Bonni Alpert Educational Consulting to Assist Students with Disabilities

FLORENCE — Bonni Alpert has announced the creation of her new business, Bonni Alpert Educational Consulting, which will serve high-school students with disabilities impacting executive functioning who are transitioning into college.

Formerly the assistant dean and director of Student Disability Services at Western New England University for 21 years, Alpert will work with students and their families in navigating the college-accommodation process and developing the necessary skills to enhance the student’s chances for success.

“The transition from high school to college can be challenging for all students and families,” Alpert said. “When disability and accommodation needs are added into the mix, navigating the process can seem almost impossible. I am well-equipped to help remove the mystery and frustration.”

Alpert said her services are a good fit for high-school students with learning disabilities, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and those on the autism spectrum.

“My goal is to help students and parents build the level of self-knowledge, self-awareness, and critical skills necessary to prepare them for the challenges inherent in the transition to the post-secondary experience,” she added.

As part of her work, Alpert will conduct a thorough review of each student’s disability-related documentation and also implement a personal-awareness inventory and college-readiness assessment in order to fully understand each student’s strengths and challenges.

She plans to meet with clients, in person or via Skype, for support sessions aimed at helping students learn skills for a better adjustment to college life, manage stress and time, manage workload and assignments, communicate with professors and advisors, and become familiar with learning strategies and resources. She will also provide training sessions and workshops for high-school professionals and parents.

Alpert is an educator and professional ADHD coach with over 30 years of experience supporting students with disabilities and other learning challenges in a post-secondary environment. Her professional experience in higher education includes teaching undergraduate- and graduate-level courses in psychology, providing counseling services to students, and working with students and families during their transition to the post-secondary environment.

Alpert holds a doctoral degree in counseling and educational psychology from UMass Amherst and a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Vermont.