Director of Consultation and Psychoeducational Services

Dot Lucci has been active in the fields of education, psychology, research, and academia for over 30 years. She is an international consultant and speaker who specializes in program design and the inclusion of children with special needs, especially those diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). She has experience as an elementary classroom teacher, special educator, school psychologist, researcher, director, and college professor.

For 13 years, Dot was Program Director and Director of Consultation at MGH/Aspire where she built child, teen, and young adult programs, and established the 3S’s (i.e., self-awareness, social competency, and stress management) as the philosophical framework for all programming. Prior to coming to MGH/Aspire, Ms. Lucci was the Director of the Partners Program, a middle and high school for ASD students, of EDCO Collaborative. For many years Dot worked as an independent consultant and developed the ASD Needs Assessment Protocol©. This tool assists school districts in improving service delivery and cost-effectiveness of programing for students on the spectrum. She was also director of the Autism Support Center, a parent-professional organization where she worked to enhance families’ capacities to parent their ASD children and built parent-professional collaboration with local stae and federal agencies.

In Dot’s professional career—long before these areas were in vogue—she was a proponent of social-emotional learning, mindfulness, and addressing student quality of life. Dot was using humanistic and relational interventions with ASD students in the 1980’s, long before they were publicized. Dot has worked directly with students with learning challenges, ASD, ADHD, anxiety, ID, and other learning and emotional challenges as a school psychologist, cousnelor and teacher. Over the years, Dot has specialized in serving individuals with ASD, with her work often called novel and “outside the box.”

Dot’s knowledge and interest in social-emotional learning, affective research, and emotional regulation has led her to team up with other like-minded professionals. She was vice president of SmartThot with Rachel Robb-Avery, and co-authored the Think Smart Feel Good PK – Grade 2 Curriculum© (TSFG), an early childhood self-awareness and stress management curriculum. This curriculum focuses on resilience, CBT, and mindfulness. Dot has written grants with Rosalind Picard of the MIT Media Lab and Rana el Kaliouby of Affectiva studying the Affectiva Q Sensor (an autonomic nervous system real-time data stream sensor) and incorporated this tool with TSFG to improve self-awareness and stress management in young children.

Ms. Lucci’s clinical interests include mind-body practices, positive psychology, and the use of technologies, including biofeedback devices, in the instruction of social and emotional learning, especially as they apply to neurodiverse individuals. Dot is Mindfulness-Based Stress-Reduction (MBSR)-trained by Jon Kabat-Zinn of UMass Medical Center, and, in 2010, she was a Senior Investigator at the Mind and Life Summer Research Institute: Education, Developmental Neuroscience and Contemplative Practices: Questions, Challenges, and Opportunities. Dot incorporates a variety of technology tools into her consultation and psychoeducational counseling practice. Dot is well known in the technology field and is often sought after to consult to start-up mental health and educational companies. She has been involved with three technology companies in varying capacities. She was on the Scientific Leadership Team of SymTrend, Inc., Clinical Director of VeriCurious, an Educational Mentor with AutismSees, and has been engaged by Sidekicks, EDI/MyMoments, Empatica, Affectiva, BrainPower, and many others to provide insights, feedback, and ideas.

Ms. Lucci has been an adjunct faculty member in the Graduate School of Education at Lesley University, Antioch College, Lasell College, and Framingham University. In 2007, Ms. Lucci was nominated to Marquis Who’s Who in America, and in 2008 she was nominated to Who’s Who in American Education.

Dot is an educator and school psychologist by training. She earned her undergraduate degree from Wheelock College and her M.Ed. and C.A.G.S in school psychology from the University of Massachusetts. She is certified as a school psychologist and has extensive training in neuropsychology while working as Project Manager on National Institute of Health and National Institute of Mental Health grants at Boston University Medical School and the University of Connecticut, under the leadership of Debby Fein. Ann Helmus, founder and director of NESCA, was a predoctoral intern at the time Dot was managing the grants in the neuropsychology lab. Ann and Dot became friends and colleagues many years ago, and it is only fitting that the two work together again at NESCA!

Dot is a former longtime member of the Board of Directors of the Asperger’s Association of New England (AANE); while currently, serving on the Professional Collaborative Group. She also served as an Advisory Board Member for an Autism and Dating grant through Children’s Hospital. She is a Level 1 Certified Clinician in Social Thinking (TM). She is also a member of the (NASP) National Association of School Psychologists, Mass School Psychologist Association (MSPA), AANE and ASA. She also served on the Mass Advocates for Children and DOE Autism Endorsement and Transition Endorsement Commission Study Groups.

Currently at NESCA Dot consults to schools locally and internationally on the inclusion of neurodivergent children as well as program design. She also provides psychoeducational counseling to teens and young adults virtually and in-person. Parent consultation is provided for parents of toddlers, children, teens and adult children. This is also provided virtually and in-person and at times at the family’s home or in the community.

Sampling of Ms. Lucci’s Publications and Presentations:

Publications:

• Lucci, D. (2018). Technology Usage for individuals with intellectual and developmental disorders. In E. Braaten (Ed). The Sage Encyclopedia of Intellectual and Developmental Disorders. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
• McLeod, D.S., Lucci, D. & Milot, A. (2018). School consultation and Autism Spectrum Disorders. In E. Braaten (ed.) Sage Encyclopedia of Intellectual and Developmental Disorders. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
• Lucci D. and Milot, A. (2018). Support Groups for Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. In E. Braaten (ed). The Sage Encyclopedia of Intellectual and Developmental Disorders. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
• Lucci, D. & Zisook, M. (2017). Aspire participants lead the way at STEM event. https://www.massgeneral.org/children/autism-spectrum-disorder/stem-at-aspire-part-2.aspx
• Lucci, D. (2017). Aspire participants prepare for unique STEM event. https://www.massgeneral.org/children/autism-spectrum-disorder/stem-at-aspire.aspx
• Lucci, D. (2016). Technology enhances social-emotional intelligence in individuals with autism spectrum disorders. In S. Tettegah & Y. Garcia (vol. eds). Emotions, Technology and Health. In S. Tettegah (series ed). Emotions and Technology: Communication of Feelings, Through, With, and For Technology. Cambridge, MA: Elsevier.
• McLeod, D. S., Malatino, K. & Lucci, D. (2016). Social skills training for autism spectrum disorder. In C.J. McDougle (ed). Primer on Autism Spectrum Disorder. NY, NY: Oxford University Press.
• Lucci, D. (2015). MESH & students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD): Can they learn these essential life ingredients? (Web Blog Post) Retrieved from http://www.transformingeducation.org/blog/mesh-on-the-spectrum
• Lucci, D., Levine, M., Challen-Wittmer, K. & McLeod, D.S. (2014). Technologies to support interventions for social-emotional intelligence, self-awareness, personal style, and self-regulation. In: Boser, K.I., Goodwin, M., & Wayland, S. Technology Tools for Students with Autism. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Pub.
• Lucci, D. (2014). Developing Self-reflection and resilience in adolescents with asperger’s syndrome and high-functioning autism. Autism Spectrum News, Winter

Presentations:

• Lucci, D. (2024) The Road to Self-Acceptance. Presented at The Complex Learners Conference – Growing Up Neurodivergent: From Acceptance to Empowerment, Providence, RI.
• Lucci, D. (2023). Bringing Mindfulness to Autistic Adults. Presented at the International Society for Contemplative Research, San Diego, CA.
• Lucci, D. & Perez-Melms, P. (2023) Including Neurodiverse Students. Presented at the American International School, Tegucigalpa, Honduras
• Lucci, D. & Perez-Melms, P. (2023) Creating Classrooms Where Neurodivergent Students Thrive, International School of Tegucigalapa, Tegucigalpa, Honduras
• Lucci, D. (2023). Bringing Mindfulness to Autistic Adults. Presented at the International Society for Contemplative Research Conference, San Diego, CA.
• Lucci, D. (2022). What Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder Want You to Know. Presented at House of Possibilities, Stoughton, MA.
• Lucci, D. (2022). Creating Classroom Environments that help ASD Students Thrive not just Survive. Presented virtually at the 37th Annual Executive Function Conference: Executive Function and Social-Emotional Learning: Promoting Resilience, Stress Management and Academic Success through Research ILD.
• Lucci, D., & Marchant, R. (2022). Autism: Issues in Diagnosis, Support and Planning in Childhood and Adolescence. Presented virtually at Bridgewater University.