Sheila Abbott - Aspire AYC Founder and Direct Support Professional

Bilingual in American Sign Language (ASL)

“ I have called Central Oregon “Home” since moving to the area in 1999, and have been blessed ever since. Growing up, I was a child of deaf parents, becoming fluent in American Sign Language at a very young age as it became the responsibility of the children to be the family interpreters. I watched as my parents, and our family, were consistently excluded from countless social events due to the communication barrier. Anything from Parent/Teacher Conferences and school plays to going to Church, our family struggled with community inclusion. Because of this experience, I knew one day I would want to help bring inclusivity to the deaf community. I attended my first job fair and landed myself employment with a local non-profit, working with I/DD adults in a retail environment, teaching job and life skills. It was an impactful experience that I then devoted the next 5 years of my life to.

Next, my career took me to the Special Education Department with a local school district where I spent the next 13 years working in a variety of settings with children and 18-21 year olds with I/DD support needs. I worked closely alongside many Behavior & Autism Support Specialists, learning an extensive range of practices, standards and values that would later serve both my clients and myself well.”