Barry Wasserman, MA, CAS
Mr. Wasserman is a Licensed Professional Counselor in CT, a certified School Psychologist in Connecticut, New York and New Jersey, and a member of the National and Connecticut Associations of School Psychologists. He completed graduate training in Educational Psychology at the University of Wisconsin — Madison.In Wisconsin, Mr. Wasserman worked with students ages 3-21, both as a School Psychologist and for eight years as a Director of Special Education. As a psychologist he worked with children in public and private schools, two county-operated facilities for students with severe/profound special needs, the Wisconsin Schools for the Deaf and Blind (re-evaluations), the Oneida tribal school, and in private practice. Highly experienced with ADHD, he was appointed as a Regional Consultant for the Wisconsin ADD Project, a program of the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. Mr. Wasserman also taught graduate courses at St. Norbert College in DePere, WI.
Mr. Wasserman relocated to CT in 1999 and worked at Jennings Elementary School in Fairfield, a neighborhood school that also housed half the district’s elementary children with severe special needs. He left Fairfield to begin a part-time private practice in CT and worked part-time through ACES (Area Cooperative Educational Services) at Thomas Edison Middle School in Meriden, conducted assessments for the CT Study of Epilepsy in Children at Yale University School of Medicine — Department of Pediatrics, and worked part-time in Trumbull with the Specialized Resource Program (serving students with Autism Spectrum Disorder) and the Trumbull Early Childhood Education Program. Immediately before joining ADA Therapy, LLC, Mr. Wasserman spent his last several years with Darien Public Schools and at Woodhouse Academy in Milford, a private school for students with social/emotional/psychiatric issues who were unsuccessful within their home school districts.
As a school psychologist Mr. Wasserman has offered counseling, consulting, and evaluation services to students, families, and schools. He sees students individually and in groups. Special interests include ADHD and related neuro-psychiatric disorders, high-functioning students with Autism Spectrum Disorder, social skills, students with siblings with special needs, students who do not respond well to traditional discipline, students living with a family member with alcohol and/or drug abuse, as well as teaching “Social Acceptance for All” with a focus on understanding and acceptance of people with learning and/or social/behavioral differences.
LICENSED PROFESSIONAL COUNSELOR IN CT
CERTIFIED SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST IN CT, NY, & NJ
Experienced in Public Schools and Private Practice
Evaluation and Counseling with Students (ages 3-21) and Families
Consultation to Parents, Physicians and Schools; Staff Development
Psycho/Educational Services
- ADOS-2 ASSESSMENT (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition)
- BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT/CONSULTATION: especially for chronic, inflexible, oppositional behavior
- COUNSELING: Individual / group / family counseling regarding behavior management, social skills, study skills, divorce, grief, self-esteem, relaxation, and living with alcohol and/or other drug abuse
- FUNCTIONAL BEHAVIORAL ANALYSIS (FBA) + BEHAVIOR INTERVENTION PLAN (BIP)
- PSYCHO-EDUCATIONAL EVALUATION (ages 3 - 21): Assessment/consultation regarding ADHD, Affective Disorders (anxiety, bipolar, depression, OCD, etc.), Autism Spectrum Disorders, Intellectual Disability, Language/Learning Disabilities, Multiply Handicapped, Gifted/Talented, Early Entrance, Retention/Promotion, Manifestation Determination, 504 evaluations/plans for students with disabilities, severe allergies, ADHD, etc.
- SIBLING SUPPORT GROUPS
- SOCIAL ACCEPTANCE FOR ALL (SAFA): A self-developed program to facilitate socialization & acceptance of students with special needs in integrated school and community settings
- SOCIAL SKILLS TRAINING: Individual/Group/Whole Class Instruction
Continuing Education Emphasis
- ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) – multiple 1-3 day workshops (including the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis and the University of Wisconsin, Madison)
- Child Depression/Suicide – multiple 1-3 day workshops (including the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis)
- PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) in Children – multiple one-day sessions (University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee)
- AODA (alcohol and other drug abuse) Prevention – multiple one-day sessions
- Autism Spectrum Disorders – one-week seminar + one graduate course (Southern CT State University)
- Neuro-developmental Model of Learning and Attention Disorders – one week seminar (University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill with Mel Levine, MD)
- The Explosive Child (Oppositional Defiant Disorder) – three-day seminar at the Center for Collaborative Problem Solving, Boston, MA + an additional one-day workshop in CT
- Children At-Risk – 2 graduate courses (Aurora University, Aurora, Illinois)
- Special Education Program Evaluation – four one-day sessions (Appleton, WI)
- Management Restructuring: School Improvement Team Training – two one-day sessions (Green Bay, WI)
Employment History
Current Position- Clinician with ADA Therapy, LLC in Fairfield, CT (part-time)
- Coordination of in-home and community intervention programming with high-functioning students with ASD and psychiatric disorders (individual, group and family therapy; supervision of mentors in home and community)
- Private Practice
- Darien Public Schools [Early Learning Program and Royle Elementary School]
- Trumbull Public Schools [Specialized Resource Program (elementary autism program) & Early Childhood Education Center]
- North Haven Public Schools [Montowese and Ridge Road Elementary Schools]
- Area Cooperative Educational Services (ACES) [Thomas Edison Middle School in Meriden, CT]
- Fairfield Public Schools [Jennings Elementary School – with 50% of district’s autistic/severely disabled elementary students]
- School District of West DePere, DePere, WI [pre-k through 12th grade]
- Hortonville Community Schools, Hortonville, WI [pre-k through 12th grade]
- Coordinated Special Education Services (17 special education staff; 1500 students + 700 students in ten parochial schools)
- Coordinated multi-disciplinary 504 and PPT evaluations & manifestation determination for expulsion
- Coordinated out-of-district placements for students with severe disabilities
- Member - Superintendents' Advisory Board for Regional School serving severely handicapped students from ten districts
- Revised / developed referral system for multi-disciplinary team evaluation process
- Prepared all federal / state reports regarding special education programming
- Grant writing for federal funds
- Coordinated documentation of special education programs, policies, and procedures for on-site audit by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
- Developed summer school policy / programming for Early Childhood students
- Developed additional LD (learning disability) and ED (emotional disability) programs.
- Combined special education programs into multi-categorical units
- Multi-Disciplinary Team Evaluations of Students (ages 3 – 21)
- Union Leadership
- Member of Negotiating Team (negotiated contracts with school board)
- Member of Welfare Committee (screened/approved decisions of negotiating team)
- Building Representative to Executive Board
- Committees
- Social/Emotional Curriculum Committee for Early Childhood Program
- Chair: Project Achieve Committee (social skills/discipline program) at two elementary schools
- Conducted staff training and parent program
- School Improvement Team member at Middle School and High School
- Steering Committee for High School "School Improvement" teams
- Regional Consultant, Wisconsin ADD Project, Wisconsin State Dept. of Public Instruction
- Assessments for CT Study of Epilepsy in Children, Yale School of Medicine - Department of Pediatrics
- Long-term substitute as a school psychologist in CT districts: Bridgeport, New Canaan, New Fairfield, Seymour, Southington, Winchester, Wolcott and at Woodhouse Academy in Milford, CT (private school for high school and middle school students who are outplaced by their school districts due to social/emotional/psychiatric issues)
- Instructor, Confronting Anti-Semitism Project, Anti-Defamation League, Hamden, CT
- Adjunct Instructor, St. Norbert College, DePere, WI (graduate level: Adaptive Education Methods & Practicum)
Presentations to Community/Professional Groups
- Discipline/Social Skills Training
- ADHD
- Memory/Attention Disorders
- Understanding Psychological Reports
- Social Acceptance for All (SAFA) – Understanding and Accepting Others with Learning Differences
Professional Associations
- National Association of School Psychologists & Connecticut Association of School Psychologists
Community Service
- Member – Board of Directors and President of Men’s Club at local synagogue
- Secretary of CT Valley Region of the Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs
- Steering Committees - Yeladim Childcare Center and JCC Summer Camp, Woodbridge, CT
- President - Board of Directors, Project Bridges Preschool/ Daycare Center, Appleton, WI
- Volunteer Coach – YMCA soccer team, Menasha, WI
Academic History
- B.S. in Sociology, University of California - San Diego
- M.S. in Educational Psychology, University of Wisconsin - Madison