Smita Worah
Special Education Consultant at SERC (State Education Resource Center)- Claim this Profile
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English Full professional proficiency
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Gujarati Native or bilingual proficiency
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Hindi Native or bilingual proficiency
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Bio
Arlene Lugo
I have had the pleasure of working with Dr. Smita Worah on several projects over the past 5 years, most notably on the provision of two years of technical assistance to a local high school to assist them in developing a mechanism for improving their Assistive Technology (AT) service delivery to students with disabilities and to help them build an Assistive Technology Team. The result of this two year project was the creation of a
Linnet E. Carty, MBA
My name is Linnet Carty, and I’m a television producer and host and Vice President of xmlElite. It is with extreme pride that I write this letter of recommendation on behalf of Dr. Smita Worah. I have known Smita for over eight years and I have watched her blossom in her responsibilities professionally, personally and publically while providing professional development in the area of Special Education and Assistive Technology to the educators and administrators in the state of Connecticut. Dr. Worah exemplifies professionalism, always has a sunny disposition, is self-motivated and repeatedly takes the initiative on projects. I’ve had the pleasure of participating in her customized Professional Development sessions, both internally and externally as well having worked with her directly on several other projects, including the SERC/PIRC Television Show where she was a guest. You will be impressed with her personally as she is honest, dependable and confidential. Smita is a hard worker, a team player, a multi-tasker, organized and always willing to assist others. She pays attention to details, respects others, is loyal to a fault, welcomes a challenge and is always eager to learn new concepts. Smita is well known for her attention to details as well as her great relationships with the Connecticut State Department of Education and other state agencies. This seasoned professional has diverse past experience, being an educator, trainer, developer and researcher. Her experience lecturing and in depth research on augmentative and alternative communication devices have made her a leader in the field. I have been in awe of her as she calmly and constantly works under short requests and on last minute deadlines as well as leads a small team in providing professional development for large scale events (500 +) including several conferences for the Connecticut State Department of Education, SERC and other entities. There is no question that Dr. Worah will be the perfect candidate and an asset to any organization. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact me personally. Best, Linnet E. Carty, MBA
Arlene Lugo
I have had the pleasure of working with Dr. Smita Worah on several projects over the past 5 years, most notably on the provision of two years of technical assistance to a local high school to assist them in developing a mechanism for improving their Assistive Technology (AT) service delivery to students with disabilities and to help them build an Assistive Technology Team. The result of this two year project was the creation of a
Linnet E. Carty, MBA
My name is Linnet Carty, and I’m a television producer and host and Vice President of xmlElite. It is with extreme pride that I write this letter of recommendation on behalf of Dr. Smita Worah. I have known Smita for over eight years and I have watched her blossom in her responsibilities professionally, personally and publically while providing professional development in the area of Special Education and Assistive Technology to the educators and administrators in the state of Connecticut. Dr. Worah exemplifies professionalism, always has a sunny disposition, is self-motivated and repeatedly takes the initiative on projects. I’ve had the pleasure of participating in her customized Professional Development sessions, both internally and externally as well having worked with her directly on several other projects, including the SERC/PIRC Television Show where she was a guest. You will be impressed with her personally as she is honest, dependable and confidential. Smita is a hard worker, a team player, a multi-tasker, organized and always willing to assist others. She pays attention to details, respects others, is loyal to a fault, welcomes a challenge and is always eager to learn new concepts. Smita is well known for her attention to details as well as her great relationships with the Connecticut State Department of Education and other state agencies. This seasoned professional has diverse past experience, being an educator, trainer, developer and researcher. Her experience lecturing and in depth research on augmentative and alternative communication devices have made her a leader in the field. I have been in awe of her as she calmly and constantly works under short requests and on last minute deadlines as well as leads a small team in providing professional development for large scale events (500 +) including several conferences for the Connecticut State Department of Education, SERC and other entities. There is no question that Dr. Worah will be the perfect candidate and an asset to any organization. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact me personally. Best, Linnet E. Carty, MBA
Arlene Lugo
I have had the pleasure of working with Dr. Smita Worah on several projects over the past 5 years, most notably on the provision of two years of technical assistance to a local high school to assist them in developing a mechanism for improving their Assistive Technology (AT) service delivery to students with disabilities and to help them build an Assistive Technology Team. The result of this two year project was the creation of a
Linnet E. Carty, MBA
My name is Linnet Carty, and I’m a television producer and host and Vice President of xmlElite. It is with extreme pride that I write this letter of recommendation on behalf of Dr. Smita Worah. I have known Smita for over eight years and I have watched her blossom in her responsibilities professionally, personally and publically while providing professional development in the area of Special Education and Assistive Technology to the educators and administrators in the state of Connecticut. Dr. Worah exemplifies professionalism, always has a sunny disposition, is self-motivated and repeatedly takes the initiative on projects. I’ve had the pleasure of participating in her customized Professional Development sessions, both internally and externally as well having worked with her directly on several other projects, including the SERC/PIRC Television Show where she was a guest. You will be impressed with her personally as she is honest, dependable and confidential. Smita is a hard worker, a team player, a multi-tasker, organized and always willing to assist others. She pays attention to details, respects others, is loyal to a fault, welcomes a challenge and is always eager to learn new concepts. Smita is well known for her attention to details as well as her great relationships with the Connecticut State Department of Education and other state agencies. This seasoned professional has diverse past experience, being an educator, trainer, developer and researcher. Her experience lecturing and in depth research on augmentative and alternative communication devices have made her a leader in the field. I have been in awe of her as she calmly and constantly works under short requests and on last minute deadlines as well as leads a small team in providing professional development for large scale events (500 +) including several conferences for the Connecticut State Department of Education, SERC and other entities. There is no question that Dr. Worah will be the perfect candidate and an asset to any organization. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact me personally. Best, Linnet E. Carty, MBA
Arlene Lugo
I have had the pleasure of working with Dr. Smita Worah on several projects over the past 5 years, most notably on the provision of two years of technical assistance to a local high school to assist them in developing a mechanism for improving their Assistive Technology (AT) service delivery to students with disabilities and to help them build an Assistive Technology Team. The result of this two year project was the creation of a
Linnet E. Carty, MBA
My name is Linnet Carty, and I’m a television producer and host and Vice President of xmlElite. It is with extreme pride that I write this letter of recommendation on behalf of Dr. Smita Worah. I have known Smita for over eight years and I have watched her blossom in her responsibilities professionally, personally and publically while providing professional development in the area of Special Education and Assistive Technology to the educators and administrators in the state of Connecticut. Dr. Worah exemplifies professionalism, always has a sunny disposition, is self-motivated and repeatedly takes the initiative on projects. I’ve had the pleasure of participating in her customized Professional Development sessions, both internally and externally as well having worked with her directly on several other projects, including the SERC/PIRC Television Show where she was a guest. You will be impressed with her personally as she is honest, dependable and confidential. Smita is a hard worker, a team player, a multi-tasker, organized and always willing to assist others. She pays attention to details, respects others, is loyal to a fault, welcomes a challenge and is always eager to learn new concepts. Smita is well known for her attention to details as well as her great relationships with the Connecticut State Department of Education and other state agencies. This seasoned professional has diverse past experience, being an educator, trainer, developer and researcher. Her experience lecturing and in depth research on augmentative and alternative communication devices have made her a leader in the field. I have been in awe of her as she calmly and constantly works under short requests and on last minute deadlines as well as leads a small team in providing professional development for large scale events (500 +) including several conferences for the Connecticut State Department of Education, SERC and other entities. There is no question that Dr. Worah will be the perfect candidate and an asset to any organization. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact me personally. Best, Linnet E. Carty, MBA
Credentials
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Courageous Conversation About Race Practitioner
Pacific Education GroupSep, 2021- Oct, 2024
Experience
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SERC (State Education Resource Center)
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United States
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Education Management
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100 - 200 Employee
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Special Education Consultant
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Nov 2008 - Present
As an education consultant, I worked closely with the Bureau of Special Education to develop programs for educators serving students with special needs for over 100 school districts. • Coached, conducted training and provided technical assistance to over 2500 educators in school districts in Connecticut to use assistive technology, accessible educational materials, and universal design for learning to ensure that students with disabilities have access to the general education curriculum in the least restrictive environment • Conducted professional development for over 500 educators working with students with significant disabilities to provide them with strategies to ensure that these students have access to the Common Core State Standards and can participate in the Alternate Assessment • Worked closely with the Assessment Bureau at the Connecticut State Department to review items for the Connecticut Science Assessment and the Connecticut Alternate Science Assessment to ensure their fairness and accessibility • Developed more than 20 training and resource materials to support children with disabilities (e.g., booklets, pamphlets, and webinars) for administrators, educators, and family members • Researched and facilitated a group of 35 multidisciplinary educators to write the Connecticut Assistive Technology Guidelines. • Initiated the Assistive Technology lending corner and demonstration center at the SERC and provided assistive technology demonstrations to over 1000 educators, family members, students, and adults with disabilities. • Consulted with over 500 educators from institutions of higher education and school districts to implement assistive technology tools such as screen readers, magnifiers, alternative input devices, iOS, and Google apps to ensure academic participation for students with disabilities and English language learners • Worked closely with the Department of Aging and Disability Services to provide Level-Up support to youths with disabilities Show less
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Penn State University
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United States
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Higher Education
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700 & Above Employee
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Teaching Assistant
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Jan 2005 - May 2008
Assisted in teaching graduate courses, collected and analyzed data, developed course materials • Assisted in teaching courses in Special Education and Law and Augmentative and Alternative Courses to graduate and undergraduate courses for seven semesters. • Supervised the work of over 2500 graduate and ungraduated students, monitored and proctored their assessments • Analyzed over 100 video and audio tapes to collect data for research related to communication disorders • Participated in 5 research projects to develop and field test alternate access methods (e.g., hand movement , eye gaze) for computer access Show less
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Indian Institute of Cerebral Palsy
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Taratolla, Kolkata, India
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Educator, Trainer, Researcher, Developer
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Jan 1989 - Dec 2004
As a special educator, coordinated the augmentative and alternative communication program, provided training, supervised staff, developed resources conducted research and taught courses at the undergraduate and graduate level • Coached, conducted training and providing technical assistance to over a 500 educators in the areas of augmentative and alternative communication, assistive technology and specialized instruction. • Coordinated the augmentative and alternative communication department to ensure that non-speaking children, students, and adults were provided with an alternative means of communication • Evaluated 10 programs in north-east India and provided recommendations to improve services for students with special needs • Conducted and participated in research projects to develop communication skills of non-speaking children • Trained and supervised graduate and undergraduate over a 100 students attending a variety of teacher training programs at the Indian Institute of Cerebral Palsy • Collaborated with 5 hardware developers and software designers to develop and evaluate assistive technologies and communication devices for individuals with disabilities • Developed more than 25 training and resource materials to support children with disabilities for educators and family members • Developed over 750 culturally appropriate picture communication symbols for non-speaking students for the Indian subcontinent • Provided direct special education services to over 500 children and adults with cerebral palsy Show less
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United States-India Educational Foundation (USIEF), New Delhi
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India
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Education Administration Programs
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1 - 100 Employee
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Fulbright Scholar
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Sep 2001 - Feb 2002
Conducted a study to investigate graphic representations of early emerging language concepts by young children from Asian – Indian background Conducted a study to investigate graphic representations of early emerging language concepts by young children from Asian – Indian background
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British Council
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United Kingdom
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Non-profit Organizations
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700 & Above Employee
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Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan
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Sep 1993 - Aug 1994
Completed Masters in Special Education with an emphasis on Augmnetative and Alternative Communication Completed Masters in Special Education with an emphasis on Augmnetative and Alternative Communication
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Education
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2005 - 2008
Penn State University
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Special Education and Teaching -
1993 - 1994
The University of Manchester
Master of Education (M.Ed.), Special Education
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