Avon Autism Consultant Wins Prestigious State Award

ACSC's Autism Consultant Brianne Miller is a fixture in our schools. Rarely in her office, she's constantly out and about working with Special Education staff, students, and families. She plays an important role in ensuring students with Autism and their families receive the very best education and services Avon Schools has to offer.

Mrs. Miller recently learned that she earned the Distinctive Service of the Year Award from the Indiana Council of Exceptional Children.

Because her work is largely done behind the scenes, we wanted to shine a light on her, honoring her for the achievement, and to provide an opportunity for our community to get to know a little bit about her. The following are Mrs. Miller's answers to questions provided via email.

Tell us about your role in Avon Schools.

As the Autism Consultant for Avon, I get to wear many hats. I consult with classroom teachers and staff on strategies that can include behavior management, teaching strategies, social/emotional skill support, and etcetera. I jump in and provide 1:1 student support when needed, and I also have the opportunity to conduct trainings for teachers and aides, which I love! Then the other big part of my job is to be a liaison with all of the different ABA clinics when we have students making a transition into our schools from the ABA setting. I go and meet with the clinic team, observe the student, and gather as much information as I can so I can pass that onto our school team in an effort to help that student have a successful transition into Avon.

I want our students to feel welcome and happy and to know that we aren't trying to change who they are, and that we are going to work hard to help them learn and grow in a way that works for them. Brianne Miller

What do you love most about your job?

Every day is different! I can start the day in preschool, jump over to high school, and then end the day at a middle school. I also have the opportunity to collaborate with so many staff members across the district, and I get to meet and work with tons of awesome kids!

Tell me about the award you received and the organization that issued it. 

My award was the Distinctive Service of the Year Award that was issued by the Indiana Council or Exceptional Children. Here's a blurb from their website:

The Indiana Council for Exceptional Children (INCEC) is a community of educators and partners in learning dedicated to advancing the success of students with exceptionalities in Indiana. INCEC's mission is to improve, through excellence and advocacy, the education and quality of life for children and youth with exceptionalities and/or special needs and to enhance the engagement of their families.

What is the impact you hope you're making on our students with Autism?

My goal is always to try to build systems and supports for our students that allow them to access their education in a way that addresses their unique learning needs. I want our students to feel welcome and happy and to know that we aren't trying to change who they are, and that we are going to work hard to help them learn and grow in a way that works for them.

Is there anything else we didn't ask you about that you'd want to say?

Special Education is busy and can be very overwhelming for all staff. When the school year starts, I will go at about 100mph and that still isn't enough to do everything that I want to do, but I am grateful to work in a department that is open to having conversations about how we can continue to improve the school environment not just for our students, but for our staff as well.

Congratulations, Mrs. Miller, and thank you for all you do to make Avon Schools a place where ALL belong, learn, and grow.