Gallia County Board of Developmental Disabilities

04/23/2026

Ohio Coalition for the Education of Children with Disabilities (OCECD) and Disability Rights Ohio (DRO) have teamed up to create a new resource to assist families in determining which organization is best able to assist them so that families quickly get the assistance they need and are better able to avoid referral burnout.
Document can be found here:https://www.disabilityrightsohio.org/assets/documents/ocecddropartnersinfamilyadvocacy-2.pdf

04/16/2026

🌟 Staff Shoutout: Darlene Ferrell (Accounting Specialist) 🌟

Darlene shared that she is “honored to be nominated” and that “it’s nice to feel appreciated”—and we couldn’t agree more that she deserves this recognition.

Colleagues describe Darlene as positive, responsive, and always a pleasure to work with. She’s consistently helpful, greets others with a smile, and is always willing to lend a hand. She does her job exceedingly well, approaches her work with kindness and humility, and never complains.

Behind the scenes, Darlene plays a critical role in supporting both our staff and the individuals and families we serve. She ensures credentials are maintained, manages sensitive information with impeccable confidentiality, and keeps complex processes organized and running smoothly. Her work is essential to the health of our organization.

We are truly thankful for Darlene and the great work she does faithfully every day. 💙

04/14/2026

04/06/2026

Have you had an exceptional interaction with one of our team members? Please take a moment to answer the questions found on the survey linked below so that we can recognize their hard work and dedication:
https://forms.gle/3eHZBekEHcKeF9Se9

04/02/2026

We had such a fun time celebrating Easter with our school community!

Even though we moved our egg hunt indoors due to the weather, our students had a blast! We were so excited to have a special visit from the Easter Bunny, and everyone enjoyed treats, Easter baskets, and time with friends and family.

It was a great day full of smiles, laughter, and lots of fun! 💛🌸🐣

03/31/2026

Our School-Age classrooms have been busy this month.

From completing schoolwork and building new skills, to hands-on science experiments, sensory activities, and brain breaks, our students have been learning in so many fun and meaningful ways.

We love seeing their curiosity grow, their confidence build, and their personalities shine each day.

So proud of all the hard work happening in our classrooms!

03/27/2026

Spring Break Reminder

Guiding Hand School will be closed Tuesday, March 31 through Friday, April 3 for Spring Break. We will welcome everyone back on Monday, April 6.

Don’t forget, Monday, March 30 is a make-up day, so we will see everyone then before break begins.

We hope everyone enjoys a safe and relaxing break!

03/27/2026

ART SHOW happening TODAY!!
Make sure to go check out the beautiful pieces for sale at PALS Gallia County!
They’ll be set up until 6:00 PM.

03/27/2026

Earlier this month, in recognition of Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, our preschool and school-age students participated in a DD Awareness Walk alongside members of PALS.

This was a meaningful opportunity to promote inclusion, build awareness, and celebrate the strengths and abilities of every individual.

We are so proud of our students and grateful to PALS for joining us and supporting this special event 💙💙

03/25/2026

Our Hoop Shoot was a huge success! Both our preschool and school-age students joined in on the fun, showing off their skills, cheering each other on, and giving it their all.

We awarded several plaques and two trophies to celebrate some standout moments, but the real win was the excitement, smiles, and confidence our students showed throughout the event.

We are so proud of all of our students for participating and making it such a memorable experience!

03/24/2026

Just evolve...

03/21/2026

Are you rocking fun socks today for world Down syndrome day??? Show them off in the comments 💙💛