Deidre Butler
Deidre Butler is a special educator and diligent case manager who provides daily instructions, supports academic and social progress, and manages data of students diagnosed on the autism spectrum. She is the lead teacher for a regionalized program for children with autism in Charles County Public Schools, MD, which is designed for these students to better access curriculum, progress, and transition from inclusion to a general education setting. While managing her student caseload, Ms. Butler is a student advocate who meets her students where they are and nurtures their potential. She determines the most efficient method of implementing the student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) through building rapport, classroom observation, and data collection. Ms. Butler provides instruction of core grade-level content (in math, language, science, and social studies) and intervention support. She understands that social development is equally important in building a well-rounded and productive citizen; therefore, she incorporates social skills training in daily instruction.
Ms. Butler is a Howard University graduate who earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Psychology, and she has worked in the special education field in various capacities for more than 10 years. During her graduate school tenure, she has served in Washington D.C.’s S.E. Friendship Charter School as part of a Master’s Program. She assisted with individual and group counseling, social skills training, and personal and peer observation. She shadowed the school psychologist during various testing procedures and assessments. Ms. Butler later gained employment with the Arlington County Public School System in Virginia, where she served as the Extended Day program supervisor for seven years. She designed and implemented programs that promoted personal and social development and healthy interaction among the special education population and their non-disabled peers.
Ms. Butler has a vast range of experience locally and internationally, from human resources and office management to school psychology practicums and early childhood education. These events have helped her build a skill set of human connection, understanding, flexibility, and cultural competency. She has been trained to listen to the unsaid and interpret the untold stories through a child’s behavior. She has the tools to adapt and excel in any environment and establish healthy professional relationships with peers and stakeholders. In retrospect of her experience in various school districts and populations, Ms. Butler expressed, “when juxtaposed with the work I have done throughout public school settings in the Caribbean and USA, I found the correlation between environment and an individual’s mindset to be most interesting. In addition, as a mother, teacher, and counselor, I have witnessed the importance of speaking life to our children and students.”
When it comes to learning disabilities, behavioral challenges, and those who need extra special attention, Ms. Butler has assisted these students in creative, intentional, and effective methods to self-express, grasp, and thrive throughout the day. Her mantra is that all students can learn, and it is the honor of a teacher to help them discover their potential.
Outside of her professional endeavors, Ms. Butler is a Board Member of the Youth HELP Foundation (Health and Education Literacy Programs), a non-profit foundation providing aid and access to empower and develop youth through academic and literacy programs globally. She is a dance fitness instructor and choreographer. She also enjoys spending time with family and friends, especially her daughter.