Mission
“Our mission is to support students to be as prepared as possible, upon graduation, to succeed as valued, productive members of their community and society. We believe there is no disability that excludes anyone from discovering their natural gifts and talents or restricts full expression of themselves in the world.”
J. Lynn Enterprises
J. Lynn Enterprises was founded in 2000 to offer youth with disabilities and their families a quality, high end, professional services. Assisting an individual and their family in achieving their ultimate dreams for career development and work, living and belonging, and learning as a lifelong process is what we do. The human service technology that we have created considers the uniqueness of an individual. We piece together realistic goals with the highest of expectation. Through a synthesis process using evaluation, a plan and putting together the complicated pieces, a plan and pathway is made clear.
We understand the challenges that students and families face while trying to navigate the educational and service systems and we partner with our families as experts supporting, encouraging, and designing futures they can actually believe in and feel excited about.
Judith L. Imperatore, M.Ed.
Founder and Director of J. Lynn Enterprises, LLC
Transition Expert
Judy is the founder and director of J. Lynn Enterprises, LLC. Her home office is in Tolland, CT, and her expertise is shared across the country. Lawyers, advocates, parents, special educators and parents seek her unique and deliberate brand of high-quality approaches to transition. She believes every individual, no matter what their disability, can and should express themselves uniquely in the world.
Ms. Imperatore has been engaged in the field of transition-focused programming for teenagers and young adults with a wide array of developmental and learning abilities since 2000. Elements of transition in special education she holds special knowledge and skill are: individualization of planning, assessment, training and consultation, legal assistance, programming quality monitoring and program design.
The company’s flagship product/service is its comprehensive transition assessment and functional vocational evaluation. She continues to refine/define and to be the curator of that process. And has completed over 250 evaluations and worked with school districts, federal legal centers and families nationwide. In 2013 she chaired a national committee that updated the definition of transition assessment for the Division of Career Development and Transition (DCDT). The definition is used to this day by the National Technical Assistance Center-Collaborative. A thought leader in the field, she presently chairs an interdisciplinary council that is continuing to define transition assessment and its practices. Moreover, she continually works to enhance and expand the field of transition in both policy and practice to meet the growing needs of individuals with disabilities.
Ms. Imperatore created her consulting firm in 2004 after a work history of creating and directing several large school programs in Western Massachusetts incorporating vocational services for significantly impaired individuals, emphasizing high-quality, real-world, community-based exploration. She spent several years creating systematic vocational profiling for individuals with disabilities (which is being published) and supported a Values Implementation Project which was state funded. Also, she created an innovative work program for students at the Center School where for the first time, these students experienced real work and belonging. She worked for the United Arc of Franklin County as a lead consultant developing their first supported employment initiative. From the beginning of her career during the supported employment movement, where she ran demonstration projects for adult services that ultimately improved policy and practice in Massachusetts, she sees the only barrier to the success of one’s belief about possibilities. She is a true visionary, unafraid to think out of the box and reach for the highest ideal.
Beyond transition assessment, J. Lynn provides other specialized and unique, goal-oriented transition services:
The Supports for Life program includes the design of a multi-disciplinary team that follows the individual and acts as a main staple of support for the family and its decision-making and planning over time. The programming meets the student where they are and prompts progress in career, education, leisure, and social complexities.
The training and consultation service includes keynote speaking engagements, training legal teams on transition practices, and assessing transition programs for quality.
Judy is hired by legal teams and judges for expert testimony and opinion.
Ms. Imperatore received her Master’s Degree in 1990 from Cambridge College with coursework from the University of Massachusetts. Her advanced graduation certification in transition came from Kansas University with mentorship from Dr. Mary Morningstar. She is also certified in the Life Purpose Career Development Process and has provided private career counseling throughout her career.
Ms. Imperatore is a board member of the Vocational Evaluation Career Assessment Professionals (VECAP). She is a long-time member and has served in various board capacities for the Division of Career Development and Transition (DCDT) as part of the Council of Exceptional Children (CEC), a member of the International Social Role Valorization Association (ISRV), national chair of the Interdisciplinary Council on Transition Assessment Improvement Project and member of International Association of Rehab Professionals (IARP). She is co-author of the soon-to-be-published Reposition Paper on Comprehensive Transition Assessment. She is also the creator of the first systematic transition assessment tool.
Judith Imperatore’s passion for helping students and adults with special needs lead meaningful lives—coupled with a strong sense of purpose and unequaled expertise—results in unrivaled transition services to students, schools, and families.
All necessary elements of the transition process.
Best practices with research as a basis.
IDEA 2004 reauthorization and how to operationalize the law.
How to design and build systems that support transition services and planning.
How to create a community-based program.
IEP design and transition planning.
How to assess and create a functional vocational evaluation.
How to work with families during the transition process.
Job developing and developing business partnerships for large and small businesses.
Accomplishments
Designed and developed several school-based transition programs for student with severe disabilities.
Through comprehensive transition assessment, provided attorneys, special education programs, and families, evaluation and reporting.
Provided consultation to various organization types throughout the United States concerned with students transitioning from school to adult life.
Served as a transition and vocational expert for individuals with more than 100 Individual Education Program teams as a vocational and transition expert.
Participated in national conferences as a keynote speaker and conference session presenter on topics ranging from wage and hour laws for the disabled to training state education agencies on every aspect of transition services in special education.
Provided professional development university-based programs such as Harvard, Cornell, Duke and Duquesne Universities.
Been a board member for the Division of Career Development and Transition (DCDT) (3 years) and for the Vocational Evaluation and Career Assessment Professional (VECAP)
Created the first Transition Assessment professional certification program.
Have attended over ten hearings as a transition expert witness where findings have been for the student.
Worked with families through private contracting to provide individualized, community-based transition services that included building multidisciplinary teams successfully launching students to and through college and a meaningful career.
What is “Transition” in Special Education?
It thinks about the child's best future.
It builds foundational skills for successful adult living.
It considers academic achievement and functional achievement.
It is a backward design planning process - using an end goal-that drives the day to day activities, annual goals and curriculums used.
It is result oriented, student centered, and a coordinated effort.
Parents have frequently said things like:
“I’m impressed with your participation in the transition IEP meeting, taking all sides into account. Your work is going to change my daughter’s life. Judith, it was an honor to work with you.”