History

Opening a World of Learning Opportunities
for Students with Special Needs

Special LINKS Learning Center was founded in March of 2007 by JoAnna Dean, a special educator and single mom of a wonderful child who happened to be her nephew and is now her son, and by Deb Winter, the auntie and guardian of a child that is blind with learning difficulties. JoAnna received her MA in Special Education for Severe & Profound Cognitive Needs from the University of Northern Colorado. She was a special educator at the Margaret Walters Center, which was a school operated through the partnership of Jeffco Public Schools and DDRC in Jefferson County, she piloted the Lighthouse Program in Arvada for children with significant support and behavioral needs and was a special educator for Jeffco Public Schools. Deb has her degree in Computer Science and has over 30 years experience in the administrative, publishing and technical fields. She has been self-employed for the last 10 years doing technical writing, bookkeeping, publishing a monthly newspaper and creating web sites. In April 2008, Shyanne Richardson joined the team and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the team. She is also a single mom and has two daughters with special needs. One who has hearing and vision impairments and one who has traumatic brain injury who she adopted in 2008. Over the last 10 plus years, Shyanne provided foster care for medically fragile children through Lutheran Family Services and PATH Colorado. In 1997 she co-founded the Greenhouse Cooperative Preschool in Thailand and taught English as a second language.

Special LINKS started in 2007 with 13 students in a 7-week summer session and a classroom that was leased from Jeffco Public Schools and the 2008 summer session started on June 9th, 2008 with twenty-two (22) students and six (6) typical peer partners. The co-founders feel strongly that the need for quality after school and summer programs is essential to the growth of children with special needs. By providing these programs that incorporate life and community skills training, arts and crafts, music and dance, and sports activities in a welcoming and therapeutic environment, these children grow well beyond the typical expectations.