About me

Hi! I’m Kristen. I initially heard about speech pathology when I was in my first semester of my undergraduate degree. We were having a discussion about linguistics in an anthropology class and a fellow student mentioned she was a communication disorders major and all of the sudden I felt like I knew what I wanted to do! I initially wanted to work with adults, but I have primarily worked with the pediatric population and I love it! I especially love working in preschool as I feel like I make a huge difference in their lives at the beginning of their educational journeys. I especially enjoy when a child finds their voice with a new AAC device. I have specialized in the area of AAC throughout my career and have taught graduate and undergraduate courses in AAC at Old Dominion University and the University of Redlands. My doctoral research was in the area of typical peer modeling of AAC with preschool children with ASD. I hold the Assistive Technology Professional (ATP) certification through the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA). My clinical experience spans diverse settings, including public schools, universities, skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), and nursing and assisted living communities. I take a client-centered approach to therapy. I also prioritize family involvement, strengths-based strategies, and client empowerment, helping each client build confidence, independence, and effective communication skills.