Professional Background
I am a speech-language pathologist serving as an AAC Consultant at Oakland Schools, with over 25 years of experience working with students of varying abilities and ages, from birth through age 26. My path to this work has been shaped by a rich variety of experiences — time spent in center-based programs, inclusive classrooms, and programs specifically designed for autistic students, as well as close collaboration with educational staff including OTs and PTs. These experiences gave me countless opportunities to learn and grow alongside students, educators, and families. I believe that reflection and growth are essential to continual improvement, and that this process is truly a journey.

Currently, I collaborate with and consult for local district staff across Oakland County, while developing and facilitating professional learning opportunities for school teams. I am passionate about empowering adult learners, supporting staff in implementing AAC systems effectively, and ensuring every student has access to meaningful communication!

Passion for AAC
My passion for AAC began my junior year in college.  I met a young boy with a physical impairment whose communication system was a large, heavy book of velcroed pictures that spent most of its time in a bag on his wheelchair. He was fully included in a general education classroom — a happy, bright-eyed kid who clearly wanted to connect with his peers — but the system failed him. I watched him try to engage and interact and then struggle, and I never forgot him.

I still wonder what he might have said if he'd had access to something more effective and efficient. What jokes he would have told. What opinions he could have expressed. What stories he could have shared. That experience lit a flame in me — a passion for advocacy, for teaching, and for ensuring every person has access to a communication system, allowing true human connections to others.

Fun Fact
I love gardening (flowers and vegetables), spending time in nature, photography, watching sunsets, and family adventures.  My husband and I have spent the better part of the last 18 years cheering on our two children in their many activities, whether it is the soccer field, baseball diamond, football field, golf course, or band and orchestra events. Now, with a little more time to ourselves, we're discovering new hobbies of our own — including a weekly golf league.