfaction. When a team is united by a shared commitment to enhancing the lives of those with developmental disabilities, the work becomes not just a job, but a meaningful mission that fosters growth, empathy and positive change in the community.

 

What is your most memorable example of how your work positively impacted someone's life? 

Carrie Hau: I was a supervisor for group employment a few years back. I was able to assist a client in finding full-time, meaningful employment through a host company. There were kinks along the way, like having to provide visual aids to complete job correctly, a watch to help with clocking in and out, needing to solve some transportation issues and so forth. This client overcame all obstacles with my assistance. This client is now living independently in the community with a full-time job, making excellent wages and using private insurance.

Graci Book: One of the most memorable examples of this work is with one of the students that I started with three years ago. When I first started with her, she had a significant rate of self-injury and aggression. She has OCD, so items being out of place in her environment or changes to her routine would trigger those behaviors quite frequently. Today, she accepts various changes to her environment or routine, her self-injury and aggression are very low, and soon she will be graduating Boundless and moving on to a day habilitation program. She even walked on stage at her high school graduation ceremony. She has made incredible progress, and we are so proud of her here at the transition program.

Suzette Sayre: I had one individual that I worked with years ago that would only speak in whispers to staff. I wanted to promote his independence to speak up. We worked and worked on this skill and one day when I came into work, he was standing at the top of the long ramp coming into the building, grinning from ear to ear. He then belted out my name super loud! Oh my gosh, my heart soared! He continued to whisper on most occasions, but he gained confidence more and more over time to speak up, loud and proud.

Melissa Engle: There are so many examples of what has been inspiring. I guess the first example was of an individual that completed a work experience and was hired.  When she got her first paycheck, she brought in everything she was able to buy, like a coffee mug, a T-shirt and a necklace. It was the first time that she had expendable money to do with whatever she wanted, and she was so proud of it.

Chastity Overholt: I was a classroom instructor for a young individual who had a really traumatic past and hard home life. We were able to decrease his problem behaviors and teach him academic skills including how to read by channeling his interests of working on cars, so we used sight words from a mechanics manual. He was able to go to middle school and is now a senior in high school and going to CTEC for an electrical program.

Rachel Bertsch: It is difficult to think of one most memorable example, however through all my years working at Boundless I have seen how the work done at Boundless has impacted so many people's lives positively. From seeing kids who had no way to functionally communicate learn to be able to communicate and advocate for themselves, to seeing our kids leave center-based programs to a less restrictive environment and to continue their education.

Elijah Redmond: I worked with an individual who used a communication device as a primary form of communication, and after a prolonged period of time of helping that individual communicate stronger with the device, the individual’s parent talked to me about how much they improved at home using the device, communicating needs that family had not seen yet. This was very rewarding to me and reminded me how much of an impact our work has on the people we serve.

Sara Grote: One of the most memorable moments in my career was witnessing the transformation of a young individual who gained the skills necessary to transition back to a less restrictive educational environment and thrive academically and behaviorally. It was immensely rewarding to see this individual overcome challenges and develop the confidence and capabilities needed to succeed in school. Recently, a mother sent me a graduation picture of her child, beaming with pride and achievement. Knowing that I played a role in this success story filled me with immense joy and reaffirmed the significance of our work in supporting individuals with developmental disabilities.

 

What's one piece of advice you wish you had received when you started? 

Carrie Hau: Hold on. It may maybe a bumpy, winding road, but it will be a road worth traveling. Never give up and never stop believing that things can get better.

Graci Book: One piece of advice I wish I had received when starting is to never forget the progress the students have made and how much of a difference you are making in their lives. Some days may be hard, but the change you are making is so much greater. 

Suzette Sayre: I think the biggest lesson I have learned is how to work with individual's family members with the right care and dignity. Parents of individuals with disabilities spend their entire lives caring and advocating for them and fighting the system, all while trying to keep their loved one safe from people that would seek to harm them. This sometimes creates a hard exterior for the staff trying to assist and can come across as snide, uninterested, uncaring or rude, but it is just what they have had to do to survive. If we learn to walk in their shoes or be understanding and stop to listen, then an understanding can be had between both parties.

Melissa Engle: It will be harder than you think, but it will be more rewarding than you can imagine!

Chastity Overholt: Find healthy coping skills and leave work at work and home at home.

Elijah Redmond: One piece of advice I wished I had received when I started would be that don’t be afraid to ask a lot of questions. It’s very important to know that you are surrounded by a team that is willing to help you learn and be better at your job. When I first started, I felt obligated to figure it out on my own when, in reality, we all work together as a team to be better.

Sara Grote: Approach each individual with kindness and a willingness to listen, as this will not only enhance your ability to provide effective support and treatment, but also create a nurturing and inclusive environment where everyone can thrive.