Jenn Ostroff Named Anna Seaver Award Recipient

Northborough has a tradition of honoring one or more teachers for their overall excellence and contributions to the school system the day before school lets out for winter break. The award is called the Anna Seaver Award, in honor of a Northborough teacher of the past who left money in her will for this annual award. Although the $40 cash award doesn’t go as far as it used to, the recipients honored are proud to receive the award.

Jennifer Ostroff, an Autism Specialist in the Northborough and Southborough School District, was one of the award winners named in December. 

Autism is a neurological disorder that impairs communication skills and emotional development, resulting in social impairment making interaction with others difficult or nearly impossible. There is a broad spectrum of autism disabilities ranging from very highly functioning individuals with verbal and social abilities to completely nonverbal and socially impaired individuals.

Ostroff spends her time divided between ten schools, working in both Northborough and Southborough with kindergarten through eighth grade students as well as the district’s high school. The 65–70 autistic students she works to represent in the district range from 3 to 22 years of age. 

Ms. Ostroff remembers wanting to “be a teacher specializing in special education since the age of about 12.”  She works with families of autistic students and teachers throughout the district developing different strategies for behavioral, academic and social success both in school and at home as well as leading district wide workshops developing various teaching methods and philosophies for working successfully with autistic children.

With younger students, Ostroff works with parents as well as Early Intervention Specialists in developing school services. Early Intervention is a service available from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts available to families of children from birth to 3 years of age who have developmental difficulties due to a disability. After the child turns 3 years old the school district takes over the educational services of that child. Part of Ostroff’s job is acting as an intermediary between parents, Early Intervention therapists and the school making for an easier transition from home to school.

With older students, Ms. Ostroff works with school teachers, staff, families and in cases of highly functioning autistic students the students themselves getting involved in team decisions to develop the student’s Individual Educational Plan to ease transition to higher grade levels and different schools.

 She “loves to learn” and always remembers that “no one ever knows everything." She enjoys learning about autism, a disability that is being researched more and more through the National Institute of Mental Health and Developmental Education making treatments more effective for the families she represents.

After attending elementary and middle schools in Vermont, Massachusetts and Maryland, she graduated from high school in Vermont and received her undergraduate degree in Special Education and General Psychology from Castleton State College in Vermont and received her Master’s Degree in Special Education from Framingham State College.

As part of her continuing education, Ostroff completed an internship and sat for an exam to become a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, a qualification giving her the ability to examine students and determine their skill level. She works not only during the school year but during school vacations and over the summer as well.

Prior to working for the last 14 years in the Northborough/Southborough School District, she worked at the New England Center for Children (NECC) in Southborough a residential school for autism treatment and education.  She still attends conferences and professional development workshops at NECC to keep up with her Continuing Education Units.

Ostroff believes the inclusion program in Northborough and Southborough offers many benefits to the autistic children by “including them in educationally fun games and providing them with peer role models” allowing them to develop social skills and friendships “because most autistic children want to engage and be included."

Although many autistic students are cognitively challenged in areas of social, emotional and sensory development, many exhibit talents in areas of math and science as well as having incredible memories and artistic abilities.

The most rewarding part of her job Ms. Ostroff says is “seeing students with very low levels of functionality and skill learning to communicate” and also says “working with families” is a particularly gratifying aspect of her job as well.

Ms. Ostroff lives in Worcester with her husband and two children.