Amber Quillman grew up in Greenwood, Arkansas, on a road that shares her last name. Quillman Road was named after her grandfather, and she'll tell you that detail has always meant something to her. It's a small thing on the surface. But it says a lot about where she comes from: a community with deep roots, where family history is woven into the landscape and people take seriously what they leave behind.
That same sense of purpose has shaped everything she's done since.
A Career Built From the Ground Up
Amber didn't arrive at Easterseals Arkansas as an outsider to the mission. She worked here first, as a waiver worker during college, and she knew even then that this organization was different. "I knew through this experience that I loved the mission and vision," she says. She carried that with her through 18 years of work in special education across Arkansas, serving as a teacher, special education designee, supervisor, consultant, and educational leader before finding her way back.
The credentials are real: a Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education and Special Education from the University of Central Arkansas, a Master's Degree in Educational Leadership, and an Educational Specialist degree in Administration and Superintendency from Arkansas State University. Licenses in early childhood education, special education, and educational administration. Two decades of showing up for students, families, and school districts across the state.
Now she's the Curriculum and Enrollment Coordinator at The Academy, Easterseals Arkansas's accredited K-12 school in West Little Rock serving students with developmental disabilities. It's exactly where someone with her background belongs.
What 18 Years in Special Education Actually Teaches You
Ask Amber about her professional strengths and she'll mention the expected things: organization, relationship-building, creative problem-solving. But spend a minute with her submission and a clearer picture emerges. She's someone who has spent nearly two decades watching what happens when the right support shows up at the right time for a child with a disability, and what happens when it doesn't.
"I have seen firsthand how the right supports, opportunities, and inclusive environments can truly change lives," she says. That's not a mission statement. It's an observation she's made hundreds of times, in classrooms and IEP meetings and hallways across Arkansas.
Her approach to problem-solving reflects that experience. Rather than leading with limitations, she looks for strengths. "I enjoy finding creative solutions that focus on strengths and abilities rather than limitations," she says. In a field where the paperwork can easily overshadow the person, that instinct is worth something.
Greenwood Roots, Statewide Impact
Amber still lives and works in Arkansas by choice. She's traveled, she enjoys exploring new places, and she's quick to cheer on the Razorbacks from wherever she happens to be. But she's stayed in the state because this is where her work matters most.
Her volunteer involvement with Special Olympics reflects the same thread that runs through everything else. She's drawn to organizations that create real opportunities for individuals with intellectual disabilities to build confidence, develop skills, and experience genuine inclusion. Not programs that talk about belonging, but ones that actually produce it.
Outside of work, she's an enthusiastic documenter of life. She loves social media, photography, and creating content, capturing everyday moments and adventures with her boyfriend and the people closest to her. She is also, by her own admission, deeply committed to a cold Diet Coke from McDonald's.
What She Hopes to Leave Behind
"I want to be remembered as someone who made a positive difference in the lives of others." For Amber, that applies to the students she's served, the educators she's supported, and the families who trusted her to advocate for their kids. Eighteen years is a long time to stay in a demanding field. The ones who last that long aren't there for the salary. They're there because they can't imagine doing anything else.
At Easterseals Arkansas, that's exactly the kind of person The Academy was built around.
About Easterseals Academy: Special Education in Arkansas That Meets Every Child Where They Are
Easterseals Academy is an accredited K-12 private school and outpatient therapy clinic in West Little Rock, serving students with developmental disabilities in central Arkansas. Small class sizes and a focus on holistic development allow each student to grow academically, socially, and emotionally, with onsite outpatient therapy services that eliminate the need for families to juggle multiple locations.
The Academy offers a variety of curriculum programs, including STAR, Links, and the Unique Learning System, each designed to encourage critical thinking and foster independence. Students can enroll as early as kindergarten and continue through age 21 if needed.
The Academy accepts ARKids 1st, Medicaid, TEFRA, and TRICARE, and is eligible for the Education Freedom Account scholarship for students with disabilities. Additional income-based scholarships through the Philanthropic Investment in Arkansas Kids program and ACE are also available.
For families in Arkansas navigating special education options, The Academy offers something rare: a school built specifically to help children with disabilities live, learn, and lead. To learn more or submit an inquiry for enrollment, visit eastersealsar.com/programs/children/the-academy or call 501-663-6965.
