Speech-Language Pathology • AAC • Assistive Technology
I maintain a small private practice in Philadelphia and accept selected referrals from attorneys and educational advocates.
My background may be especially useful when a student’s communication needs are complex, AAC or assistive technology is involved, or previous services have not translated into meaningful communication and participation.
I provided Compensatory Education services to Philadelphia students for many years and am once again accepting a limited number of Comp Ed cases.
When I May Be a Useful Referral
Consider contacting me when:
- a student has a Compensatory Education award and the family is having difficulty locating an SLP
- the student’s needs extend beyond routine articulation or language therapy
- the student is autistic or otherwise neurodivergent
- communication looks very different across home, school, and therapy settings
- the student uses AAC, may need AAC, or has a system that is not working well in everyday life
- there are questions about assistive technology for communication, access, writing, organization, learning, or participation
- the student has childhood apraxia of speech or other complex motor-speech needs
- an adolescent needs communication support that includes autonomy and self-advocacy
- the family has received multiple recommendations but still does not have a coherent plan
- a focused consultation or problem-solving process may be more useful than simply adding another weekly therapy appointment
Services
Depending on the needs of the student and the scope of the referral, I may provide:
Speech-Language Therapy
Individualized intervention for children and adolescents, including language, functional communication, speech production, motor speech, fluency, complex communication, and self-advocacy.
AAC Consultation and Intervention
Support may include AAC access, vocabulary and system organization, customization, communication-partner strategies, modeling, implementation, and understanding why an existing system may not be working as intended.
I am particularly interested in the gap between having access to AAC and having communication that works in real life.
Assistive Technology Consultation
Assistive technology consultation may address communication, reading and writing, access, organization, participation, and other functional needs.
Rather than beginning with a particular device or product, I begin with the student:
What are they trying to do, what is getting in the way, and what might reduce that barrier?
Consultation may include consideration of existing technology, feature matching, trials, customization, implementation, and support for families or teams.
Focused Consultation and Problem-Solving
Not every case requires ongoing weekly therapy.
Sometimes a shorter period of observation, consultation, AAC or AT problem-solving, or parent support can clarify what is happening and identify useful next steps.
Why My Background Matters Here
I have been practicing since 1979, in schools, agencies, and private practice, with children and adolescents whose communication needs are complex.
Before returning to clinical work full time, I was Senior Director of Pennsylvania’s Assistive Technology Act program (TechOWL) at Temple University, where I also taught graduate courses in AAC, assistive technology, and special education.
I tend to work at the intersections that are often treated separately:
communication • regulation • environment • AAC • assistive technology • school expectations • autonomy • family routines
That matters here for a practical reason. Cases involving a communication device are seldom about whether the student has one. They turn on whether anyone established that it was the right device, whether the adults around the student were ever taught to use it, and whether the services described in the IEP resemble what happens in the room. Those are the questions I am equipped to answer.
Compensatory Education Referrals
I am currently accepting a limited number of Philadelphia Compensatory Education referrals.
My practice is intentionally small. I am particularly interested in cases involving:
- complex communication
- autism and other neurodivergent communication
- AAC
- assistive technology
- childhood apraxia of speech
- adolescents
- communication that varies significantly across settings
- situations in which prior services have not adequately addressed functional needs
I consider referrals individually for fit rather than accepting every case that is available.
Practical Details
Students over 21. I accept compensatory education referrals for students past age 21, where eligibility survives under Ferren C. v. School District of Philadelphia.
Evaluations and devices. A compensatory education award can fund an AAC or assistive technology evaluation, the device itself, and the training that makes it usable. Many of the families I meet already have a device that no one is using.
Approved provider. I am approved by the School District of Philadelphia to provide compensatory education services, and I am familiar with the District’s invoicing requirements.
Clearances and insurance. My Pennsylvania Child Abuse History clearance is current, and I carry professional liability insurance.
Making a Referral
You are welcome to contact me before sending a family my way.
For an initial conversation, I generally need only a brief description of:
- the student’s age
- the primary concern
- whether AAC or assistive technology is involved
- whether Compensatory Education funding is involved
- approximate location
- what the family or referral source hopes I can help resolve
Please do not send IEPs, evaluations, settlement agreements, medical records, or other confidential student information with an initial inquiry. If we decide that reviewing records would be useful, we can arrange an appropriate way to exchange them.
Looking for Compensatory Education Services for a Family?
Philadelphia Compensatory Education Services →
Scope of Services
I provide speech-language pathology, AAC, assistive technology, and related clinical consultation. I do not provide legal advice.
Requests involving independent evaluations, formal reports for litigation, deposition, testimony, or other expert roles should be discussed with me in advance so that we can determine whether the requested role is appropriate.