The Guild for Human Services has renamed its library in honor of Anna Thorpe, a longtime advocate for individuals with special needs and their families who recently retired after five years as director of admissions at The Guild.

Anna began her 45-year career in 1973 as a special education teacher and went on to coordinate team evaluations for Framingham Public Schools and serve as the administrator of special education in Dover. She also worked at the Massachusetts Department of Education and managed a program for adults with special needs in Waltham.

Five members of The Guild School’s Speech and Language Department presented the findings of their innovative research study, which examined a method to train teachers and aides as “communications partners,” at the prestigious American Speech and Hearing Association Convention in November in Boston.

The study, Efficacy of High-Frequency Consult Services with Communication Partners of Students Who Use AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication devices), was conducted with four students, two lead teachers and two teaching assistants at The Guild earlier this year.

What began as an educational lesson in The Guild School’s Bridge classroom grew into a collaborative class project to support individuals impacted by the Merrimack Valley gas explosions.

Steven Belec, MBA, MPA joined the The Guild for Human Services as chief admissions and outreach officer on Sept. 10.

In this role, he will lead a five-person team responsible for The Guild School day and residential admissions for students under 22, along with marketing, communications and fundraising.

The Guild’s new Coffee Shop opened for business on Aug. 27, and students have been serving staff members beverages and baked goods for an hour every weekday since. Students operate the cash register, prepare food, fulfill orders and make deliveries around the school.

Jennifer Magnuson, BCBA, oversees a team of approximately 20 caregivers and is responsible for the creation, implementation, evaluation, and integration of clinical supports and techniques for students and adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities, mental health disorders, and autism.

Emily Calden explains her work at The Guild for Human Services simply: “It’s somewhat of a mission of mine,” she says, “to give a voice to students who don’t have one.”

A teacher who has worked at The Guild for eight years, the last seven as a speech therapy assistant, she is particularly drawn to the non-verbal students she sees. She works in both one-on-one and group settings to help her students communicate their desires, express their feelings and socialize.