Walden School (WS) is a nationally-recognized residential therapeutic and education program for deaf children and youth ages 7 to 22.
Our Comprehensive Approach
Academics
Every Walden School student’s program is individually designed to build self-esteem and self-reliance through a combination of academics, recreation, leisure skills, a work-readiness program and a Career Technology Education Program.
Clinical Care
Highly individualized trauma-informed care is the hallmark of Walden School. Each of our students has unique therapeutic and behavioral counseling needs, and each has their own individual treatment plan.
We always include the student in the development of their individualized plan along with a multidisciplinary team of experts, including the parent or guardian, the Clinical Director, Masters-level therapists, a clinical psychologist and a child psychiatrist and the student’s following teacher.
Nursing
TLC has two Nursing Offices located on campus designed to provide accessible care for pre-school, elementary, middle and high school students. Each office is staffed with Registered Nurses who work together under the leadership of the Health Services Director and in consultation with a pediatric physician and psychiatrist. Our Nurses take a positive, proactive approach in triaging health conditions.
Services include general assessments, medication management, coordination of critical care, preventive screenings and care for chronic conditions including asthma, diabetes and allergies.
Residential Program
Walden School students live, learn and play in a beautiful, modern campus setting. Our 13,000-square-foot facility is outfitted with recreation, dining, counseling and classroom areas. Students have access to The Learning Center’s two swimming pools, a playground and a full-sized gymnasium.
Academics
Every Walden School student’s program is individually designed to build self-esteem and self-reliance through a combination of academics, recreation, leisure skills, a work-readiness program and a Career Technology Education Program.
Clinical Care
Highly individualized trauma-informed care is the hallmark of Walden School. Each of our students has unique therapeutic and behavioral counseling needs, and each has their own individual treatment plan.
We always include the student in the development of their individualized plan along with a multidisciplinary team of experts, including the parent or guardian, the Clinical Director, Masters-level therapists, a clinical psychologist and a child psychiatrist and the student’s following teacher.
Nursing
TLC has two Nursing Offices located on campus designed to provide accessible care for pre-school, elementary, middle and high school students. Each office is staffed with Registered Nurses who work together under the leadership of the Health Services Director and in consultation with a pediatric physician and psychiatrist. Our Nurses take a positive, proactive approach in triaging health conditions.
Services include general assessments, medication management, coordination of critical care, preventive screenings and care for chronic conditions including asthma, diabetes and allergies.
Residential Program
Walden School students live, learn and play in a beautiful, modern campus setting. Our 13,000-square-foot facility is outfitted with recreation, dining, counseling and classroom areas. Students have access to The Learning Center’s two swimming pools, a playground and a full-sized gymnasium.
‘Let him play’ - Spotlight on: Kade West
TLC's mission is to ensure all deaf and hard of hearing individuals have the knowledge, power and opportunity to design the future of their choice. We thank the Los Angeles Times for creating space Kade's story. This article, and so many others, reinforce the "why" behind our work every day.
photo credit: Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times
TLC was proud Walden School Teacher Albert Lamour as one of our 2021 Merit Award Winners. As a staff member for more than 25 years, Albert has incredible passion for teaching and displays patience with our students. Congratulations, Albert!
Walden’s consistent adherence to professional standards, efficacious teaching methods, and respect for the individual child and family should be a model for the nation. We all know that what makes a great school is the “it” factor of the teacher, residence staff, and the school leadership.
Walden School Leadership
Glennis Matthews, MA
Glennis passionately believes in the foundation of literacy and has focused her studies on early literacy intervention strategies for deaf and hard of hearing children with a career goal to advocate and implement an early literacy curriculum for deaf and hard of hearing children.
Glennis earned her Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Spelman College in Atlanta after an Associate of Applied Science degree in Sign Language Interpreting from Georgia Perimeter College in Clarkston. She then obtained a Master of Arts degree in Middle Grade Math and Science from Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta.
Her role as TLC Superintendent makes her the first Black Deaf woman and first HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) graduate to become a Superintendent of a Deaf School throughout the history of Deaf Education, joining the league consisting of a few Deaf BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) Deaf School Superintendents in the United States.
Kristin Feldman
Kristin received her Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Bay Path University in Longmeadow and is a graduate of Gallaudet University in Washington, DC.
Prior to joining TLC, Kristin held various leadership roles within the residential program at American School for the Deaf in West Hartford, CT. Her experience includes extensive supervision of residential and student life programs, as well as experience in conflict resolution and crisis management. She can skillfully analyze student behavior and create meaningful plans of action of support, while working collaboratively with administrators, staff, state agencies, and parents.
She has completed several professional development training courses related to trauma-informed care, including Connecticut Physical, Psychological Management Training (PMT), Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports (PBIS), and administrative workshops in Thinking Maps, an organization dedicated to providing a visual language for learning for teachers and educational leaders.
Kristin holds professional memberships with the Eastern Schools for the Deaf Athletics Association, and the Conference of Educational Administrators of Schools and Programs, as well as a member of US Women’s Basketball Coaching staff. She was an exceptional athlete on the elite USA Deaf Pan-Am Women’s Basketball Team (1999), and world championship USA Deaf Woman’s Olympic Basketball Team (2001, 2013 and 2022).
Dr. Tiffany Bridgett has a doctorate degree in Clinical Psychology. She completed her graduate studies at Gallaudet University in Washington, DC. Prior to graduate school, she studied psychology and pre-med with a minor in criminal justice at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in Rochester, New York. Dr. Bridgett completed her Postdoctoral Fellowship doing research and clinical work at the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Child Resilience Center and Gallaudet University Psychology Clinic. She fulfilled a year-long APA-accredited internship at Saint Elizabeths Hospital in Washington, DC after completing numerous externships in the psychology sector across the country, serving people of all ages, hearing statuses, and psychiatric disorders. With these experiences, Dr. Bridgett discovered her professional niche, which is inpatient care for those with complex trauma and severe, persistent mental illness.
Dr. Bridgett has published works on her intersectional research for the Deaf community and mental health, which can be found through Psychology Chronicles, Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, and ProQuest. She has presented nationally for various sectors, including the American Psychological Association, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Health Sciences Center at University of Oklahoma, and the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at University of Delaware. Her research work is extensive across multiple platforms.
Dr. Bridgett is also a Deaf interpreter. She has been providing numerous training workshops for mental health interpreting since 2021. She stumbled upon this second profession while diving deep into her thesis and dissertation work, namely Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fifth Edition: A Special Group Sample of Deaf ASL Users (Bridgett, 2018) and American Sign Language Translation of the VCI from WISC-V (Bridgett, 2022)." She has since developed a special skill set in transadaptating psychological measures.
Dr. Bridgett is the recipient of numerous scholarships and awards, including the I. King Jordan ’70 Fellowship Award at Gallaudet, and the Alfred L. and Ruby C. Davis Leadership Award at RIT.
When asked to share a fun fact about herself, Dr. Bridgett shared that she is neurodivergent!
Maria earned her Bachelor's degree in Psychology and then her Master's degree in Special Education from Pennsylvania State University. She is also currently studying for her Clinical Mental Health Counseling Master's program at William James College. She has held various positions at The Learning Center for the Deaf including Child Care Worker, Family Partner, and Teacher. She has over 10 years of experience in working with deaf children and adults and 5 years teaching. Maria remains a strong advocate for Mental Health, diversity, and inclusion.
Linda Sutton has devoted over 20 years to her work within the Walden School, serving currently as the Director of Staff Development and Training. With more than 30 years of experience working with both deaf and hearing populations in residential treatment and psycho-social rehabilitation settings, Linda found her passion for this work immediately following her completion of her bachelor’s degree in social work, as she began raising her young family. She joined The Learning Center for the Deaf’s Walden School in 1998 as the Residential Director, and served in that capacity until 2007 when she became Walden School's Director of Staff Development and Training. Linda has become a valuable senior leader during her time at Walden School. She is a Certified Lead Instructor for both Professional Assault Crisis (Pro-ACT) and Residential Child and Youth Care Professional (RCYCP), and was a recipient of the Christopher Huggins Staff Appreciation Award 2016.
Outside of Walden School, Linda enjoys walking laps at the local park, spending summers reading on the beach, and as much family time as she can get. Linda and her husband, Frank, share two wonderful daughters, whose names escape her at this time, but their fondest moments are spent with their three cats, Grady, Charlie, and Ronnie.
Toni Ammirati, M.Ed
Toni received her master’s degree in Deaf Education from Gallaudet University and has more than 35 years of experience working in the fields of nonprofit organizations, literacy, classroom management, education reform and lesson planning. She was an Elementary Principal for 25 years prior to moving into a senior leadership role in curriculum and instruction. Toni is also responsible for supporting TLC’s educational leaders and academic programs. She is also responsible for TLC’s Educational Compliance through DESE and is a MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).
David Del Pizzo
David is from Philadelphia, PA, and graduated from Northeastern University. He received his Master’s degree in Sports Management from Springfield College.
He most recently worked at the American School for the Deaf (ASD) in Hartford, Conn., as Director of Student Life. Prior to working at ASD, David spent 10 years at TLC, starting as a dorm supervisor, and rising all the way to Director of After School and Athletic Programs.
In his spare time, David enjoys coaching his daughters' soccer and basketball teams, and traveling.
Donna Kilcoyne-Orthoefer, MSN, RN
Donna holds a Master’s in Nursing and Healthcare Administration from Framingham State University. She has than 35 years of experience in nursing, includes experience in pediatric critical care, cardiology, medical-surgical care, and nursing education at Emerson Hospital. Donna has also served as nursing faculty at Northeastern and Regis College, as well as the Director of Professional Development at TaraVista Behavioral Health. Before joining TLC in 2022, she was the School Nurse Leader at St. Bridget’s School in Framingham.
When she is not at work, she enjoys travel, especially Disney World, with her husband and son. Her two dogs bring her much joy.