In the family services room at the Kevin O’Grady School in Beverly, 9-year-old Mary Beth Perry wore a pink sweater and a purple bow in her hair. Her nurse, Jill, asked her what kind of music she wanted to hear.
Using her hand to nudge a switch affixed to her wheelchair, Mary triggered her electronic “talker” device to communicate her choice.
“That’s the one I want,” a pre-recorded voice answered.
Mary smiled, selecting Christmas music — not the Grinch, but some tunes from a Charlie Brown Christmas special. Smooth and jazzy.
“Mary’s having a good day today,” her mother Shannon Perry said. “Actually, it’s been a good week.”
For the Perry family, a good day is something to appreciate — as not every day, nor every week, has been good. Some have been incredibly difficult.
That is where the Kevin O’Grady School, part of the Northshore Education Consortium, has played a big role in Mary and her family’s life. The special education collaborative has helped give them the tools and resources they needed to experience more good days and weeks than bad.
More than 50 years ago, Mary’s school, and the services and support it provides, did not exist, and Mary’s life would likely have been drastically different.
Celebrating 50 Years of Special Education in 2025
A half-century ago, the United States passed a law mandating exceptional children with special needs, like Mary, receive an education like every other child. Parents and guardians of these children finally had public school options — opportunities beyond private homecare and institutionalization.
“Over the past 50 years, we have seen the de-institutionalization of special education and disability services to a more inclusive, community-based approach,” said Catherine S. Cooper, Executive Director of Dartmouth-based Southeastern Massachusetts Educational Collaborative (SMEC) and Secretary of the Massachusetts Organization of Educational Collaboratives (MOEC). “Students once hidden away are now very much included and accepted in their schools and communities.”
Congress enacted the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EHA) in 1975 to support states and localities in protecting the rights of, meeting the individual needs of, and improving the results for infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities and their families. Congress changed the name of the law to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), in a 1990 reauthorization — and IDEA was again reauthorized in 2004.
In 2025, MOEC will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the passing of this crucial legislation with a series of monthly feature stories to help educate the public about what collaboratives do and how they have evolved over the past five decades to serve the needs of our most vulnerable students.
MOEC is a statewide network of public educational service agencies that work together with school districts and schools to provide special education programs, both in-district and outplacement, particularly for students with multiple, complex learning and therapeutic needs.
“MOEC offers a forum for collaborative leaders to build their leadership skills, exchange ideas, advocate for programs, and better support students and school districts,” said MOEC Executive Director Joanne Haley Sullivan. “We’re proud to represent the 24 educational collaboratives across Massachusetts who remain committed to providing outstanding special education services to the students who need them most.”
Since 1975, special education in Massachusetts has blossomed into a true collaborative effort — and in each classroom, success stories emerge every school day despite the many challenges that educational collaboratives face.
As part of MOEC’s celebration of the 50th anniversary of modern special education, feature stories from collaboratives across the state will be shared, highlighting inspirational stories, delving into important issues, and pulling the curtain back on the tough realities that collaboratives face. In addition to Mary’s story, here are some others that will be told throughout the year:
- At age 14, a Bridgewater boy was kicked out of school for carrying a knife. He landed at the North River Collaborative in Rockland. He graduated, served his country in the military, and now proudly works as the school’s full-time head custodian.
- A pair of high-functioning students on the autism spectrum initially fell behind in their respective school districts. One eventually stopped attending school. Out-of-district placements at the Pilgrim Area Collaborative in Plymouth helped them both get back on track. After earning their high school diplomas, both have returned to the Pilgrim Area Collaborative as full-time staff members.
- Staffing is one of the biggest issues that collaboratives face today. With what could be considered the hardest job in education in Massachusetts, how are educational collaboratives meeting this need head-on, particularly given the difficult complexities and sometimes dangerous settings they find themselves in each and every day?
- An in-depth look at how some collaboratives that are housed in public school buildings — rather than separate, standalone facilities — are successfully blending the populations of both schools to help destigmatize students with special needs and promote inclusivity.
- A Lynn girl struggled with sobriety as a middle school student. Admission to Northshore Recovery High School gave her the tools she would eventually need to turn her life around and break the cycle of addiction. Recently, the sober path led her back to the same Beverly school building, and a job as an instructional assistant (IA) in a special education classroom for students with severe disabilities.
- We’ll meet some of the unsung heroes at our collaboratives and learn how they keep things running smoothly. Every collaborative has at least one staff member who is the backbone of the school. MOEC highlights their great work, unique stories, and professional passion.
- What does the next 50 years of special education in Massachusetts look like? How will issues like funding and staffing play a role? What technological advancements are on the horizon? Most importantly, how can collaboratives continue their most important work — providing an education and caring for our students who need the most support and attention?
More about Mary
In a recent interview to talk about their experiences at the Kevin O’Grady School, Mary’s mother described her daughter’s situation as “medically complex.” Mary relies on a wheelchair. She is non-verbal, non-ambulatory, and has severe cerebral palsy. She relies on a gastronomy tube for nutrition and has a tracheostomy.
“Mary’s situation is so medically complex that she has a nurse with her at all times, wherever she goes in the building,” Shannon explained. “I think people have these preconceived notions. What could Mary be learning?”
As a student at the school, the answer to that question changes with each new unit. But Mary is learning and loving the school experience.
The Kevin O’Grady School serves students ages 3 to 22 with moderate to severe special needs, including complex medical needs, physical disabilities, multiple disabilities, visual or hearing impairment, autism, and intellectual disabilities. The school meets the needs of students who are medically fragile and those with severe behavioral issues.
“She is safe here; well cared for,” Shannon said. “School is Mary’s favorite place. She is a ‘nosey Nancy.’ She loves the buzz in this building.”
Mary’s teacher and program director have noted her progress as a student and the positive influence she has had on her fellow students.
“Mary is a sweet, endearing, easy-going young lady, whose infectious smile and enthusiasm draw people to her,” said Program Director Stephanie Couillard. “Around the school, staff love to say ‘hi’ to her and comment on her stylish clothes. She is very social, enjoys interactions with adults and is curious about everything going on in the environment around her.”
The Perry family lives in Danvers. They moved to California when Mary was about one year old after her father started a new job. They moved back after a year, unsatisfied with the services available in California, and homesick for the services offered in Massachusetts.
One of the tools the Perry family learned during her time at the school was how to communicate with Mary using her “talker.”
“She is learning to use a communication device to answer simple questions and participate more fully in classroom activities,” said her teacher, Sarah Schocker. “Mary and her family are active participants in school events, spreading positive energy to everyone around them.”
Mary answers questions by triggering her pre-programmed talker device — a small speaker that plays pre-recorded messages, triggered by a switch that she controls.
“We have been taught to use it for communication,” Shannon said. “Mary has the most coordination with her right arm. I will watch for Mary to move her arm or change her facial expressions.”
Mary’s switch enables her to activate a light display with music, toys, or go on the computer to listen to stories and read aloud, watch music videos, or play games.
“At school, Mary is an enthusiastic learner and works on communication skills throughout her day, using a switch,” said Program Director Couillard. “This device enables her to engage more fully in classroom activities and groups, as well as advocate for herself. Whether it is requesting a turn during activities, making choices, answering simple questions, or interacting with her teachers and peers, learning to use her switch to communicate empowers her to participate in her world.”
Adapting for Every Student
“Over the past 50 years, it has become a core value in Massachusetts that all students, including those with complex or low incidence disabilities, deserve not only a free and appropriate public education, but they deserve to be in classrooms and educational settings where they feel fully included,” said Francine H. Rosenberg, Northshore Education Consortium Executive Director and President of MOEC’s Executive Board. “Mary is a shining example in our school and one of the hundreds of students finding their way in life with the help of our state’s collaboratives.”
The Kevin O’Grady School’s motto is “Every student. Every day. Whatever it takes,” and its mascot is a chameleon, an adaptive lizard that changes color to match its surroundings. Shannon thinks the chameleon was a perfect choice to represent the school.
Before the Perry family discovered the school, Mary had few peers.
“She had cousins and friends, and there were a lot of children around at family events, but Mary was always ‘Mary in the wheelchair,’” Shannon explained. “There was always an added descriptive related to her diagnoses; her physical disabilities. As soon as Mary started here, she was ‘Mary with the pigtails’ or ‘Mary with the bows’ or ‘Mary who just got her nails done.’”
Shannon’s mission is clear. She strives to provide the best life possible for her daughter.
“In this school, we found a community of families who have all walked a different path, but are on similar journeys,” she said. “Mary is not different here; she is like everybody else. Everybody’s family here can relate to living a vision that is different than you imagined. We are the outlier in so many situations. It feels great not to be the outlier. Mary’s life does matter.”
As the discussion came to an end, Mary’s nurse wheeled her back to her classroom.
“When we think about Mary — and this comes up a lot — there are always two priorities at the top of the list,” said Shannon. “We want her to live a full life and be as happy and as comfortable as possible. Her life is hard enough. She shines here. We do school because Mary loves school. It is so important that there is a place like this for kids like Mary to go every day.”
Shannon spoke candidly, without flinching. No tears. She projected a mother’s strength — a blunt, blinding strength that takes at least nine years to develop.
“It’s Mary’s world,” she said. “We’re just living in it. She shows us what she needs and when she needs it. Once you let those parameters go, you can find more joy on the path that you’re on, rather than the path you expected. We could not be happier with the Kevin O’Grady School. Everybody is so motivated and they all do a very hard job with an amazing attitude.”
In 2025, the Massachusetts Organization of Educational Collaboratives (MOEC) is celebrating the 50th anniversary of special education with a series of feature stories that will help to tell the untold stories of collaboratives to help educate the public about what collaboratives do and how they have evolved to serve the needs of our most vulnerable students over the past five decades.
In 1975, Congress enacted the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EHA) to ensure that all children with disabilities have access to a free and appropriate public education. Congress changed the name of the law to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), in a 1990 reauthorization — and IDEA was again reauthorized in 2004.
MOEC is the professional organization representing the Commonwealth’s educational collaboratives. Massachusetts Collaboratives are a statewide network of educational service agencies that work together with school districts and schools to implement direct educational services and programs to students and adults, develop programs and services to enhance school districts’ operating efficiency, and provide high-quality professional development and technical assistance.
