Michaela Woods

Michaela is an Advanced Standing graduate student at the UCONN School of Social Work in the Individuals, Groups, and Families Practice concentration.  She earned her Bachelors of Social Work through UCONN as a member of the second graduating cohort in 2021.  Her previous experience working with neurodivergent individuals includes in-home behavior intervention therapy using Applied Behavior Analysis, youth wilderness therapy group programming, supporting public K-12 special education students, and involvement in state-wide research to better understand the complexities of youth anxiety in the wake of COVID-19.  After completing her masters degree, she hopes to collaborate with other members of the Windham community to start a youth program to develop practical life skills and self confidence in an experiential and outdoor education model.  Her academic areas of interest are Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), youth mental health, and the intersection of neurodivergent diagnoses and childhood trauma.  As a person with disabilities herself, working to help others develop self-advocacy and communication skills, as well as improving quality of life for children and their families are among her top professional priorities.