Long Island, NY - May 9, 2018 - Senator Ken LaValle congratulated Shirley Ruch for being selected as the 2018 NY State Senate’s Woman of Distinction from the First Senate District. Mrs. Ruch was officially installed on May 1st at a NY State Senate ceremony in Albany.
Senator Ken LaValle said, “Shirley Ruch dedicated her career to improving the quality of life for special needs students and their families. As a tireless advocate, devoting both her time and talents to improve her community, Shirley is deserving of recognition as the “Woman of Distinction” for the First Senate District.”
Prior to moving to New York, Shirley worked as a teacher in a multi-handicapped classroom in the public school system. Over the past 30 years, Shirley has run a private speech and language practice in Sag Harbor, NY. She provides speech and language services across the East End of Long Island. Shirley has specialized in working with clients who have a diagnosis of Autism, Attention Deficit Disorder and Learning Disabilities. She has a coaching certification through the Mentor Coach program and was trained in the Relationship Development Intervention program. Shirley frequently presents at various organizations to educate and train parents and colleagues on techniques to facilitate communication development in children, teens and young adults. She has operated social skills groups and mentoring programs to facilitate the development of meaningful communication for special needs clients. Shirley also provides group training sessions for parents as she believes in educating and training the whole family when working with a client.
As Shirley witnessed the frustration parents experienced when looking for employment for their adult child after leaving the school system, Shirley decided to address that critical need. She founded the South Fork Bakery to provide training and employment for the special needs adults. Utilizing her professional expertise, Shirley implemented focused skill training to develop the special needs adults work experience. These new transferable abilities assist the adults by developing the necessary social skills and task knowledge to their bakery responsibilities for future personal growth.
Shirley Ruch, a native of Ohio, moved to Sag Harbor in 1981 with her husband where they have lived and raised their 3 adult children. While in Ohio, she received her Bachelor’s Degree from Miami University and her Master’s Degree from Ohio State in Communications with a minor in Special Education. Shirley’s contributions have positively affected her community, and established a legacy for future generations. Shirley will now be suitably recognized as a NY State Senate “Woman of Distinction”.