50 Faces of The Arc- Megan
Megan is the Program Director at ODLC (Open Door Learning Center), an intentionally inclusive preschool on Paxton Campus. She previously worked at The Aurora School as a Team Lead before transferring to the preschool. Megan was immediately attracted to working at The Arc of Loudoun because of how much of a resource they are to the disability community. She says,
“There’s really nothing like The Arc. It’s such an honor to work alongside people who uphold the mission of helping children and families affected by disabilities.”
Megan enjoys working with the ODLC students in particular because of her background in early intervention. She exclaims,
“It’s amazing to see how ABA intervention is making a world of a difference in their lives at such a young age.”
Megan believes ABA therapy plays a huge part in the success of the children, and since students at ODLC are able to participate in ABA therapy as part of their curriculum, Megan has observed countless numbers of students grow in both their behavior and communication skills.
“Some children have difficulty with aggression or they do not have functional forms of communication,” she explains. “But with ABA therapy we’re able to teach them replacement behaviors that are appropriate, like asking instead of yelling for what they want.”
Megan says she loves the ODLC program because she sees enormous improvement in students in a short amount of time. Megan’s observed students who were previously not able to say words now reciting the whole alphabet. She’s also seen progress with children who had difficulty being social, stating,
“Now those same students who would always play alone are engaging with their peers.”
Megan believes The Arc of Loudoun is a great resource for the community exclaiming,
“I feel like the whole campus is an ‘Open Door!’ We are so welcoming through our events, and we are a resource for so many families through our different classes and workshops.”
In the next fifty years Megan hopes The Arc will continue to thrive, grow, and be a light for the community.