The Guild School is recognizing staff members who have gone above and beyond to support students in and out of the classroom in celebration of Educator Appreciation Week from May 4 – 8. Classroom teachers, teaching assistants, clinical and vocational staff, student services, transition services, and residential services all work together to monitor progress and adjust the IEP to ensure that each student is progressing toward their highest level of achievement.

Across the human services industry, direct support is disproportionately provided by women. According to a 2018 report by the Providers' Council, women make up 80% of the human services work force in Massachusetts. Some of the most consequential leadership at The Guild happens in the daily work of largely female staff who prepare meals, support communication, manage routines, respond to crises, and help others move through each day with dignity.

Teaching Assistant Nerline Desjardins has been working with students with intellectual disabilities, autism, and significant behavioral challenges at The Guild for more than two decades. She worked as a residential assistant for 10 years before transitioning to a teaching assistant 11 years ago.

Every day, Guild School staff create engaging learning opportunities for students, tailored to their unique interests and needs. With the support of these dedicated team members, students go out into the community for recreation and hands-on learning, participate in adaptive sports, learn critical life skills to build independence, and more.

The Guild for Human Services, which educates, encourages, and empowers individuals with intellectual disabilities, is pleased to announce that it was awarded a $20,000 grant from The Sudbury Foundation. The funds will be used to improve trauma-informed care and emotional well-being for students with intellectual disabilities when they experience distress by expanding access to sensory regulating materials and create sensory-friendly environments in The Guild School.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Guild residents were separated from families, caregivers, and the community for 77 days. During this confusing and scary time, virtual connections became not just common place but vitally important for connection. Many of the individuals living in Guild residences experience congenital or acquired communication disorders associated with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), autism, and multiple disabilities.

The Guild for Human Services was recently awarded a $74,907 federal grant through the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to reduce or eliminate the use of time-out rooms. The funds will allow The Guild School to expand the number of inclusive and welcoming open spaces and enhance the overall learning environment.

Throughout life, families occasionally encounter unexpected situations that curb their plans in ways they can't predict. Raising a child who has been diagnosed with an intellectual and/or developmental disability can be one of these situations. It can take away the ability to control what's next and changes how we envision caring for a child. For some people, this is experienced as a loss or, more specifically, an ambiguous loss. Ambiguous loss is an unclear loss that continues without resolution or closure and can lead to feelings of confusion, anxiety, and chronic sorrow.

One in five employees within the human services sector identifies as an immigrant to the United States. Many of these employees are deemed “essential” in providing direct support to historically underserved populations. Yet, far too many barriers prevent these employees from achieving the financial and professional success they sought when they came to the U.S. 

This morning, WBZ-TV featured The Guild's inclusive playground on their segment of "It Happens Here." You can watch the video here. A closed caption version is also available on