Helen Bradbury, President of the Christopher Donovan Day School in Wareham, has been honored for her work in special education by medical experts and researchers affiliated with Massachusetts General Hospital and the Massachusetts General Hospital for Children.

Bradbury received the 2011 Margaret L. Bauman, MD Award for Excellence in serving the Autism Community – Outstanding Teacher/Educator in a School Setting. Bradbury is a resident of Carver.

The Margaret L. Bauman, MD, Award is given by the Friends of LADDERS and recognizes exceptional parents and professionals who make a difference in the lives of individuals with autism. This year's award was given at the Friends of LADDERS annual Current Trends In Autism Conference in Natick on Friday, April 29.

LADDERS ("Learning and Developmental Disabilities Evaluation & Rehabilitation Services") is a multidisciplinary program designed to evaluate and treat children, adolescents and adults with a wide variety of disabilities, and is a part of the Lurie Center for Autism at Massachusetts General Hospital and the MassGeneral Hospital for Children. The Lurie Center provides expertise in neurology, developmental pediatrics medicine, gastroenterology, psychiatry, psycho-pharmacology, occupational therapy, physical therapy and speech language pathology to the MassGeneral Hospital for Children. The Friends of LADDERS is a Boston-area parent and community organization which supports the clinical program at the Lurie Center for Autism/LADDERS.

"Helen Bradbury received multiple nominations for this award from friends, family, and colleagues and it was evident from their testimonials that she is an exceptional woman who has exhibited amazing resilience and strength," said Katherine F. Murray, RN, BSN, research nurse at MassGeneral Hospital for Children and the Coordinator of the 2011 Current Trends in Autism Conference. "She turned the pain that she suffered from a major personal loss into a gift that keeps on giving for her students and their families."

Bradbury thanked the hospital and the Friends of LADDERS for the honor.

"I am honored to receive this tremendous award, and I am proud of its recognition of the wonderful things that are happening at the Christopher Donovan Day School," said Bradbury.

Bradbury has numerous certifications for teaching special education and providing occupational therapy. For the past several years, Bradbury has served as president of the Christopher Donovan Day School, which moved its operations to Wareham in early 2010. The Christopher Donovan Day School provides students of all ages with an alternative school setting and a modified school curriculum. The school helps students who are unable to attend school in a traditional school setting meet with their own plan for success that addresses their specific diagnosis, whether it is autism spectrum disorder, a language-based disability or an intellectual or social/emotional learning disability. The school also provides a controlled environment for students with compromised immune systems.

Bradbury has devoted her career to special education causes, and founded the Christopher Donovan Center in 2007 as a lasting tribute to her son, Christopher, who lost his life in 2005 at the young age of 22. Christopher Donovan was a very caring and empathetic person who had a special gift for working with individuals with special needs. Some of his jobs were at a special education program and a residential group home.

"In honor of Chris, our motto is, 'Go light your world with the skills you’ve learned,'" said Bradbury. "It's something we have helped our students accomplish for several years now, and we are proud of their achievements."