McLean Yoder Award for Professional Excellence (MYAPE) Presented to the Bucks County Intermediate Unit (IU) at Samuel Everitt School

The National Joint Committee for the Communication Needs of Persons with Severe Disabilities (NJC) recently honored the Bucks County Intermediate Unit at Samuel Everitt School, in Bucks County Pennsylvania, as the recipient of the 2024 McLean Yoder Award for Professional Excellence (MYAPE). The MYAPE was named after Drs. James McLean and David Yoder, preeminent research scientists in the area of communication and intellectual disability. The award was established to honor a team that exemplifies high quality professional service to individuals with severe disabilities. Nominations were solicited from throughout the United States and judged according to the NJC’s published quality indicators specific to communication assessment, goal setting, and program implementation.

Dr. Rose Sevcik and Dr. Andrea Barton-Hulsey, co-chairs of the NJC, felt that this year’s award winners were particularly noteworthy given the team’s commitment to inclusive educational practices. Team members at the Samuel Everitt School stood out for the work they are doing to provide high quality communication supports for students with complex needs through interprofessional practice and collaboration. Augmentative and alternative communication is promoted and embedded throughout daily activities at Samuel Everitt, including school jobs around the building, community-based trips, classroom instruction, lunch in the cafeteria, physical education, art and music classes, and on the school bus. Teachers and classroom assistants are provided training throughout the year by a team of clinicians. Even when students arrive at Samuel Everitt later in their educational careers, the team ensures students have access to functional communication for their transition to post-school adult life. The work at Samuel Everitt embodies the vision of the Bucks County IU: to strengthen and grow inclusive cultures where all learn, flourish, and contribute.

The NJC congratulates this year’s winner of the MYAPE and encourages others to nominate innovative teams in the future. Nominations are open year-round and available online.