SLN Board Member Zach Rossetti, an Associate Professor of Special Education at Boston University’s Wheelock College of Education & Human Development, recently delivered two keynote addresses at local conferences focused on family advocacy and inclusive education.
First, Zach delivered the keynote address at the annual Partnering for Strength Conference on October 26, 2019 in Concord, NH. The conference, which focuses on educating and promoting collaboration among families, professionals, and youth, is coordinated by New Hampshire Family Voices, the Parent Information Center of New Hampshire, and the YEAH (Youth for Education Advocacy Healthcare) Council. In his keynote, Friends Matter: Promoting Authentic Social Opportunities for All, Zach emphasized the importance of friendships and described a research-based framework for promoting authentic social opportunities between students with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Friendships are personally valuable and developmentally important relationships for all people, yet friendships between individuals with and without IDD remain infrequent.
Second, Zach delivered the morning keynote address at the second annual A Voice at the Table IEP Conference on November 16, 2019 at Bridgewater State University in Bridgewater, MA. The conference, which focuses on helping parents and guardians of children with disabilities to understand and improve their child’s Individualized Education Program (IEP), was established and coordinated by Inclusion Matters, the Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) of West Bridgewater, MA. In his keynote, Todd’s Legacy: Lessons on Inclusion & Friendship, Zach reflected upon the powerful legacy crafted by his late brother, Todd Christopher Rossetti (January 17, 1980-April 5, 2019).
Todd was a huge Boston Red Sox and Boston Bruins fan, and he loved chocolate cake. He was also one of those socially extroverted people who excels at connecting with others. That he was so outgoing is even more impressive because he did not speak, used a wheelchair, and needed support throughout his day due to his cerebral palsy. Communicating and connecting with others without speaking is one of many lessons he taught us.
Todd lived a meaningful, engaged, and full life. Todd played a central role in our family, quite literally being in the middle of every group picture of us and featuring prominently in all of our best and funniest memories. Yet, too many people missed out on the privilege of knowing Todd as we did. He was smarter than most people (especially his teachers) realized. In school, he was included and accepted, but not befriended. The dynamic that Todd experienced of being well known and popular at every grade level, but still isolated and lonely, angers me as his oldest sibling and motivates me as an associate professor and researcher.
